Seeing everyone subdued by the Ancient Que Sword, Blood Vast Sky laughed out loud, his confidence surging, sweeping away the gloom in his heart from being punched by Ning Fan.

The blade of the Ancient Que Giant Sword was engraved with mysterious patterns, undulating like tree bark, exuding immortal aura. As the giant sword swung, the phantoms of countless ancient immortal towers emerged one after another in the starry sky. The shadow of those ancient immortal towers carried an overwhelming pressure, making one involuntarily want to worship them, incredibly bizarre.

Many of the old monsters from the Slaughter Hall who recognized this sword were drastically changed in expression, exclaiming, "This sword is actually forged from the ruins of the Five Floors and Twelve Que of the Ancient Heavenly Court! It contains true Immortal Spirit Force, and it’s probably much more powerful than ordinary Innate Treasures!"

Blood Vast Sky swung the giant sword, and a vast Sword Qi shot out like a white dragon, the dazzling sword light so bright that no one could open their eyes. The sword light was so fast, it seemed to split to the end of the starry sky in an instant, falling straight towards Ning Fan.

The gazes of countless people focused on the Ancient Que Sword, shocked by the unparalleled pressure of this sword. The cultivation of Blood Vast Sky already suppressed the Minghai Celestial King and was considered an outstanding Quasi-Emperor; using the Innate Sword to launch a slash, it was almost not that much weaker than an Immortal Emperor’s strike!

No one believed that Ning Fan could block this sword strike, not even the Minghai Celestial King. His face was as iron, like facing a great enemy, ready to assist Ning Fan, but was stopped behind by Ning Fan raising his hand.

"Great Elder, quickly quell the rebellion within the hall to prevent too many disciple losses, this person, leave to me!"

Ning Fan’s tone carried a kind of calmness born from facing countless storms. To ordinary Eastern Celestial Cultivators, a Quasi-Emperor was a supreme existence, but to him, a Quasi-Emperor was no longer a great foe.

As he spoke, Ning Fan raised his other hand to offer a black Kasaya to the sky. As soon as the Kasaya appeared, a monstrous wind rose around, and in the wind, the Kasaya expanded to infinite size, completely covering the strike Blood Vast Sky put his full effort into. Wrapped inside, it completely sealed it, not letting a hint escape.

This item was the Black Mountain Bear Ancestor Kasaya, rarely used by Ning Fan and acquired from the hands of the Great Emperor Tiandu. It was a dual-function treasure for attack and defense, which could be worn as armor or summoned as a magical treasure to encompass the heavens and the earth.

Countless people were so shocked that they couldn’t close their mouths, astounded that Ning Fan casually blocked a strike from Blood Vast Sky!

"This young master also has an Innate Treasure at hand! And he blocked Blood Vast Sky’s strike as if it cost him little effort!"

The Minghai Celestial King was greatly surprised, then his expression collected, filled with guilt and admiration, his emotions incredibly complex.

Having witnessed Ning Fan’s prowess, Ming Hai deeply understood that in this time and place, only Ning Fan could equally match Blood Vast Sky... In the face of disaster, only the Young Emperor could protect the Slaughter Hall, protect the descendants of the Big Dipper!

"If that’s the case, then it’s up to the Young Emperor to hold this person back for a moment. I’ll kill the rest of the rebels, then come to assist the Young Emperor in slaying the traitor Blood Vast Sky to avenge the Hall Master!"

"Hmm, go, kill all the rebel traitors, leave the Spirit, I want a blood sacrifice for these traitors!"

"Yes!"

Referring to himself as a subordinate represented the Minghai Celestial King’s true recognition of Ning Fan’s identity as the Young Emperor of the Eighth Generation.

How many years had passed, the little guy who was in the First Step, was now the only hope for the Slaughter Hall...

As he spoke, Ning Fan continued to respond to Blood Vast Sky’s repeated slashes slowly and steadily. On the surface, he seemed to handle Blood Vast Sky’s strikes effortlessly, but in truth, every block required a massive amount of mana. Forcefully withstanding an opponent’s slash wasn’t an easy task. Dodging the strikes wasn’t difficult and was more mana-efficient, but if he only focused on dodging, allowing the strikes to ravage the surroundings, many disciples of the Slaughter Hall would be killed by the aftershocks.

