It was one thing when strangers acted like show-offs, but when someone familiar pulled that in front of you—it really got under Du Yun's skin.
He was ready to end the match right there and send Zhao Xing packing.
"Void Severance!"
Over the vast ocean, turbulent waves surged sky-high. Amid the roar, Du Yun's arms became entwined with dark Dao runes, and his ten fingers curled like hooks, tearing through the sky.
Behind him appeared nine layers of void rivers. The chaotic flows weren't just ordinary currents—they were dark red, as if formed from Du Yun's own blood and Qi.
"Zhao Xing!"
From Du Yun's throat came a metallic, grinding resonance. His right palm suddenly transformed into a transparent crystal blade.
"This is the end!"
Before the words even finished echoing, a region of ocean spanning over a million li was split clean in half.
It wasn't a normal spatial rift. Even the spiritual energy particles were sliced apart. The instant burst of spiritual energy turned into an even more violent void storm.
The Void Straw Puppet beneath Zhao Xing's feet reacted instinctively, instantly folding out three thousand six hundred layers of void barriers.
But the moment they came into contact with that crystal blade—crack!
The barriers shattered layer by layer like glass lamps hitting stone, crumbling with audible force.
Du Yun's Void Severance made it nearly impossible for anyone to maintain footing within the void—its power rivaled that of an initial sea realm covering over a million li.
"What a move—Void Severance!"
Zhao Xing's pupils contracted. Even though Zuo Qiyu had taken control of the Void Straw Puppet, he still felt a real sense of danger—like they might not win this.
But Zuo Qiyu was about to show him what it meant to be a true Primordial Envoy.
Boom!
The Void Straw Puppet drove both legs into the ocean's surface.
Zhao Xing's great divine ability, Yin-Yang Self Technique, became incredibly profound in Zuo Qiyu's hands. The moment the World Law activated, the severed void trails twisted and regenerated like living beings, forcibly stitching the fissures from the Void Severance back together.
Du Yun flipped his wrist and pushed Void Severance to its limit. The power surged to terrifying levels, trying to blast Zhao Xing right out of the Dao Field.
Black cracks filled the sky above the sea. The previously stable Dao Field space now looked like thin paper on the verge of tearing.
But no matter how Du Yun ripped, the void was quickly mended.
The raging rivers of the void diverted the moment they approached the Void Straw Puppet.
It was like pouring a basin of water onto the ground—it quickly seeped away along predetermined paths and vanished without a trace.
Du Yun's all-out divine ability—Void Severance—was completely neutralized.
"Senior Zuo, you're insane!"
Zhao Xing's heart surged with awe.
The World Law: Yin-Yang Self Technique, in Zuo Qiyu's hands, had already reached the level of complete mastery—far beyond what Zhao Xing himself could perform.
It felt like Zuo Qiyu had void's essence dancing in the palm of his hand. One had to take dozens of steps down the path of the space Dao to manipulate it so casually.
"What?"
Even Du Yun was momentarily stunned when he saw his divine ability utterly nullified.
"Zhao Xing actually took it head-on."
This Zhao Xing had given Du Yun no shortage of surprises today. But still, he didn't believe Zhao Xing had truly surpassed him.
Yet now, Du Yun started to suspect he'd underestimated him.
"All these years I've cultivated, and he's only been at it for so long... Could he really be more talented than me?"
In a clash between masters, a single move could reveal a lot.
At this moment, Du Yun elevated Zhao Xing to the same level as himself. He completely shed any trace of contempt.
"Zhao Xing, it seems I did underestimate you."
Du Yun withdrew his hands, his expression growing solemn.
"You're stronger than You Beixuan."
"What? Stronger than You Beixuan?"
The crowd watching the match was completely stunned by Du Yun's words.
"No way! Brother Zhao surpassed us by that much?" Han Qianye was wide-eyed in shock.
"Du Yun's not putting on a show, is he?" Even Daoist Miaosong had doubts—was Du Yun just trying to hype Zhao Xing?
"This is serious business. There's no way he'd fake this!" From the viewing zone, Jing Yan let out a howl of excitement.
"Brother Zhao, you're about to become famous across the Xuanling Star Domain!"
"No way..."
The other Shennong geniuses from the Original Realm—like Tuo Sen, Yuan Qiusheng, and Fairy Youling—were all dumbfounded.
Had Zhao Xing really surpassed them that much without them even noticing?
