Pale and crystalline fingers reached out from the clouds, lifting the massive cauldron lid.

The entire dark world seemed to be stirred by some indescribable immense force, earth-shattering, leaving not a shred of light.

The gloom of death filled the universe, a towering Wolf Fang Club resembling a fortress loomed in the darkness, as waves of blood surged from it, casting a ghastly red through the dark clouds.

The world was terrifyingly silent, not a sound existed, deathly still.

Only those pale fingers, with a firm yet slow power, broke free of the nearly tangible grand net of the Mountain and River Furnace.

The black clouds churned, everything high above grew even more dreadful, until in a certain moment, the Wolf Fang Club unleashed all its might.

This was a Holy Artifact of slaughter, judging by its terrifying design, it was created for the purpose of killing.

Indeed, this Holy Artifact named Po Jun was forged thousands of years ago by a Saint from the Northern Polar Sect, who, despite his humble origins, dedicated his life to the Dao of slaughter through killing.

Even though his achievements among the Saints were modest, the power of Po Jun still subdued Jizhou for three hundred years!

Alongside an angry roar.

"Get back!"

The action of the pale fingers suddenly paused, the Wolf Fang Club, encompassing the entire world, furiously smashed towards the pale fingers!

The Holy Artifact, carrying the Saint's essence, struck with full force, but it caused no harm to the pale fingers; however, it halted their upward movement, and they eventually stopped.

The Annihilation Venerable Ancient God muttered a nightmare-like roar, as if echoing from a distant place, and its entire form was halted in its process of forming from the void.

Seizing this opportunity, Huan Songzi and others operated the Mountain and River Furnace with all their might, and black flames enveloped in Dao patterns rose, flames born seemingly from magma but possessing a power more terrifying than magma.

"This is the Saint King's Flame!"

The Saint King Realm, known in essence as the seventh realm of Qi cultivation — the Fire Raising Realm, symbolizing a human as godlike, with fire as a symbol of hope, a power believed only gods could wield in ancient human beliefs.

The Saint King's Flame is, in fact, the essence of the Saint King Realm!

The manifestation of the Annihilation Venerable Ancient God in the present world grew increasingly illusory, its power of death continually consumed by the Saint King's Flame.

Meanwhile, outside, the Lingchuan Saint keenly detected the upheaval occurring within the mine, the Lingchuan Bell resounded, shaking the high heavens and the earth.

Mountains and rivers shattered in the wind, transitioning from the present world to the Void Realm, everything was changing.

The Ancient God's power transmitted from the distant beyond through the Void Realm was being continuously weakened.

Black light permeated the world, with black profound thunder sweeping across, symbolizing the Ancient God's final madness and fury.

But everything...

Seemed to be of no avail anymore.

Their fingers were struck back forcefully by an unknown Wolf Fang Club.

... 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Time rewinds thirty breaths earlier.

Xu Guang looked around dazedly at his surroundings, a world of utter darkness, the air saturated with the smell of blood.

Human life seemed worthless.

General Wei explained through the Spiritual Link the current situation of Huan Songzi and others.

Ignoring his own injuries, he concentrated the last trace of the Holy Essence on Po Jun, sacrificing all his Martial Dao intentions, Qi Force, Source Qi, and even his life energy, to unleash the peak strike of Po Jun.

Looking at the pervasive black flames, the source fire of the Saint King.

Xu Guang felt anything but calm, as he lay on General Wei's back.

What opportunity did Qin Cultivator encounter back then?

A Holy Artifact forged from a Saint King's hand bone, coupled with the Saint King's Flame, representing the essence of a Saint King.

He couldn't help but feel grateful for Qin Cultivator's excessive greed.

The opponent calculated everything, including numerous experts from the Northern Emperor Sect's Second Nirvana and this Ancient God summoned from afar.

Yet ultimately, he underestimated the dangers of the Da Xue Mountain beyond the bronze blood gate.

Xu Guang had no doubt that if the world beyond the bronze blood gate were normal and not so perilous, even wielding two Holy Artifacts, dealing with Qin Cultivator would be extremely challenging.

The opponent's intellect, cunning, patience, ruthlessness, and greed made him the first such figure Xu Guang had encountered in his cultivation journey.

Moreover, the opponent was genuinely a person without allegiance, emotion, or morality, with everyone in the world merely a means to an end.

Such a person is inherently a Demon Dao magnate.

Indeed, Xu Guang dared to say that in the entire world, Qin Cultivator's nature made him stand out, yet his talent seemed slightly lacking to support his ambition.

A person like that dying at the hands of a monster on the Da Xue Mountain—is that tragic, or fortunate?

Yet Xu Guang harbored some doubts, unsure if Qin Cultivator was truly dead.

Watching the black flames gradually swallow the Annihilation Venerable Ancient God's shadow, Xu Guang relaxed a bit; regardless of Qin Cultivator's fate, he likely wouldn't resurface soon.

For a long while, he probably wouldn't need to worry about becoming a target in Hongze.

...

Inside the Emperor Tower of the Northern Emperor Sect.

For a fleeting moment, the old man wondered if his all-seeing eyes had failed him.

Chuckling, he leisurely reclined back into his chair.

This youngling is quite something, borrowed two Holy Artifacts, returned directly with three.

As for the thirty million Demon Slaying Merits loan, that belonged to the Northern Polar Sect. Only that extra Holy Artifact counted as his personal gain.