At this moment, he retracted the Ghost Eye Clan and the Wuxian Cloud, standing gracefully in white in the starry sky, his expression like eternal Xuan Ice.

The God-Extinguishing Shield was temporarily unavailable, and with this, killing a Quasi-Emperor was no easy task...

As Ning Fan’s gaze sharpened, in the starry sky, it suddenly rained.

Rain fell into a path of stars, and Ning Fan stepped along the rain road, approaching Blood Vast Sky step by step, each step exuding an unimaginable Evil Qi and thoughts!

Blood Vast Sky’s heart was involuntarily pounding wildly; the body’s instincts felt uneasy as Ning Fan approached. The Giant Sword swung even faster, slashing again and again at Ning Fan, yet all the strikes were blocked by the Black Mountain Bear Ancestor Kasaya.

What unsettled him was that Ning Fan actually also possessed an Innate Treasure, which could effortlessly block the slashes of his Ancient Que Sword. Another point was the immense Evil Qi around Ning Fan, the likes of which he had rarely seen in his life!

One must understand, even among the Immortal Emperors notorious for their evil reputations, not many can possess such a degree of Evil Qi. To make the Evil Qi so strong, merely accumulating the number of killings is insufficient; it requires slaying powerful figures at the level of Immortal Emperors!

[I have killed a Sixth Calamity Immortal Emperor!]

Blood Vast Sky suddenly recalled Ning Fan’s words, and his heart shivered!

Previously, Blood Vast Sky had regarded those words as a mere joke, not taking them to heart. However, at this moment, he vaguely began to take them seriously!

The body’s instincts told him that Ning Fan was likely a dangerous person comparable to the Ancient Immortal Lord, and perhaps... he really might have killed an Immortal Emperor, otherwise why would facing Ning Fan’s Evil Qi make his bones and teeth turn cold!

Nonetheless, his rationality told him that Ning Fan was just an Eternal Immortal Venerable, and the notion of killing an Immortal Emperor was utter nonsense! What is an Immortal Emperor? An Immortal Emperor is a peak existence of the Era of Decline! The lifelong pursuit of countless Second Step Immortal Cultivators! An unattainable dream!

How could an Immortal Venerable kill an Immortal Emperor? Utter nonsense!

Yes, yes! This Evil Qi must have been fabricated using extremely mysterious methods! It must be so!

"What a cunning little brat! Actually fabricating Evil Qi to deceive people, putting on airs, pretending to be mysterious. Do you think this old man would believe you, and be scared of you because of it? However, I didn’t expect you to actually own an Innate Treasure; no wonder even Xing Yan fell at your hands. I can’t underestimate you too much. But sadly, you don’t know that among Innate Inferior Grade Treasures, there are still differences in power. Your treasure can block my ordinary slashes, but if I unleash the true power of this sword, killing you would be as easy as flipping my hand! Do you know... the ancestors of us cultivators have a common name, called Immortal Spirits!"

Blood Vast Sky chuckled repeatedly, using a swordsmanship technique that was personally taught by the Calamity Tribe Chief, gradually unleashing the Immortal Spirit Force contained in the Ancient Que Sword. He became enshrouded in Immortal Qi, resembling an ancient Upper Immortal, his majesty intolerable to behold.

[First came the Divine Spirits, then the Immortals, when the immortal’s path opens, the incense continues.]

This is a line recorded in the Calamity Tribe’s top-secret documents, the specific meaning of which Blood Vast Sky did not understand. He only vaguely knew that in this world, there exists a type of force known as [Immortal Spirit Force]. It is the ultimate power that only Ancient Immortal Spirits can possess, a power unattainable by cultivators, harder to fathom than mighty force or the traces of the Great Dao.

Countless Immortal Qi shot out from the Ancient Que Sword; as the Immortal Qi shook, all the starry raindrops summoned by Ning Fan appeared to freeze, neither falling nor rising.

The Giant Sword then pointed at Ning Fan, and billions of tiny sword lights flew out from the sword body, each as thin as ox hair, condensed with the legendary Immortal Spirit Force!

