King Kunpeng and Fang Zhou stood with hands clasped behind their backs, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.

On the Ancestral Shaman Altar, covered in intricate Shamanic patterns, Ouyang Tuo incessantly chanted an utterly strange shamanic curse. Syllables poured from his mouth, seeping into the minds of the Son of Desolation and Lu Yuan, both of whom lay in a deep stupor as Ouyang Tuo continued his recitation.

“With my blood, I offer tribute to the Ancestral Shaman.” Ouyang Tuo had reached the critical juncture. In the void, a colossal Ancestral Shaman began to faintly materialize—a presence of pure Shamanic aura, distinct from the essence of a Demon God. Where the Demon God exuded malice, the Ancestral Shaman carried an ancient, vast, and unsettling solemnity.

The Ancestral Shaman now revealed a terrifying aspect.

It was a phantasm summoned from the depths of spacetime, first manifesting a single hand.

This Shamanic hand was inscribed all over with the cryptic symbols of the Shamanic arts, pulsing with their inherent strangeness.

Ouyang Tuo knew this was the moment of truth.

In that infinitesimal fraction of a moment, the Son of Desolation’s eyes snapped open. Though his Primordial Divine Halberd was already secured in King Kunpeng’s grasp, another civilization-grade weapon materialized in his hand—a long halberd imbued with the essence of Heavenly Mandate. It transformed into ten thousand cascading torrents, lunging directly toward Ouyang Tuo.

Unstoppable!

A sudden reversal occurred.

Ouyang Tuo was entirely unprepared for this turn of events.

Under normal circumstances, it would have been manageable, but this was the pinnacle of the Shamanic Seeding Technique; he could not instantly halt the process to counterattack. To do so would invite a fatal backlash from the Ancestral Shaman—a torment he remembered vividly, having watched his own master consumed piece by piece by the Shaman’s power.

King Kunpeng had never anticipated the Son of Desolation could retaliate while restrained by his Northern Abyss Feather. He moved to intercept, but he was a step too slow. This attack was faster than the move used to capture the Son of Desolation. Kunpeng had prepared for the previous speed, but not for this velocity.

Fang Zhou, ranked seventh on the Heavenly Ranking, was the weakest among the five present, even weaker than King Kunpeng. His reaction, naturally, lagged a beat behind.

The long halberd, bearing the aura of Heavenly Mandate, plunged deep into Ouyang Tuo’s body.

Ouyang Tuo, ranked fourth on the Heavenly Ranking, possessed means of survival despite being ambushed at such a critical moment. Instantly, a second Ouyang Tuo materialized in the distance, while the original body dissolved into black robes that drifted to the ground. However, the distant duplicate clutched his chest, clearly grievously wounded.

Having landed a crippling blow on the fourth-ranked master, the Son of Desolation did not press the attack immediately. Instead, he leveled the halberd, presenting a commanding presence.

Fang Zhou stared at the Son of Desolation. “How is this possible? When you counterattacked, I had no warning. My ‘Cracked Heavenly Secrets Numerology’ should have predicted it.” Fang Zhou was bewildered. Though his direct combat power ranked only seventh—on par with Murong Honglei—he possessed the ability to divine and maneuver toward fortune. It was precisely because he trusted his numerology that he hadn't foreseen this counterattack—it simply did not appear in his calculations.

The Son of Desolation offered a proud smile. “This halberd in my hand is called the Heavenly Mandate Divine Halberd.”

“I am the Child of the Epoch; I am Heavenly Mandate itself. How could you possibly calculate me? Ridiculous.” What an arrogant declaration.

King Kunpeng regarded the Son of Desolation coolly. “My Northern Abyss Feather is extraordinary. Forged from the essence of the Northern Abyss, it paralyzes the mana of others. How could you possibly break free?” Kunpeng remained unhurried, possessing the composure befitting the second-ranked expert on the Heavenly Ranking.

The Son of Desolation sneered, flipping his hand. A single character materialized in the void.

This character possessed an aura entirely unlike ordinary script.

This was—

The Primordial Character!

Lu Yuan, watching from the side, was profoundly surprised that the Son of Desolation also possessed a Primordial Character. Yet, reflecting on it, the Son of Desolation’s fortune was no less than his own. If he possessed one, it was perfectly normal for the other to have one as well. Lu Yuan felt a slight curiosity as to which specific character it was.

Lu Yuan was currently immobilized by the Northern Abyss Feather, left only to observe the unfolding drama.

The Primordial Character in the Son of Desolation’s hand appeared unique. At first glance, it seemed to draw the gaze inward, distorting and consuming the surrounding light. What kind of character was this? Lu Yuan steadied himself and finally discerned it: it was the character 'Swallow' ().

The Primordial Character Swallow... Wait! His own ‘Formless Devouring Art’ had reached minor completion, and legend held that major completion required the Swallow character.

And now, the Son of Desolation held precisely that character. Could this be fate?

The Son of Desolation held the Heavenly Mandate Divine Halberd in his right hand and the Swallow character in his left. “With the Primordial Character Swallow in hand, and wielding the powerful ‘Heaven and Earth Devouring Art,’ it is perfectly natural for me to consume your Northern Abyss Feather alive. You dream if you think you can trap me with it.”