"Hahahaha! Beautifully done!" The Five Venom Emperor burst out laughing.
Stronger than You Beixuan?
Of course he was stronger!
This Void Straw Puppet was tailor-made for him. Add in Zuo Qiyu's possession—if that still wasn't enough to surpass You Beixuan, he might as well go get reincarnated!
"Du Yun, now it's my turn!"
The Void Straw Puppet raised two fingers and brushed them across its brow. A vortex formed from the Grain-Sized Heaven-Distorting Technique burst forth with a roar.
Zuo Qiyu unleashed the second great divine ability Zhao Xing had mastered—Grain-Sized Heaven-Distorting Technique!
In the center of the vortex, a shadow of a great mountain appeared, faintly resembling Huai Liu Courtyard.
Zuo Qiyu tapped into all of Zhao Xing's available techniques.
He even summoned the second tier of the Extreme Land realm—Mustard Seed Mountain.
First, to make it feel like a real battle.
Second, to actually win, he'd have to use everything Zhao Xing had.
Because Zuo Qiyu was only "possessing" the puppet—he couldn't use his own techniques, only Zhao Xing's.
"Grain-Sized Devours the Sky!"
The void fissures Du Yun had unleashed rushed in like rivers returning to the sea, completely swallowed by the vortex.
Even more shocking, a second vortex appeared on the Void Straw Puppet's chest. The Dao patterns of "Void Severance" it had just devoured were refined through a corridor and fed back as pure void essence!
The Void Straw Puppet let out a long roar. Its aura surged upward, Yin and Yang divided behind its back.
Zhao Xing stood at the center line—left hand with five fingers spread, right hand manifesting an underground palace.
Great divine abilities—Five Finger Mountain and Demon God Earth Palace!
Zuo Qiyu had never even learned Five Finger Mountain or Demon God Earth Palace before—he was interpreting and casting them on the spot.
Back when Zhao Xing and Du Yun first clashed, Zuo Qiyu had already slipped into the Void Straw Puppet's body.
Now that it was all bursting forth, the pressure on Du Yun skyrocketed. He activated his Reincarnation Golden Body and entered his third transformation stage, unleashing his own original divine ability—Thousand Li Yellow Sand Crossing.
A dark golden body stood atop a yellow sand river. The chaotic surroundings seemed to have nothing to do with him.
His steps looked like they moved through another dimension entirely. He clenched his fist and charged toward Zhao Xing.
Boom!
The Five Finger Mountain came crashing down first, crushing Du Yun's Yellow Sand Mansion Crossing behind him. It shattered inch by inch.
Du Yun didn't react. His eyes were locked on the Void Straw Puppet as he kept charging forward.
Boom boom boom boom boom!
The Five Finger Mountain slammed down repeatedly, collapsing five hundred li of the Yellow Sand Mansion Crossing in moments.
Each strike barely missed Du Yun, landing just behind him.
Seeing Du Yun drawing closer step by step, Zhao Xing's true body started getting anxious.
What was going on with Senior Zuo? Why were none of the attacks landing?
Was Du Yun's Thousand Li Yellow Sand Crossing really that strong?
Boom boom boom boom boom!
One Five Finger Mountain after another appeared behind Du Yun, crushing the path he had taken.
When only a third of the distance remained, a shocking scene played out that stunned both Zhao Xing and Du Yun.
Fifteen of the mountains suddenly shifted, appearing in front of Du Yun.
At the same time, the Demon God Earth Palace descended.
Du Yun was completely trapped inside.
Hiss—
Zhao Xing sucked in a sharp breath.
In just that brief moment, Zuo Qiyu had managed to merge the Five Finger Mountain and the Demon God Earth Palace together.
The combination of the two divine abilities created something new—Five Finger Demon God Earth Palace!
Once the two techniques fused, the aura was entirely different from when Zhao Xing cast them alone.
Each of the five mountain pillars now looked, from afar, like a towering demon god.
Between the peaks, a strange rhythm formed. Roaring demon flames scattered and absorbed the flames of Du Yun's Reincarnation Golden Body.
They grew taller and stronger with every breath.
"Impossible!" Du Yun's eyes spewed dark blood flames as a look of disbelief spread across his face.
"What is this divine ability?!"
As the final mountain dropped, the Yellow Sand Mansion Crossing under Du Yun completely crumbled.
The Five Finger Demon God Earth Palace was fully formed and began refining the aura of Du Yun's golden body.