Billions of sword shadows fell like a rainstorm of pear blossoms, sweeping across the starry sky, emitting a sharp sound like thousands of birds chirping as they broke through the void, shooting down towards Ning Fan.

Some disciples of the Slaughter Hall, unable to evade in time, were hit by a few Immortal Spirit sword shadows, instantly petrified to death, their deaths extremely strange, as if their entire essence, cultivation, and blood were consumed by those Immortal Spirit sword shadows.

Ning Fan narrowed his eyes, attempting to use the Black Mountain Bear Ancestor Kasaya to absorb these Immortal Spirit sword shadows, but managed to take in only thirty percent. The remaining seventy percent broke through the Kasaya’s defense and came unstoppable.

Ning Fan’s expression turned serious, and he summoned a tattered Wind-Fire Fan, fanning hundreds of times in quick succession against the storm of sword needles. Another thirty percent of the sword needles were reduced to ashes by the flames, yet forty percent still came with undiminished momentum, reaching within a thousand-zhang of him, instilling a faint sense of crisis.

At present, he had yet to repair the God-Extinguishing Shield, allowing these sword needles to attack would indeed cause some injuries. Of course, they wouldn’t be fatal; after all, the power of the Divine Spirit Wasted Body was evident, and he always felt that the Immortal Spirit Force in these Immortal Spirit sword shadows was somewhat similar to, yet distinct from the Force within him...

"What a formidable Ancient Que Sword, two Innate Treasures weren’t enough to withstand its power... but what about three Innate Treasures?"

Under Blood Vast Sky’s wide-eyed gaze, Ning Fan summoned a third Innate Treasure—the Divine Thunder Mirror!

This treasure, among Ning Fan’s many Innate Inferior Grade Treasures, was the most powerful. With a single illumination, the remaining forty percent of the Immortal Spirit sword shadows were shattered by thunder light, and the onslaught completely dissipated.

Ning Fan’s spirit sense altered once more, and a bowl-sized Divine Thunder struck out from the mirror, instantly reaching Blood Vast Sky’s forehead, three inches from his head!

Blood Vast Sky was greatly shocked. Instinctively he raised the Ancient Que Sword to block, but although it stopped most of the lightning power, it still shattered his ghost mask, revealing his true form—a white-haired elder with youthful features. Even his hair bun was split open, leaving him disheveled, looking rather embarrassed, and his expression became even gloomier.

"This boy actually possesses three Innate Treasures, and this last ancient terrain seems no weaker than the Ancient Que Sword... How can this boy have so many treasures! If you say they were given by Ancient Chaos, I absolutely don’t believe it!"

Not only Blood Vast Sky, but everyone knew that Ancient Chaos had died, leaving only a lingering illusion. None of his supreme treasures remained by his side, how could he possibly give them to Ning Fan!

But if you say that these treasures were collected by Ning Fan himself, and not given by anyone, Blood Vast Sky absolutely does not believe it!

"This boy holds three Innate Treasures. If I want to kill him, it’s not easy. Since that’s the case, I don’t need to hold back any longer!"

Blood Vast Sky suddenly opened his mouth and spat out, and a golden thread-like insect flew out from his body.

The thread-like insect was parasitic inside him, tied to his life, and was extraordinarily formidable. Not only him, but the majority of the cultivators of the Huo Clan would nurture insects inside their bodies, with different grades of insects.

This golden thread insect had two heads, one male and one female. As soon as it appeared, it grew in the wind, transforming into a giant beast perched in the starry sky. Its mouth was suction cup-shaped, swallowing up even the path itself; its cultivation was at the Eternal Five Tribulations level, but the peculiarity of this thread insect made it feel even harder for Ning Fan to deal with than an ordinary Five Tribulations Immortal King.

"Couldn’t defeat me alone, so you’re calling for help, huh..." Ning Fan said expressionlessly.

Blood Vast Sky’s old face turned red with embarrassment. His cultivation far surpassed Ning Fan’s, but he actually needed help to fight Ning Fan, which was indeed a bit shameful. Whether he was embarrassed once or ten times, since he’d already summoned the thread insect from his body, there’s no harm in summoning more!

