Under the moonlight, a figure cloaked in black strode down the broad avenue. “Royal Palace area, unauthorized personnel strictly forbidden!

Move along quickly!” Two proud guards, spears in hand, blocked the shadow’s path. The shadowy figure paid no heed to the guards’ intimidation, a slight curve gracing their lips, revealing teeth as white as bone.

“This is the Imperial Palace of the Finlay Empire?” “Nonsense! As a subject of the Finlay Empire, you don’t even know this place?” one guard declared with arrogance.

“Oh, then it’s correct!” the shadow chuckled faintly. “Who are you?

Step any closer and we won’t be polite!” the guard shouted again, seeing the other party make no move to stop. “Heh heh… You don't need to be polite.

None of you do. From this moment forward, in the Imperial Palace of the Finlay Empire, only I have the final say!” The shadow grinned sinisterly and strode forward without hesitation.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A cool breeze swept by. The two soldiers didn't even have time to scream before they both crashed to the ground with a thud, crimson bubbles welling up from their throats.

Seeing the guards bleeding out on the pavement, the shadow let out a couple of dry laughs before suddenly speaking, “Those who believe in me, follow!” As his words fell, the two soldiers, previously dead, stood up once more. Their eyes burned with a ferocious gleam, like bloodthirsty wolves, and gripping their spears, they followed the shadow step by step toward the Imperial City.

As the shadow entered the Imperial City, he encountered more than a dozen groups of people. No matter how many came, none proved his match.

Stranger still, those he had clearly killed in combat would inexplicably rise and follow him, step by step, like demonic executioners or walking corpses. Rumble!

The great gates of the Imperial City’s inner court suddenly blasted open. Bathed in the glow of magical lamps, a young man sat enthroned atop the high wall, ringed by mages standing before him, while several formidable battle formations of fighters were arrayed around the perimeter.

Emperor Austin, high on the wall, watched the approaching shadow and the shambling, corpse-like soldiers behind him with cold eyes. Drawing power from his core, he asked in a resonant voice, “Who are you?

What is your purpose in storming the palace?” “Purpose?” The shadow shook his head with a smile. “Your cultivation is too low; you are unworthy to rule the Finlay Empire.

From now on, I shall be the ruler!” Austin’s eyebrows shot up, a flicker of rage entering his gaze. He spoke in an icy tone, “Though the Finlay Empire may not be vast, it is not something you can simply erase with a word!” With that, he glanced around and barked a command at the circle of mages directly ahead: “Seize him!” “Yes, Your Majesty!” Every mage bore a badge, all of them ranked no lower than Fifth-Tier Magister.

Upon receiving the order, they simultaneously raised their staves and unleashed a riot of colorful magic toward the shadowy figure before them. The shadow appeared utterly unconcerned by the assault.

He smiled again, shook his head, and pointed a finger forward. Instantly, a plume of intensely dark, mist-like light sprang from his fingertip, surging out to collide head-on with the kaleidoscopic magic.

Ah… Screams of agony filled the air. The mages who had been so eager to attack now had black blood weeping from their eyes, roaring in pain.

They frantically tore at their robes and flesh until their bodies were covered in gore. Seeing this, Austin’s face instantly turned pale.

“Who on earth are you?” His voice trembled slightly, the earlier confidence entirely gone. “Who I am, Your Majesty, do you not know yet?” the shadow cackled, his eyes emitting a strange, unfathomable light.

“Ah…” Austin stumbled back two steps, seemingly realizing the opponent’s identity. He struggled to speak, saying, “Do you not know who we worship?

What you are doing is defying Lord Dragon God…” “Lord Dragon God? Heh heh!” the shadow laughed.

“A mere clown being manipulated by others. Let me tell you, one day he will perish in my hands!” “Is that so?

Too bad… you won’t have that chance!” Just as the shadow’s laughter peaked, a cold voice drifted down from the mid-air, dripping with disdain. “Who is it?” The shadow’s laughter instantly choked off.

His eyes widened, fixed on the source of the voice, not daring to blink. To approach him so silently, unnoticed, required a cultivation level undoubtedly higher than his own.

“I am the clown you spoke of,” the voice replied calmly. A bolt of “V”-shaped lightning sliced through the air, splitting the shadow in two before he could even manage a scream.

Lianna’s Ultimate Skill, V-Blade Saw! “Cao Si ┫An Bing… Lord Dragon God!” Austin cried out emotionally, having barely escaped death.

Over the past half-month, numerous super-experts had appeared across the continent from unknown origins, and most of these were Necro-Spirit Mages! The Necro-Spirit Mages were strangely powerful and acted erratically.

None who encountered them survived; all became undead walking corpses, continuing their slaughter. That shadow might have been the most fiercely active among these lately: Gu Guashi!

