Crack!
Space shattered like fragile glass, and in the next instant, Hu Kuang and Mo Yuan plunged into the spatial rift.
To travel through the chaotic void unscathed, one needed the strength of at least an Eminence-level cultivator.
Even those at the Pathseeker Realm could barely tear open space—but to traverse it freely? Impossible.
The howling turbulence and the devouring void winds were lethal, even to those who had touched the path of Dao.
Yet, neither Hu Kuang nor Mo Yuan hesitated.
They had no choice.
The sacrifice could not fail.
A day had passed since the ancient ruins had first revealed themselves.
As of now, they existed only as a shadowy mirage, flickering between dimensions, not yet fully anchored in the real world.
Visible—but unreachable.
Countless cultivators could see the looming shape of the ruins, but no one knew where they would truly manifest when the time came.
Until the final moment arrived, it was all a waiting game.
A vast canyon stretched endlessly, exuding a primal, ancient presence.
The very air shimmered with raw power, distorting space itself.
Scattered across the valley floor lay countless remains of beasts—monstrous skeletons stacked atop one another, forming a morbid graveyard.
The aura of death that lingered over the bones was palpable, whispering of forgotten battles and lost empires.
At the canyon's heart stood a colossal altar, towering over a hundred meters tall.
It was built from obsidian-black stone, its surface engraved with intricate, cryptic runes.
Though time had left its mark—cracks, weathered edges—the altar's power remained undiminished.
Before it stood dozens of figures, all clad in silence.
At the forefront stood a white-haired, three-eyed elder—the High Priest.
Each figure present was a monster in human form.
For a beast to achieve human transformation, they needed at least Pathseeker-level strength.
In other words—
Every single one of them was a Pathseeker cultivator.
Among them, several had even reached the Eminence Realm.
The sheer power gathered here was unfathomable.
The Monster Royal Clan of the Nine Stars Mountain Range had revealed their true strength.
A force like this—should it descend upon the Azure Continent—could shake the entire world.
Among the gathered monsters, one figure stood out.
A woman, her presence noble, untouchable, radiating an aura that demanded reverence.
Yao Ziyan.
Though silent, her mere existence drew the respectful gazes of her kin.
Monsters bowed only to the strong, and her power was undeniable—she had reached the Eminence Realm.
But more than that—
They knew her name.
The King of Assassins, the phantom of the Shadow Kill list.
Beside her stood a younger girl, one who bore a striking resemblance to her.
"Sister," the girl asked in a quiet voice, "do you think the sacrifice will really succeed?"
Yao Ziyan turned to her with a gentle smile, ruffling her hair.
"What do you think, Ziyue? We've been preparing for centuries. Of course, it will succeed."
Yao Ziyue nodded, though her eyes still held curiosity.
After a moment, she hesitated, then leaned closer and whispered through a voice transmission—
"Sister, is the Origin Mall you mentioned before really that mystical?"
Yao Ziyan's smile flickered.
After leaving Origin Mall, she had immediately rushed here, tearing through space to return.
Her sudden disappearance had caused great concern among the Monster Royal Clan.
They had been relieved to see her return.
But about where she had been—
She had told them nothing.