No matter what today, he must kill Ning Fan and accomplish the plan!

Blood Vast Sky spat out hundreds more parasitic insects from his body. It seems spirit insects of the parasitic type were his preference. These parasitic insects had the lowest Fragmented Thought Cultivation, ten had the Immortal Venerable Cultivation Level, and two had Immortal King Cultivation Level.

With Blood Vast Sky’s command, all the parasitic insects launched an attack on Ning Fan, while he himself activated the divine power of the Ancient Que Sword again, slashing towards Ning Fan with billions of immortal spirit swords.

Ning Fan patted the storage pouch, and several more treasure lights flew out. His face remained undisturbed, fearless in the center of the attack from hundreds of parasitic insects.

In the past, when he faced unmatched adversaries, his strategy was to use the God-Extinguishing Shield for defense, innately undefeated, searching for victory opportunities.

Now that the God-Extinguishing Shield was damaged, he changed his strategy, directly relying on the abundance of Innate Treasures to launch a wild and ferocious attack!

Neither Blood Vast Sky’s parasitic insects, whose highest cultivation was that of a Five Tribulations Immortal King, nor even four or five quasi-emperor parasitic insects could make Ning Fan hesitate to use his ferocious offensive to slay them all here!

Only to see the lightning of the Divine Thunder Mirror burst open, and the billions of immortal spirit swords were shattered by lightning without missing a single one. The mirror’s feature lay in the fact that nothing it showed would ever miss from its attack list, naturally leaving no omissions!

As the poison smoke from the Five Poisons Banner rose, the giant parasitic insects dissolved into pus and blood within it.

The Wind-Fire Fan scorched and killed everywhere, and the Five Thunders Annihilation Cover killed whoever it enveloped.

The Prison Thunder Rope tied the strongest Five Tribulations Immortal King thread insect to death, then it was blown to pieces by the Five Thunders Annihilation Cover.

The Black Mountain Bear Ancestor Kasaya enveloped countless parasitic insects within a large area, then shook them open, dispersing countless worm bones and ashes, deadly to all who entered.

Blood Vast Sky spat out blood repeatedly, unable to believe what was happening before his eyes!

Ning Fan completely suppressed his Ancient Que Sword with just one Divine Thunder Mirror. With even more Innate Treasures, in a lightning-fast speed, he slaughtered all of his painstakingly nurtured parasitic insects!

To nurture those parasitic insects to such cultivation levels, it required a symbiotic relationship. If the master dies, the insects die; if the insects perish, the master is injured!

With each parasitic insect exterminated, he suffered injuries due to that heart-spirit connection. The higher the cultivation of the slain insects, the greater the impact!

Ning Fan only took a dozen breaths to kill all his parasitic insects, the cost of which was Blood Vast Sky’s internal injuries due to backlash, an enormous price!

How could this be possible, how could this be!

Ning Fan actually in just a dozen breaths, killed all his spirit insects!

Ning Fan actually simultaneously used six Innate Treasures! 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

The Last Law Immortal Venerable, how could there be so many treasures like this! It’s impossible, absolutely impossible!

Note that the most prideful fact in Blood Vast Sky’s life is that he possessed an Innate Treasure even before truly entering the Immortal Emperor!

Strong as the Huo Clan is, not everyone is qualified to have an Innate Treasure. The Huo Clan Young Emperor is not the only one; he is actually ranked nineteenth among the Young Emperor’s, let alone being an Immortal Emperor, originally unqualified for the clan to bestow an Innate Treasure.

Thus, he abandoned the life of luxury within the clan, risking his life to accept a task, secretly sabotaging the Slaughter Hall.

Thus, he received the reward of the Ancient Que Sword!

The Clan Leader even personally promised before countless tribe members: if Blood Vast Sky can truly complete the task and secretly seize the Sacred Slayer Sword of the Desolate Heavens, then on the day he returns, he could be promoted from the nineteenth Young Emperor to the fourth Young Emperor and receive his second Innate Treasure as a reward!

The Era of Decline has limited resources; there aren’t so many materials to forge Innate Treasures; even the Immortal Emperor rarely possesses two Innate Treasures!