Every ten breaths, it would extract a portion of his Reincarnation Golden Body's power and absorb it into the mountains—each time shrinking Du Yun's form noticeably.
"Break! Break! Break! Break! Break!!"
Du Yun roared and attacked the Five Finger Mountain.
But the more he attacked, the faster the energy leaked out!
"Insane!"
At this point, Zhao Xing had no other praise left for Zuo Qiyu—only that single word remained.
"What?!"
Emperor Tianwu shot to his feet, eyes filled with disbelief as he stared at the battlefield.
"Xingtian Demon God Earth Palace—combined with a second spell and folded through the void—it not only broke Du Yun's Yellow Sand Mansion Crossing, it locked him down completely?!"
"A heaven-defying talent!" The Sovereign of Tianyou Kingdom was equally shocked.
"Two great divine abilities fused together in such a terrifying way—where did this Zhao Xing come from? How have we never heard of him before?!"
"Such mastery of Dao arts—he came prepared." Even Emperor Yuanding of the Reincarnation Divine Palace couldn't hide his admiration.
"The Five Finger Mountain from Wutian was already a top-tier suppression technique. Pairing it with the Demon God Earth Palace of the Ancient Hill, and executing a seamless fusion—it's a whole new Reincarnation Realm-level technique now."
"Qi Sect martial artists don't even have enough body energy to withstand this refinement!"
Emperor Yuanding judged that Zhao Xing's last move had already reached the threshold of Reincarnation Realm-level combat power.
"An Origin Stage cultivator able to unleash a strike that rivals Reincarnation Realm power? No wonder Du Yun lost—he had no reason to feel ashamed." Emperor Mangya gasped.
"This kind of genius hasn't been seen in several eras."
"No wonder Gu Luohe took him in as a disciple."
"Du Yun's golden body at nine hundred ninety-six extremes was already top-tier."
"To think Zhao Xing's talent and comprehension are even greater!"
"They're mine—all mine!"
Scholar Bowe was howling with desire in his heart.
"Surrender!"
Emperor Tianwu transmitted his voice to the Five Venom Emperor.
"Let Du Yun out!"
Right now, Du Yun had already been refined down to less than half his original height.
But he was indeed powerful. The Void Straw Puppet couldn't retract the Five Finger Demon God Earth Palace on its own. Doing so would lead to backlash.
Without external intervention, Du Yun would be refined to death—and not even the Void Straw Puppet could stop it.
The stronger the opponents, the harder it was to control the destruction they caused.
That was why this battle was restricted to below the Reincarnation Realm.
"Got it."
The Five Venom Emperor and Zuo Qiyu's true body instantly took action.
Of course, they weren't going to let Du Yun be refined alive.
They quickly entered the field and separated Zhao Xing and Du Yun.
At the moment of contact, Zuo Qiyu smoothly withdrew from the Void Straw Puppet, and everything returned to normal.
Whoosh whoosh whoosh—
Du Yun and Zhao Xing were both transferred to a floating island.
Even as the battle ended, Du Yun still didn't understand how he lost.
He looked at Zhao Xing with a completely different expression now.
"Three thousand years apart, and you've grown to this level?"
"I accept the result." Zhao Xing cupped his hands a bit awkwardly.
But now was not the time to explain anything to Du Yun.
You had to commit to the act all the way through.
Zhao Xing believed Du Yun wouldn't crumble from a single defeat. If he were that fragile, he wouldn't be so famous in the first place.
A so-called genius who collapses from one loss? That's no genius at all.
Whoosh whoosh~~
Emperor Tianwu, Emperor Mangya, Scholar Bowe, Emperor Yuanding, and the Sovereign of Tianyou Kingdom—figures of Reincarnation Realm power—appeared on the floating island.
All of them, without exception, looked straight at Zhao Xing—and at the Void Straw Puppet.
Zhao Xing immediately felt like his puppet was scanned by countless senses, thoroughly dissected from head to toe.
However, none of the Emperors present scanned Zhao Xing's true body.
Because the Five Venom Emperor was already stamping his feet.
"What's this? What's with all the staring?! Can't handle losing?!"
The Five Venom Emperor timed his outburst perfectly—just enough for the bigshots to take a look, but not enough for them to dig deeper.
"Five Elements Emperor, don't be angry." Emperor Mangya smiled.