King Kunpeng nodded. “I see.” He had never conceived that the Son of Desolation possessed the Swallow character, much less a technique like the Heaven and Earth Devouring Art.

“However, even if you break free now, it will be of no use. You will still fall to me,” King Kunpeng declared loudly, showcasing the confidence of the Heavenly Ranking’s second seat.

Hearing such self-assurance, the Son of Desolation couldn't help but laugh dismissively. “I lost to you before, but I have broken through. This time, you cannot defeat me.” The Son of Desolation roared, unleashing an aura absolutely equal to Kunpeng’s. Ah, the Son of Desolation, employing the tactic of mid-battle breakthrough yet again! Lu Yuan felt a distinct annoyance; he often achieved breakthroughs mid-fight himself, and seeing someone else do it so readily grated on him.

The Son of Desolation manifested the Heavenly Mandate Divine Halberd and thrust it toward King Kunpeng. This single strike possessed the power to shatter suns and moons. Lu Yuan clearly perceived that the might of this attack vastly surpassed what he had witnessed during their confrontation at the Sacred Land of Civilization. If the present Hua Fashengzhen were fighting the Son of Desolation, achieving an even match would be impossible; he would be instantly annihilated. The Son of Desolation’s rate of progress was unnervingly fast. Truly worthy of his title. Lu Yuan wondered who the rumored Dark Child might be; if the Son of Desolation’s power grew so rapidly, the Dark Child’s must be equally terrifying. That such strength remained hidden was strange indeed. Lu Yuan subconsciously tightened his guard, entirely unaware that the Dark Child was none other than Yan Cangtian.

While Lu Yuan pondered the Dark Child, the Son of Desolation and King Kunpeng had already clashed.

Their engagement was magnificent.

One was the second-ranked expert, the other the rapidly ascending Child of the Epoch. Countless civilization-grade techniques were unleashed, though each could only manifest perhaps one or two-tenths of its full power. Still, it was an absolutely brilliant battle. Lu Yuan watched the display with fascination. When he had fought Murong Honglei, eighth on the Heavenly Ranking, he found her ‘Torrent of Red Tears’ spectacular. But compared to the clash between the Son of Desolation and King Kunpeng, Murong Honglei’s technique seemed utterly insignificant.

Moreover, during the exchange, Lu Yuan realized that the Son of Desolation’s strength already slightly surpassed King Kunpeng’s, perhaps matching his own current level after mastering the Iron Rule of the Heart.

King Kunpeng, a veteran seasoned by countless battles, could not have missed this fact—the Son of Desolation was indeed stronger. He attempted to leverage his combat experience to close the gap, but it was futile. Not only could he not bridge it, but he gradually found himself ensnared within the web woven by the Son of Desolation’s Heavenly Mandate Divine Halberd.

However, having been famous for so long, King Kunpeng naturally had his own escape route. He roared suddenly, sending countless feathers exploding outwards as he prepared to flee at high speed—if he could not win, he would run. That was always one of his options.

Just as King Kunpeng was about to escape, his body stiffened, frozen mid-air.

The Son of Desolation spoke calmly, “How does the taste of ‘Myriad Ages Primordial Feather’ suit you?”

“Myriad Ages Primordial Feather?” King Kunpeng roared out.

“Indeed. Myriad Ages Primordial Feather,” the Son of Desolation smiled serenely. “You always rely on your feathers as your ultimate move, but you failed to realize I had a hidden contingency. I deployed the Myriad Ages Primordial Feather long ago, lying in wait for the moment you fled to strike you down.”

...

The Son of Desolation ultimately slew King Kunpeng. Of course, as the second-ranked figure on the Heavenly Ranking, Kunpeng managed a final counterattack that wounded the Son of Desolation, inflicting a deep gash on his right shoulder that reduced his combat power to about eighty percent. Nevertheless, even at eighty percent, the Son of Desolation could easily handle Ouyang Tuo and Fang Zhou, given that Ouyang Tuo was already severely wounded, and Fang Zhou ranked only seventh.

With a single movement, the Son of Desolation sent the Heavenly Mandate Divine Halberd sweeping toward Ouyang Tuo, killing him within a dozen exchanges.

Fang Zhou, however, managed to flee, escaping at full speed.

The Son of Desolation did not pursue him. By slaying King Kunpeng, the second on the Heavenly Ranking, and Ouyang Tuo, the fourth, he stood to gain immense benefits. Moreover, he had no time to concern himself with Fang Zhou now; there was Lu Yuan. Lu Yuan was one of the Son of Desolation’s primary adversaries, a target far weightier than Fang Zhou.

The Son of Desolation turned to Lu Yuan, smiling with absolute confidence. “Lu Yuan, not long ago when we were both captured by King Kunpeng, Ouyang Tuo, and the others, you mentioned you never expected to meet under such circumstances. Now, I must say the same: I never expected to meet you like this.” The Son of Desolation displayed a trace of triumphant satisfaction.