I deeply regret the inconsistency in my updates these past two days; it's truly regrettable that I owe four chapters. I, Old Gu, have taken note and promise to erupt with consecutive releases to compensate as soon as time allows.

Recently, I've been dealing with numerous personal matters, and these words were squeezed out of my limited time, which is quite frustrating. I sincerely hope everyone can be understanding.

Old Gu apologizes here and will certainly make up for it once everything is settled! …… Seven days had passed outside, but within the Ninth Level of the Primordial Spirit Tower in the relic, two full months had flown by.

Ye Chen sat cross-legged upon a snow-capped mountain on this level, his fingers executing an exceedingly complex deduction. A faint, ethereal phantom materialized before him in the void, so tenuous it seemed a mere breath of wind could extinguish it.

After two months of painstaking study, he had finally brushed against the threshold of the first layer, officially commencing his immersion. "Fire, the zenith of the Blazing Sun!" "Fire, the genesis of ignition and conflagration!" "Fire, condensed yet fluid, solid yet untamed!" Ye Chen silently recited the cultivation method, and his deductions accelerated wildly.

The phantom gradually grew more substantial, yet it remained utterly elusive. Time flowed on… Three months, four months, five months… Seasons turned, and in a blink, a year had passed.

The snow on this mountain never melted. As winter arrived, snowflakes began to drift down again, blanketing a thousand miles of peaks until, looking from above, the earth was a vista of pure silver.

At the summit stood a small, pale mountain jutting out. Snow and wind howled, and the ceaseless snowfall made the small peak grow ever larger.

Before this small mountain stood a circular tower, ten meters in diameter and nearly a hundred meters tall. It was entirely crimson, like superheated black iron, etched with spiraling patterns that exuded immense power!

Whoosh, whoosh… Mysterious runes floated out from the small mountain. Devoid of any offensive capability, they drifted towards and merged into the circular tower, gradually perfecting the final circuit of its spiral markings… This tower was no longer as illusory as it had been ten months prior; at a glance, it appeared almost solid, possessing a weighty presence.

However, it remained an ethereal construct, conjured purely through Ye Chen’s deductions, utterly lacking in any power to attack. As the final rune integrated into the tower, the entire structure suddenly blazed with light before collapsing and disintegrating into countless profound runes that flowed back into the small snow-capped mountain atop the peak.

The next moment— Boom! The entire snow mountain shook and trembled.

Innumerable snow masses cascaded from the bare branches of withered trees, triggering significant avalanches at the base. A long sound erupted from the summit, one that echoed for a hundred miles.

As the heavens and earth transformed, a fiery red light shot out from the peak, piercing straight into the sky, tearing through the cloud cover, extinguishing the incoming gale and snow, and ripping a gaping hole in the previously murky heavens! The world was bathed in light!

The snowstorm ceased instantly. Intense heat swept down from the summit, causing the massive accumulations of snow to melt, gathering into trickling streams that converged in the ravines, forming a powerful waterfall that tumbled down.

Where the mist had been violently dispersed, light streamed down, illuminating the waterfall and conjuring a rainbow! At the apex of the ridge, the small snow mountain was violently flung away by an unseen force.

A dark figure slowly rose to their feet. The ambient temperature of the world surged instantly.

The snow beneath his boots melted into flowing water in the span of a breath, and the entire landscape of the mountain underwent a dramatic transformation. Under the scorching heat, the snow was refined away, revealing lush green grass—suddenly, the scene was one of gentle spring breezes and bright sunshine!

After a year of refinement, Ye Chen’s aura was steadier, his eyes as deep as the ocean. He slowly raised his palm; myriad esoteric runes shimmered around his wrist, coalescing into a circular tower that settled within his hand.

It appeared weightless, this tower formed from the concentrated burning energy within him. As soon as it manifested, the temperature in the world rapidly climbed, and the snow on surrounding peaks within a hundred miles showed signs of melting!

“After a full year, the first layer of the Blazing God Hammer is finally complete!” Excitement flickered in Ye Chen’s eyes. With a wave of his hand, the circular tower seemed to merge with his arm, and as he swung it downward, it struck!