Gu Guashi usually preferred to travel alone, practicing extreme cruelty, leaving no survivors in his wake! “I didn’t expect I’d unleashed so many strange things this time!” The one called Cao Si ┑a Guan ∫⊥ ignored the kneeling Austin, his body flickering as he vanished from the spot, instantly reappearing tens of thousands of miles away.

“Boss, you’re back!” Little Hu looked at the young man before him with a smile. “Did you take care of all those people?” The young man narrowed his eyes slightly, then sighed.

“These people had all reached the God level, yet they were still fixated on the nobility of the mortal world. I truly don’t know what they wanted!” “Who knows?

Let’s hurry then! I don’t know how my senior brother is doing.

If anything really happened to him, I… I really don’t want to live!” Judy said sadly from the side. “You only worry about your senior brother, but what about your father and elder brother?” Angellisa asked.

“I knew this day might come when I became a mercenary, but my senior brother did this for me… If I can’t save him, how can I face living?” Judy retorted. It had been nearly twenty days since Chen Feng had devoured the Profound Heaven Astral Field.

The reason time had flown so fast was simple: after the Astral Field exploded that day, many experts came from the God Realm, but Chen Feng seemed to vanish, choosing to enter seclusion right where the explosion occurred! He remained in seclusion for half a month.

When he finally emerged, even the Fist Emperor was slightly astonished by his progress, because the current Fist Emperor could no longer discern the true extent of Chen Feng’s cultivation! The Fist Emperor, an artificial god whose only rivals were High Gods of Law and above, could only surmise two reasons for his inability to gauge Chen Feng: either Chen Feng possessed an incredibly strong concealment technique, or his cultivation had already surpassed the Fist Emperor.

Shocked, the Fist Emperor found it hard to accept that Chen Feng had gone from Saint Domain cultivation just two months prior to surpassing him now. Thus, he challenged Chen Feng, and they began a contest in a location known only to them.

Only the two of them knew the outcome of the match, but judging by the Fist Emperor’s satisfied expression, Chen Feng certainly hadn’t reached the realm of High Gods of Law, perhaps not even High God. However, looking at the injuries the Fist Emperor sustained, it would be plausible for someone to believe Chen Feng was a Main God.

Upon leaving seclusion, Chen Feng realized the magnitude of the disaster he had caused. He had no choice but to resolve it himself.

Meanwhile, Little Hu and the others used the teleportation array to return to Nobia City, the capital of the Finlay Empire, preparing to search for Long Xiaoqiang. As Chen Feng was the leader among the group, and the Fist Emperor had forbidden him from entering the Glacial Demon Garden, the others had to wait for Chen Feng to clean up the mess he had left before they could resume their journey.

Tens of thousands of undead deities had escaped from the Profound Heaven Astral Field initially, but most had scattered to unknown spatial planes, while others had gone into hiding, scheming in the shadows. Only a small fraction intended to seize control of the world.

Chen Feng’s task was to eliminate these self-proclaimed leaders. With his current cultivation, aided by the Fist Emperor, it took less than three days to slaughter all the rampant undead deities.

Gu Guashi was the last one among this group. “Let’s go!” Chen Feng understood Judy’s anxiety.

During his seclusion, she hadn't wasted any time, continuously absorbing the power of Annihilation and Destruction in the spatial turbulence to restore her strength. Though only twenty short days had passed, her current power represented a world of difference compared to before.

Ling Feng, Little Hu, Jin Ling, and the others had also made significant leaps in cultivation. Especially Ling Feng, who felt the gap between herself and Chen Feng growing ever wider.

She trained desperately, and with the Fist Emperor’s guidance during this period, her cultivation unexpectedly reached the early God level! Though she hadn't yet condensed a Godhead, if she shifted into her true Divine Beast form, even an Early God might not fare well against her.

Her progress was already monumental, yet upon witnessing Chen Feng’s advancement, she still felt herself falling farther behind him. “Many of the deities who escaped the God Realm are now hidden within the Glacial Demon Garden; some have even reached the realm of High Gods of Law.

They are inherently brutal and unreasonable. If you are even slightly careless, you will fall into eternal damnation.

Therefore, you must be extremely cautious this time. If you can rescue Long Xiaoqiang, do it.

If you cannot, proceed to the Seven God Temples and ensure the Heart of Heaven Stone is destroyed! This matter is of paramount importance; do not be negligent!” As the group arrived before the Glacial Demon Garden, they couldn't help but recall the Fist Emperor’s final instructions.

“Don’t dwell on it. That is the Glacial Demon Garden ahead.

Everyone stay close behind me and do not fall behind!” Chen Feng pointed forward, where a landscape of dazzling white snow showed tall trees standing starkly in the sunlight, drawing all attention.