"We meant no offense. We just wanted to take a look at this once-in-a-generation genius."
While Emperor Mangya still used formal titles, Emperor Tianwu didn't bother with such niceties.
"Hmph. Five Venom, what are you hiding?"
The Five Venom Emperor's temper flared even hotter. He pointed at Du Yun.
"You want me to strip Du Yun too, let's see how he likes it!"
Du Yun looked helpless.
He had just gotten dressed, and now the Five Venom Emperor had already blown his sleeve to pieces again.
Judging by his expression, if Emperor Tianwu kept pestering him, the Five Venom Emperor really might strip him bare.
Cultivators might not care about such things, but the Five Venom Emperor truly had a nasty temper.
"You! Vulgar brute!" Emperor Tianwu flicked his sleeve and ignored him. He felt that arguing with the Five Venom Emperor any further would only disgrace himself.
"Let's not ruin the mood," Emperor Mangya stepped in to smooth things over. "Since you're this protective, Five Venom, we won't look."
"Ai, no can do." The Five Venom Emperor wasn't having it. He grabbed Zhao Xing and the Void Straw Puppet and dragged them over.
"Here, look! Look all you want! So you won't say our Primordial Realm is faking things. But all of you are big names—if you want to look at my disciple, don't expect it to be for free."
Now it was Zhao Xing's turn to feel helpless.
What the hell, was this a zoo selling tickets?
And someone really did want to take a closer look.
From the scholars' group, a golden-haired man with a gentle smile stepped forward.
"Zhao Xing, I'm Bowe, a scholar of the Seven Realms from Scholar City."
"This item is called the Return-to-Void Expulsion Token. I spent one hundred thousand years crafting it. Consider it a little greeting gift."
"I've seen all sorts of straw puppet techniques, but never a Void Straw Puppet. Would you kindly fulfill my wish and let me take a look inside?"
Zhao Xing's eyes flashed with recognition when he saw this man, but he quickly looked away and turned to the Five Venom Emperor and Zuo Qiyu.
"Why are you looking at me? I walk the righteous path, act with integrity. Here, take it!" the Five Venom Emperor said bluntly.
Zhao Xing nearly lost control.
Seriously?
You're even lying to yourself now?
Seeing Zuo Qiyu nod as well, Zhao Xing had no choice but to release the restriction on the Void Straw Puppet.
In truth, he didn't want to interact with this scholar at all.
Because this guy was a key figure in the God Descent version of the Scholar storyline—the dark mastermind behind the Deification Campaign.
Half-God Bowe!
Of course, the current Bowe wasn't a half-god yet. The leader of Scholar City was still another Seven Realms Scholar named "Zhixin."
So what exactly was a Seven Realms Scholar?
Rumor had it that within Scholar City, there was a secret realm called the Law Realm.
Each realm stored countless secret arts, enough to fill an entire dimension.
Scholars who fully mastered one realm's secret arts were called "One-Realm Scholars."
Master two, and you're a "Two-Realm Scholar," and so on. It was said that there were nine such realms.
But the Seven Realms Scholar was the highest rank currently known.
No scholar had ever entered the Eighth Realm. No one even knew if the Ninth Realm truly existed—it was only mentioned in ancient texts.
"Honorable Seven Realms Scholar, please," Zhao Xing said reluctantly, allowing Bowe to enter the interior space of the Void Straw Puppet.
Whoosh~ Bowe stepped inside.
After just three breaths, he emerged from the puppet's body.
"Truly marvelous. One can't help but admire the brilliance of Senior Gu Tianyang," Scholar Bowe praised.
"I didn't notice anything unusual."
That last line served as a public declaration.
He was testifying that the Primordial Realm hadn't faked anything.
Hearing this, Zhao Xing finally let out a breath of relief.
It seemed Zuo Qiyu really was strong—there was no way anyone of the same level could supervise him. In the field of straw puppet techniques, only someone at the Godhood Realm could possibly detect any flaws.
"A real genius indeed!" Emperor Yuanding spoke up too.
With Bowe's certification and everyone having witnessed it with their own eyes, there was no more room for doubt.
If anyone kept questioning it now, they might as well ask Zhao Xing to repeat that divine technique—and how would that reflect on the Primordial Realm?
In the end, this collaboration was about relying on the Red Star Empire to help them get their share of the spoils. If things got too tense, it'd only be counterproductive.
Du Yun found it even harder to believe.