Two Innate Treasures, for him, remain an unattainable dream, but what merit does Ning Fan possess to have six Innate Treasures!

This matter caused a trace of wavering in his inner pride as a Young Emperor of the Huo Clan, an imbalance, with his sense of superiority completely disappearing.

Regarding Blood Vast Sky’s momentary distraction, Ning Fan naturally wouldn’t let it pass.

"You were distracted."

Ning Fan’s voice, along the starry path of rain, reached Blood Vast Sky’s ears.

But Ning Fan’s shadow had somehow completely disappeared from the starry sky, leaving no trace at all.

Blood Vast Sky’s heart skipped a beat. To his horror, he realized the surrounding starry sky was utterly silent, and not only could he not find Ning Fan’s figure, but he couldn’t see any shadow of a Slaughter Hall disciple!

The starry sky was empty, not a person in sight, not a single star, not even the main star of the Slaughter Star visible!

In the lonely starry sky, only he remained, and his body, for unknown reasons, was gradually melting into pus and blood, emitting a rancid stench...

"Oh no! It’s an Illusory Art! Break!"

Blood Vast Sky’s mana rippled within his body, and his eyes regained clarity. The illusory landscapes around him vanished, and he was still standing in the starry battlefield.

The only difference was there were ropes of the Prison Thunder Rope wrapping around him bit by bit, like a bundle.

Mana started sealing, and wanting to struggle, he had absolutely no strength to break free...

Then, the terrifying poisonous smoke of the Five Poisons Twenty-Four Banners blew over.

The thunderous fire of the Five Thunders Annihilation Cover shot out from within the cover.

The lightning of the Divine Thunder Mirror split forth.

The fiery smoke of the Wind-Fire Fan blew over.

Each strike of the Innate Treasures landed on the defenseless Blood Vast Sky, continuously worsening his injuries.

Blood Vast Sky, a dignified Quasi-Emperor, even if not adept at Body Refinement, his physical body was certainly not weak. However, with his Mana sealed, facing the combined attack of so many Innate Treasures, he naturally could not endure it. Soon, he was gravely injured, barely hanging onto life, his breath shallow, only exhaling and not inhaling.

All disciples of the Slaughter Hall were speechless!

No one expected the confrontation between Ning Fan and Blood Vast Sky to be so one-sided! Ning Fan... was too strong, possessing six Innate Treasures! Without being an Immortal Emperor, no one could be a match for Ning Fan! They could only be suppressed and bullied by him unto death!

"I refuse, I refuse to accept this! You only rely on... having many treasures! In a fair duel, you definitely aren’t... my match!" Blood Vast Sky’s voice was like a wisp of silk, still unwilling to concede, gritting his teeth without any words of pleading, only with cold laughter, showing some stubbornness.

Unfortunately, an enemy is still an enemy. No matter how stubborn, they cannot be spared.

"The Dao is never fair. The fairness you speak of has never existed and never will."

With a flash of crimson light, Ning Fan appeared before Blood Vast Sky, halting all Innate attacks. His hands clumsily formed a seal, and the Heaven Seizing Seal quickly took shape, pressing down fiercely on Blood Vast Sky’s Heaven Separation Sect, shattering his near-death body into countless blood mists and extracting from the mist the comatose Spirit of Blood Vast Sky. However, he did not hastily destroy it but sealed and detained it.

Ning Fan’s plan was to bring all rebellious Spirits to the Slaughter Emperor’s Tomb for a blood sacrifice.

With this battle won, he collected all the Innate Treasures, glanced around indifferently, and noticed that the surrounding traitors had long been killed clean by the Minghai Celestial King and others.

There was no more conflict in the starry sky, only the chaotic and interwoven traces telling of the rebellion that had taken place here before... Only the funeral song that only Ning Fan could hear spoke of the quiet passing of the Slaughter Emperor...

In the direction of Ning Fan’s gaze, all the disciples of the Slaughter Hall either showed fervor, or looked with awe, not daring to look directly at Ning Fan. Of course, many were filled with mixed emotions of joy and sorrow, with complex expressions!

News of Ning Fan being the Young Emperor had spread and been widely known!

