As the Grand Elder of the Gu God Cult, Mu Wei convulsed slightly, releasing countless Gu insects. Bai Yefeng, in contrast, dragged down billions of lightning bolts from the void, and amidst the sound of savage thunder, heavenly lightning streaked out, directly striking Xing Huo.

Seizing this moment, Shi Yan condensed his secondary soul, using his innate flame to melt the icy chill in his mind, and his consciousness returned to clarity. "I have indeed only one foot across the threshold of Immortality, but even that half-step realm is not something you rabble can compare to!" Xing Huo snarled, his eyes suddenly turning ashen.

The Prime Realm tore open above his head like a rolled-up painting, revealing a world steeped in gray chaos, filled with innumerable mournful shrieks. Immediately, millions of skulls materialized from his Prime Realm.

These skulls were formed from the heads of beings of different races, completely devoid of flesh, all bone-white. Cold flames burned in their hollow eye sockets, emitting a chilling, terrifying aura.

Millions of skulls floated across the firmament, like countless lanterns bearing chilling flames. The shrieks of those skulls seemed capable of swallowing the malevolent thoughts within a person's heart.

The Gu insects shed by Mu Wei also surged forth like a deluge. However, before those Gu insects could approach Xing Huo, they were consumed by the sky full of skulls.

The chilling flames in the empty pupils of those skulls froze the Gu insects solid, one by one. Xing Huo cultivated the power of profound chill, formed by the fusion of Yin Qi and extreme cold, giving him a unique advantage.

Though he had only stepped halfway into Immortality, the power unleashed in a single move far surpassed that of Mu Wei, who was at the third heaven of the Prime God realm. Even the vast expanse of lightning released by Bai Yefeng was easily neutralized by him.

The skulls piled up in the void, instantly transforming into an immensely gigantic, ashen-white skull. Formed from millions of individual skulls, this great skull radiated a dense, chilling fire.

It opened its maw and inhaled, actually swallowing the billions of lightning bolts whole. The colossal skull floated above Xing Huo’s inner world, its empty orbits shining with sinister flames, staring directly at Shi Yan.

A malevolent thought, powerful enough to shock the soul, shot out from the skull's eyes, aimed directly at Shi Yan’s main soul. "Void Nine Stacks!" Shi Yan's expression shifted slightly, and he abruptly activated his profound meaning, his divine power flowing like electricity.

The void before him underwent a strange transformation, appearing to layer upon itself—a total of nine overlapping layers. Nine pieces of space were stacked like bricks and stones, forming an exceptionally formidable barrier.

This secret art of Void Profound Meaning originated from Bei Luo, a divine ability comprehended by him, drawing divine power to superimpose the void nine times, comparable to a solid void barrier, capable of obstructing the bombardment of all tangible and intangible forces. The malevolent thought from the skull above Xing Huo instantly pierced the barrier of the Void Nine Stacks, like a sharp thorn slicing through a curtain.

The nine layers of space emitted a crushing sound, like silk brocade being torn by swords, producing a sizzling noise as the layers of the void barrier were ripped apart sequentially. "Oh?" Xing Huo let out a light cry of surprise, then tapped his brow lightly.

A river of profound chill suddenly manifested from within his Prime Realm. This river was refined from a Tai Yin Celestial River originating from the depths of the universe, possessing the icy aura of the Great Yin, perfectly aligning with his profound meaning state of mind and holding infinite marvels.

The river of profound chill surged toward the layered space. Its chilling aura seemed to disregard the multiple barriers, piercing straight through, instantly threatening to drown Shi Yan.

It was only then that Mu Wei and Bai Yefeng reorganized their forces for a new offensive, shouting in unison, "Join forces against him!" Wu Lie, Jiao Mu, and Sang Ji, three cultivators at the second heaven of the Prime God realm, upon hearing the shouts from Mu Wei and Bai Yefeng, acted without thinking, instinctively launching their attacks. Wu Lie expelled a ball of fire, the core of which was a withered sun.

Revitalized by his divine power and profound meaning, the fire ball flickered with solar light waves, suddenly descending upon Xing Huo. A withered sun was still a sun, and as its stellar core churned, rolling solar heatwaves advanced, significantly diminishing the chilling aura around the skulls within Xing Huo’s world.

Jiao Mu manifested numerous wood grains on his body, and a lush, towering ancient tree soared out from within his Prime Realm. The massive tree contained the essence of wood; as its leaves trembled, they transformed into vines mid-air, coiling around the skulls.

Sang Ji, who cultivated Earth Profound Meaning, caused a hundred-zhang earth golem to erupt from the fractured ground beneath his manor. The golem bore a seventy percent resemblance to Sang Ji, actually exhibiting vital life fluctuations.

With a sky-shaking roar, it charged directly at Xing Huo’s divine body. Mu Wei, Bai Yefeng, Wu Lie, Jiao Mu, and Sang Ji—five individuals all in the Prime God realm, with Mu Wei and Bai Yefeng at the third heaven and the other three at the second—combined their might against Xing Huo, stirring up an astonishing maelstrom that shocked every powerful figure in Black Iron City.

Xing Huo, only halfway to Immortality, was merely in a pseudo-immortal state; his soul was not truly eternal. However, under the combined assault of the five, the pseudo-immortal Xing Huo remained unshaken.

The millions of skulls within his world, churning alongside the Tai Yin Celestial River, neutralized all the varied divine abilities and profound meanings of the five attackers, showing no sign of collapse, while he mockingly sneered, "The true essence of the Profound Meaning of Immortality lies in the Primordial Source of the Time Profound Meaning divine ability. Once one touches the threshold, the profound meaning can trace back to its source—a marvel beyond your comprehension." With a cold laugh, he did not press his attack on Shi Yan.