Zhao Xing really had beaten him with his own strength!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh~
One figure after another swiftly departed.
The battle between Zhao Xing and Du Yun quickly sent shockwaves through the entire Primordial Realm.
"A Void Straw Puppet beat Du Yun? Unbelievable!"
"Qi Sect and Sword Sect were fighting over first place, and in the end, they both got crushed by a Shennong—what a joke! Hahaha!"
"See that? That's our Saint Son of the Primordial Realm! From now on, all you martial artists better show some respect to the Shennong!"
"Where are all those people who were doubting him earlier? Come out and say something!"
"Ha! Martial artists? Just average stuff!"
"Zhao Shennong is amazing!"
And not just the Primordial Realm. News of this battle spread fast across the major star systems.
A genius is born. The Saint Son of the Shennong. The greatest Shennong genius in ten eras—praises like these were being pinned onto Zhao Xing from every direction.
Emperor Hongshan watched that fusion strike of the Five Finger Mountain and the Demon God Earth Palace and felt more intrigued by the mystery of Zhao Xing.
"The Five Finger Mountain was created by Wutian. And now this kid's inherited the true technique too?"
"To fuse the Five Finger Mountain with the Demon God Earth Palace? What a coincidence. Back then, Wutian once visited that very same Earth Palace—"
No one doubted it!
Everyone was celebrating the rise of a new peerless genius.
Everyone except Zhao Xing himself.
"Master… did we go too far this time?" Zhao Xing sighed.
"Now everyone thinks I'm some heaven-defying prodigy. Some are even calling me the greatest Shennong genius of the past thousand eras, saying I'll attain Dao and become a god—this pressure is crushing me."
Sure, showing off felt great. Beating down Du Yun was satisfying too.
And having Zuo Qiyu possess him brought tons of benefits. Because that kind of control…
…it let Zhao Xing experience firsthand the path he would walk in the future.
For example, the fusion divine technique that Zuo Qiyu used—Five Finger Demon God Earth Palace—was something Zhao Xing would definitely learn one day.
Thanks to the nature of the Void Straw Puppet, Zuo Qiyu was actually perfect as a teacher—possessing and controlling his disciple in battle helped immensely with future cultivation.
But now, there was a problem.
What if he got exposed?
He was carrying too many expectations. Lifted to the skies—and if he ever fell, the crash would be brutal.
The Five Venom Emperor's response was blunt:
"What're you afraid of? If you're not the number one genius yet, then train hard until you are!"
"This time you beat Du Yun with Little Zuo's help. Next time, you beat him on your own!"
"What do you think the emperor-grade seedling and the Dao-Ancient Golden Cicada were given to you for?"
"As long as you follow your master and cultivate diligently, you'll earn all those titles one day!"
"Starting today, stay in Five Elements City and focus on cultivating the Bud Technique. You keep using other sects' techniques in fights—how is that acceptable?"
"Ai Miaomiao and Wei Lan have been disciples for a long time now. You can ask them for guidance."
"I'll check your cultivation progress from time to time."
"For now, I'm going to find you a good opportunity!"
The moment the Five Venom Emperor finished speaking, he vanished with a whoosh.
Leaving Zhao Xing standing there, completely dumbfounded.
Shortly after the Five Venom Emperor left, Wei Lan and Ai Miaomiao walked in from outside the hall.
Ai Miaomiao was holding a green cup, filled with cloudy vine sap, while Wei Lan had a sprouting head and a pouch full of seeds dangling in hand.
"Junior Brother, it's time to drink your vine sap." Ai Miaomiao's oval face was full of a gentle smile, her voice soft.
"Bud Technique is super easy to train," Wei Lan added, grinning.
Gulp~
Staring at his senior brother and sister, Zhao Xing couldn't help but swallow hard.
Meanwhile, in the Red Star Empire, at Ziwuguan.
Inside a small military base called Cloud Sea, under the Empire's Ministry of War.
Yun Tiandao opened the door and looked up at the sun star in the sky.
"Congratulations, my lord, on emerging from closed-door cultivation and stepping into the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm!"
A deputy with deer antlers respectfully knelt beside him.
Yun Tiandao showed no sign of joy on his face. He simply nodded, then looked toward the end of the line, where a healer stood quietly holding a medicine chest.
He waved off the others and walked up to the physician.
"How is it?"
"Madam's condition has slightly improved. She's begun to recall the Marquis of Yun and fragments of the past."