They lost the Seventh Generation Slaughter Emperor, which was the sorrow.

They gained the Eighth Generation Young Emperor, which was the joy.

One generation passed, another arrived. Their Eighth Generation Young Emperor had a prominent name, strong power. Following this person, perhaps they could strive for a future for the Slaughter Hall!

"Master, Little Ba has made a contribution. Look, these are the three rebellious Spirits captured by Little Ba!" Wu Laoba presented them with a joyous grin.

"I caught four Spirits! Hehe! I have the greater achievement!" Zhu Er vied for credit against Wu Laoba.

"Woof woof woof!" The Ya Tiangou unexpectedly spat out two comatose Spirits from its belly, offering them to Ning Fan.

Most of the other traitors had been directly killed, and only these had captured Spirits.

Wu Laoba, Zhu Er, and Ya Tiangou, over the matter of claiming credit, quarreled before Ning Fan, resulting in a ridiculous scene, but Ning Fan couldn’t laugh.

He ignored these three jokers, only sighed, put away the Spirits captured by his three followers, and silently flew to the side of the Minghai Celestial King, saying, "I want to go to the Big Dipper Blood Realm, let’s open the Blood Realm..."

"Yes."

This was the respectful response from the Minghai Celestial King and all surviving Slaughter Hall cultivators.

...

What then, after the victory?

What then, after defending the Slaughter Hall?

The Slaughter Emperor still died in the end.

When Ning Fan re-opened the Big Dipper Blood Realm and entered its Star Palace, and when Ning Fan found the Slaughter Emperor’s headless remains, he had no choice but to accept this reality.

It was a corpse that stood even in death, the head forcibly cut off, the Spirit exhausted its remaining power, dying within the body. Had the Slaughter Emperor’s remaining vitality not been so scarce, even if schemed against and ambushed by Blood Vast Sky and other traitors, he wouldn’t have fallen.

The surroundings were filled with ancient puppets that perished with the Slaughter Emperor. When the Slaughter Emperor died, these puppets would also not remain.

The Slaughter Emperor’s days were already numbered... a hero aging, disgraced by treacherous men, how sorrowful.

Precisely because he was concerned about the limited vitality left for the Slaughter Emperor, until today, Ning Fan had not used up the jade scroll left by the Slaughter Emperor, fearing then to deplete the scant vitality the Slaughter Emperor had. In the future... it seems there may no longer be a chance to use it.

"Senior, I have returned..."

"You once gave me two thousand years to grow, but now it seems, there isn’t that much time to slowly take over the Slaughter Hall."

"But there’s something I can’t understand. You once said that the day you die would be the time the enemies invade in force. You should have died long ago, right? If not for the junior insisting on reopening the Big Dipper Blood Realm to save you, this matter of your fall would probably have been kept hidden from everyone... I don’t understand. After your fall, the Calamity Tribe didn’t immediately invade but allowed Blood Vast Sky and others to continue lying in wait in the Slaughter Hall, acting covertly... why is this?"

"The junior knows there is in fact an unparalleled divine sword within the Slaughter Hall, [Beidou Dust Calamity Extinguisher, Sacred Slayer Sword of the Desolate Heavens], it’s referring to this sword, right? Blood Vast Sky and others seem to be doing something to this sword. Only when they achieve their goal will the Calamity Tribe dare to invade in force..."

"Or perhaps, when the senior spoke of two thousand years, did it refer not only to his remaining lifespan but also to some kind of time prognostication related to this sword?"

At this point, Ning Fan sighed long.

He had too many questions in his heart, but unfortunately, there was no longer a Slaughter Emperor to answer them.

The Calamity Tribe’s invasion and the existence of the Sacred Slayer Sword of the Desolate Heavens, even the Great Elder like the Minghai Celestial King knew little of the concrete details.

Maybe, the original intent of this era’s Slaughter Emperor was to wait until Ning Fan grew to a certain point and then tell him everything.

But unfortunately, no one could answer Ning Fan’s doubts anymore.