The chilling river moved like a gray phantom, trailing countless lines of profound cold light within the Prime Realm. These lines evolved into chilling runes, each one bone-chillingly cold, yet imbued with the breath of life.

"Profound Meanings can birth spirits!" On a nearby balcony, Layna’s expression shifted, and she nodded gently. "Xing Huo is truly on the verge of achieving Immortality.

Only the Immortal can generate a magnetic field that spawns life within the Prime Realm. All he lacks is one final transformation of his soul…" Cecilia frowned deeply, looking at Shi Yan, who was temporarily safe due to Xing Huo shifting his focus, and said uneasily, "Master, how does this Xing Huo compare to you?" "We are on the same level," Layna stated calmly.

"I cannot defeat him, but neither can he defeat me. We are evenly matched." "If Shi Yan faces danger later, Master, you must help him once.

Shi Yan might know… his whereabouts," Cecilia pleaded. Layna remained unmoved, her gaze placid and detached.

"The Bloodthirsty lineage allowed him to stir up trouble in Black Iron City; they must have arrangements in place. I do not believe they lack operatives within this city.

Rest assured, as the inheritor of the Bloodthirsty legacy, he will not be easily killed. We shall wait and see." "I hope so," Cecilia replied with a wry bitterness.

Xing Huo stood alone against five Prime Gods without showing any sign of defeat. He did not continue focusing on Shi Yan but instead exerted his full power to control the hundreds of thousands of skulls emerging in his world, along with that chilling Celestial River.

As he fought, he frequently glanced in one specific direction, as if secretly awaiting someone. Shi Yan hovered in mid-air, behind him, void rifts crisscrossed, from which streamed countless streaks of flowing light from the outer celestial winds.

Xing Huo’s cultivation was profound and inscrutable, a master who had grasped the subtleties of Immortality. If not for the combined efforts of Mu Wei, Bai Yefeng, and the others, Shi Yan would have struggled to escape Xing Huo’s encirclement.

He ripped open the void rifts behind him to react instantly, ready to flee the moment the situation turned unfavorable. At one of the gates of Black Iron City.

Audrey entered the city and her expression shifted immediately as she looked into the distance. "There are powerful beings fighting within Black Iron City!" Giant Wave Star did not prohibit private duels, but it strictly forbade skirmishes between warship fleets.

Consequently, God Clan warships would not be allowed entry, preventing bloodshed between star systems. However, regarding individual contests, Giant Wave Star would not interfere too much, as long as the city structure remained intact and Giant Wave Star was unaffected.

But the commotion from the distant battle was clearly shaking the city; the combatants showed no regard for the rules of the Giant Wave Merchant Guild. This astonished Audrey.

"Elder Xing Huo of the God Clan," the Nether Emperor Clan elder behind her snorted. "It has been many years since we dealt with him; I never expected him to still be alive.

Let us go take a look." He and Audrey dissolved into streaks of faint soul light, also ignoring the Merchant Guild's rules, instantly traversing ten thousand miles in a flash, streaking across the sky above the city. At the same moment.

A beam of dazzling, brilliant light also shot towards the manor, and within that beam was precisely Heige. ...

Whoosh! A streak of intense light flashed, and a figure suddenly materialized within the manor, clad in exquisite God Clan armor, his eyes radiating deep wisdom.

"Heige!" Shi Yan roared. "Why are you only arriving now?" Xing Huo asked impatiently, frowning.

"Feng Jue has given the order; this boy belongs to you. I hope you handle this opportunity well.

Rest assured, kill him; I will hold off the others for you. The Giant Wave Merchant Guild dare not interfere with our God Clan's affairs!" "Thank you, Elder," Heige bowed respectfully.

Xing Huo waved his hand dismissively. "Get on with it." Heige then turned his gaze to Shi Yan, a hint of unconcealed excitement glittering in his eyes, and he lightly commanded, "You have broken through to the Prime God realm as well; very good.

Only an even match makes a victory worthwhile. When we fought before, I deliberately suppressed my cultivation, maintaining the Void God realm in the Barren Lands; my mindset was at a disadvantage.

Today, I need not restrain myself, nor do I have to worry about my breakthrough being targeted by the Barren. I want to see how long you can withstand my power profound meaning today." A trace of fanaticism flickered in Heige's eyes.

While imprisoned, he had anticipated this very battle, wishing to wash away his defeat in the Ancient Continent with Shi Yan's blood. ...

"It's Heige! So, the person Xing Huo was waiting for is him," Layna exclaimed, looking deeply at Heige.

She closed her eyes to sense for a moment, then her face paled in shock. "Heige is incredibly strong!

The aura flowing from him is significantly more powerful than Wu Lie’s!" "If Shi Yan's opponent were only Heige, Shi Yan would surely win!" Cecilia pouted. "He managed to frustrate Heige in the Ancient Continent, and he can do it here too." "Heige is a future leader meticulously cultivated by the God Clan, possessing exquisite and unique profound meanings, sharp and composed.

He should have broken through to the Prime God realm long ago, but he suppressed it while awaiting entry into the Ancient Continent. Now that the suppression is lifted, Heige is no longer the man he was then; he no longer has that emotional vulnerability." Layna’s expression turned solemn.

"In this fight, Shi Yan might not be his match." "No! He will definitely win!" Cecilia declared with certainty.

Layna let out a soft laugh, shaking her head, and said no more. A soul light flashed, and on the balcony opposite Layna and Cecilia, Audrey and the Nether Emperor Clan's Jila Da materialized like coalesced shadows, also looking down at the battle below...

This is the third chapter; there is one more to come. Please vote for monthly tickets… RQ