"But your other friend… still the same."
Yun Tiandao followed the doctor into the air.
Beneath them lay two secluded residences.
To the left, a middle-aged woman in a white dress was watering flowers. She had a gentle smile, like a scene of peace untouched by time.
To the right, a man sat cross-legged in the dirt, hair messy, staring blankly at a wall painting.
"Sigh—" Yun Tiandao let out a long breath.
Three thousand years ago, Yun Tiandao had already reached the Dao Domain Realm! Back then, Zhao Xing hadn't yet returned.
After that, Yun Tiandao joined the Empire's military, stationed at Ziwuguan, fighting his way up and cultivating through bloodshed and merit.
Two thousand years ago, during one such mission, he rescued the Xia Emperor and his own Dao companion.
Now, Yun Tiandao was already a marquis of the Empire, and the Cloud Sea Base was named after him.
"Now that the Marquis of Yun has broken through to the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm, perhaps you could return to the homeland and visit the Primordial Realm's treasury to look for secret cures."
"Out here, conditions are rough, and my medical skills are quite crude," the old doctor said.
Yun Tiandao looked at the doctor and shook his head. "Sir, you've already done more than enough."
"I'm ashamed," the old physician muttered.
"No," Yun Tiandao smiled. "A friend of mine once told me—my Dao companion and my friend were originally destined for tragedy."
"To have peace now is already more than I could ask for."
"That friend of yours… a Fate Officer?" the old doctor asked casually.
"Something like that," Yun Tiandao replied thoughtfully.
Xuanhuang Realm, House of Epochs.
Rustle rustle~~
Inside a loft, a Daoist in plain robes, hair tied up with a purple jade hairpin, was writing something.
[Chronicles of Xuanhuang · Chapter Forty-Five]
[It has now been 4,500 years since His Majesty and the Grand Shennong left.]
[We're already more than 1,500 years past the 3,000-year promise.]
[I'm beginning to feel the same helplessness that Yun Tiandao did, waiting endlessly with no word. But more than anything, I feel worry.]
[His Majesty and the Grand Shennong must've encountered some grave problem to remain away, and over the past 1,000 years, I've become more and more certain of it.]
[The Xuanhuang Realm has changed drastically in a short time.]
[Since the revival of the Wu two thousand years ago, they've only grown stronger, surpassing even their old cultivation realm.]
[The sect world has advanced rapidly. Not only has the Xuantian Divine Sect emerged, but also the mysterious Ancient God Cult.]
[Since Ji Hong succeeded the throne, the Book of Fate, the Human Emperor Sword, and the Kun Yuan Divine Hoe have all resurfaced.]
[And each of them has grown even stronger than they were in the past. Ji Hong himself has lived past the thousand-year mark and is still the third generation Human Emperor!]
[So many absurd things have happened—even I have reached the Life and Death Dao Domain Realm.]
[I truly want to participate in worldly affairs, but the Grand Shennong left me instructions—not to interfere with outside development.]
[But now that everything he predicted has begun to change, should I still hold fast to my role as the Watcher?]
[Nine years ago, Ji Hong came to me again. He wanted to invite me to ascend together, to explore broader worlds.]
[Today, the Xuanhuang Realm already meets the requirements for ascension. It really seems so. But I keep feeling that the cosmic deep sea hides great horrors.]
[So once again, I refused Ji Hong. He didn't insist and ascended five years ago. Nowadays, in the Nineteen Provinces, ascension is easy—you no longer need to conquer the Southern Barbarians, and there's no more shortage of Spirit Qi.]
[By my calculations, Ji Hong should have just passed the far side of the Xuanhuang Taiyin Star.]
Thinking of this, Wang Tianzhi set down his brush and walked to the window to gaze into the cosmos.
Then, his face filled with terror.
He saw a realm ship engraved with the Great Zhou banner passing over the far side of the Xuanhuang Taiyin Star—when something suddenly caught up to it.
And then, silently, the ship shattered like a blooming firework.
Wang Tianzhi stared wide-eyed, instinctively reaching out as if to grasp something, only to freeze in place.
Because he saw it clearly—what pierced through Ji Hong's realm ship, the third-generation Human Emperor of the Great Zhou, was just…
…a single drop of rain.
Followed by a second. Then a third—
Splash~~
Black rain suddenly poured down in the universe, erasing every trace.
Wang Tianzhi felt the starry sky grow even darker.