"Young master, the Slaughter Hall cannot be without a master for a day. The seventh generation has passed, you should succeed as the eighth generation, take full control. Previously, because you hadn’t matured, you needed to remain hidden. Now that you are invincible beneath the Immortal Emperor, even a Sixth Calamity Immortal Emperor can be fought one-on-one. Becoming the eighth generation Slaughter Emperor is completely fitting, and no one dares to contest it!" Behind him, the Minghai Celestial King knelt on the ground. A dignified quasi-emperor would not kneel to anyone, only the Slaughter Emperors of every generation were worthy of such respect!

In his heart, he had long regarded Ning Fan as the next Slaughter Emperor!

"Let’s first lay the Seventh Generation to rest..." Ning Fan sighed, helping Minghai up. Such a strong figure as Minghai kneeling before him was due to the recognition and respect for his status as Young Emperor and due to the loyalty to the Slaughter Hall. Similarly, out of respect, he would not let someone like Minghai kneel before him casually.

For the Slaughter Hall, Ning Fan did not have a strong sense of belonging. He was different from those like Minghai, who were loyal unto death to the Slaughter Hall.

His actions were solely for a promise from years past, nothing more...

"What happens after that?"

"After that, we’ll suppress the news of the death of the Seventh Generation, and keep it as a secret."

"Many already know of this matter; it will be difficult to conceal..." Minghai said with some difficulty.

"We only need to order the disciples to keep their mouths shut. Even if the matter eventually leaks out, it doesn’t matter. I just don’t want too many to know that the Slaughter Emperor was betrayed and murdered, ruining his reputation... I know what you’re worried about; you should know the animosity Calamity Tribe has towards our Slaughter Hall, right?"

"The subordinate knows a bit about it, but was unaware that the ones plotting against our Slaughter Hall were the Calamity Tribe. Only now is it truly clear..." Minghai said with some embarrassment.

"Even the Calamity Tribe has not wiped out the Slaughter Hall immediately after the Seventh Generation’s death; there must be some concerns. If even the Calamity Tribe fears doing such a thing, which other Immortal Emperor would dare? I guess in Eastern Heaven and the Four Heavens, there are forces seeking the Sacred Slayer Sword of the Desolate Heavens, and it’s certainly not just the Calamity Tribe. At this moment, the Slaughter Hall still exists, and for a long time, it will continue to exist... Until they deem the time is right, then they will make their move..."

"The Sacred Slayer Sword of the Desolate Heavens... Young Master refers to that ancient sealing sword in the Blood Prison? Is this sword really so powerful? Enough to make secret clans wary? The subordinate was unaware of this matter before!" Minghai was quite surprised.

"It’s just a guess; all of this is just speculation..."

"The Young Master doesn’t plan to immediately succeed as the Eighth Generation Slaughter Emperor? You should know that succeeding as Slaughter Emperor throughout generations has enormous benefits..."

"Oh? This is the first time I’ve heard that succeeding as Slaughter Emperor has benefits. Could the Great Elder give me more details?"

Ning Fan’s initial intention was to conceal the news of the Slaughter Emperor’s death while pretending and then to step down from the Slaughter Hall.

Yet, due to certain concerns, even a powerful tribe like the Calamity Tribe dared not act against the Slaughter Hall immediately, though one day, they would.

Before that day arrived, Ning Fan must acquire enough strength to guard the Slaughter Hall. He would not stay at the Slaughter Hall; he had to leave and seek opportunities, continuously advancing his cultivation, gaining the powerful cultivation to counter secret clans!

For that promise from years ago, Ning Fan was willing to undertake the duty of protecting the Slaughter Hall. As for the false glory of being Slaughter Emperor, he viewed it lightly, and he viewed the power of being Slaughter Emperor lightly as well.

If he were still weak, he might have valued the position of Slaughter Emperor, for being Slaughter Emperor could amass the full might of the Slaughter Hall to shield him.

But now, does he truly need the protection of the Slaughter Hall’s subordinates? No, not anymore...

In Ning Fan’s eyes, the title of the Eighth Generation Slaughter Emperor and the title of the Eighth Generation Slaughter Hall Young Emperor are not much different; they do not intimidate true experts.

The difference isn’t significant; what meaning is there in succession? Regardless of succession or not, he would protect the Slaughter Hall and keep his promise.

But if succession as Slaughter Emperor has other benefits, then Ning Fan must consider whether to succeed as Slaughter Emperor.

The specifics will depend on whether the benefits of succeeding as Slaughter Emperor can persuade him; otherwise, he is not interested in doing so.

Minghai took out an ancient jade scroll, handing it respectfully to Ning Fan.

This jade scroll has been passed down through generations of Great Elders, reaching Minghai after forty-seven generations—naturally, the lifespan of a Great Elder was much shorter than that of a Slaughter Emperor, hence many more generations.

Ning Fan’s spirit sense entered the jade scroll, initially calm, but then his expression turned unexpectedly.

"Succeeding as Slaughter Emperor greatly benefits the advancement of power. Since it’s so... I might as well directly succeed as the Eighth Generation Slaughter Emperor; why not!"

Ning Fan’s gaze shifted from reflective to resolute.

Past cannot be remedied, what comes can still be pursued!

Endlessly lamenting the tragedy of the Seventh Generation has no meaning; it’s time for him to fulfill his promise and pay back the Seventh Generation!

"Given this, the subordinate will now order the preparation of the Emperor Succession Ceremony for Young Master. From this day on, the millions of cultivators of the Slaughter Hall and the Big Dipper Blood Realm must be loyally devoted to the Young Master, taking the guarding of the Blood Realm as duty, and the guarding of the Slaughter Hall as responsibility. The subordinate is even willing to swear an oath to show loyalty! As long as the Young Master does not betray the Slaughter Hall in this life, the subordinate Minghai wishes to strive for the young master through generations."

"Strive for me, Ning Fan, through generations? Haha, there’s no need for that. You just need to wholeheartedly protect the Slaughter Hall; don’t change your intent, and that’s sufficient." Ning Fan said with a smile.

Minghai bowed deeply, lowering his head with an expression of reminiscence.

He recalled that year, that month, making a vow similar to today.

He was young, only a mortal youth seeking immortality, meeting the Seventh Generation Slaughter Emperor on a certain Cultivation Star, astonished at the sight.

"Daoist Master! Please accept me as your disciple! I also wish to cultivate Dao and become a long-lived Immortal!"

"I am not a Daoist Master... I do not seek Dao... and I do not accept disciples," was the Seventh Generation Slaughter Emperor’s somewhat speechless reply.

"Daoist Master, you are truly unapproachable. Here’s the deal, only if you accept me as a disciple and lead me to seek immortality, as your disciple, Ha Ming would be willing to strive through ten generations for the Daoist Master! Is this acceptable?"

"Strive through generations? Haha, interesting... but I do not need you to strive for me personally. Certainly, if you can truly keep your promise, I can grant you some immortality, though I still will not accept you as a disciple. The Slaughter Hall’s recruitment of disciples is quite strict, you must go to the Slaughter Star yourself and stand out in the trial to be eligible to become a disciple of the Slaughter Hall."

A satisfied laugh echoed as the Seventh Generation Slaughter Emperor rode a rainbow away, leaving the young Minghai alone, staring at the sky longingly.

In that year, he still didn’t understand what the Slaughter Hall was...

In that year, he also didn’t know how vast the world of immortals was...

He gazed at the sky until the Seventh Generation Slaughter Emperor left for a long, long time, only then did he come to his senses. Upon returning to his senses, he found a book on the ground before him, unsure when it had appeared.

A very ordinary cultivation technique, recording various methods of mortal Vein Opening to cultivation; a very ordinary bottle of expensive pills that could help Masters open their cultivation veins...

Delighted beyond measure, the youthful Minghai excitedly found somewhere empty and began consuming pills and cultivating...

Later, he entered the cultivation world, fought his way through, step by step cultivating to Void Fragmentation, flying from that Cultivation Star; step by step cultivating to Second Step Fate Immortal, besting his peers, joining the Slaughter Hall as an outsider Master; step by step becoming an outer elder of the Slaughter Hall; step by step becoming Great Elder; step by step gaining the resounding reputation of the White-Haired Immortal King.

As your disciple, Ha Ming, I am willing to strive through generations for the Daoist Master!

As your subordinate, Minghai, I am willing to strive through generations for the Young Master!

Never changed!