Rumble!! The hundred-meter tower crashed down, the scorching heat burning the air until it distorted.

A mountain peak several miles away was struck by the crimson light emanating from the tower’s tip and instantly exploded! A mountain hundreds of meters high was shattered by this single blow!

Even a peak Thousand-Tier expert could not inflict such terrifying destructive power with a full-strength strike! A sharp glint flashed in Ye Chen’s eyes.

No wonder the white-bearded elder insisted he master the first layer of both the Blazing God Hammer and the (Ethereal Flame Shield) before allowing him to leave. The power of these two ultimate skills was astounding.

He had spent a year merely condensing the handle of the Blazing God Hammer, yet it possessed such terrifying destructive force. If he were to form the shaft and the head, a single strike could obliterate a city and millions of people instantly!

He retracted his power, and the hundred-meter tower dissolved back into energy, being drawn into his palm like a whale drinking water. After this prolonged cultivation, his internal energy had advanced from the mid-stage of the Second Layer of Energy Master to the peak of the late stage!

Ye Chen stood alone on the mountaintop, gazing into the distance. A year had passed without care for grooming; his flowing black hair hung to his waist, and his beard had grown into a full set of whiskers, fluttering in the strong wind.

“It was spring when I arrived. Now, I don’t know if a year, two years, or ten have passed…” Ye Chen clenched his fist slightly, staring at the sky, and suddenly spoke, “Come out.

I know you are here.” His voice echoed across the thousands of peaks and valleys! Not long after, a ripple appeared, and a figure stepped out of the void.

She had purple hair cascading to her waist, a graceful figure, and eyes the color of pale lavender that seemed to reflect a vast lake. Her face was serene, like an aloof queen.

She wore a deep purple long dress, and as a slight breeze blew, her long, fair legs were faintly visible beneath the hem, complemented by a pair of tall boots. Ye Chen frowned slightly, surprised that a woman had emerged.

He asked, “Where is that old man with the white beard?” The purple-haired woman looked down upon Ye Chen from above. “I truly cannot discern what characteristic you possess to have earned the old man’s favor.

Tell me, why do you seek him?” Ye Chen arched an eyebrow. “Who are you?” The purple-haired woman replied coolly, “I am the second System Main God of this relic.

The one you saw earlier was my sister.” Ye Chen frowned slightly. “I need to leave this place.

Can you help?” The purple-haired woman scrutinized him and sneered, “You’ve only managed the first layer of the Blazing God Hammer and already wish to depart? Hmph.

You must master the (Ethereal Flame Shield) at least!” “I am short on time,” Ye Chen said, looking at her. “As the System Main God here, you should be able to assist.” “My time is far more valuable than yours.

I have no time to waste talking nonsense with you. The rule is simple: you leave when you master it—no other choice!

By the way, the old man who instructed you was merely a sliver of White Beard’s consciousness, and that has dissipated. If you wish to find him, go to the Ancient World!” The purple-haired woman finished speaking and prepared to turn away.

As her foot moved, the ripple before her shimmered, and a white-haired woman stepped out from within. Her eyes held stars, her brows were like crescent blades, and a faint smile played on her lips.

She was clad in pure white robes that enveloped her exquisitely curved figure, cinched at the slender waist with a platinum sash, rendering her quite beautiful. A faint halo seemed to crown her head; at first glance, she resembled an incarnation of an angel.

“You’re being mischievous again,” the white-haired woman said with a gentle smile. The purple-haired woman’s expression soured.

“Sister, what are you doing here?” The white-haired woman replied, “If I didn’t come, who knows what you would have done to the future little master.” “Hmph! Little master?

I see he’s cut from the same cloth as that old bastard,” the purple-haired woman sneered. The white-haired woman’s delicate brows furrowed slightly.

“It’s been so long; are you still holding onto that grudge?” The purple-haired woman let out a cold laugh and said no more. The white-haired woman turned to Ye Chen, her gaze softening.

“Little Master, my name is Bai Lan. I am the First System Main God of this relic.

You saw my projection when you entered.” Ye Chen nodded slightly; he recalled that voice. Bai Lan looked at the purple-haired woman beside her and smiled faintly.

“This is Zi Lan, my younger sister. She is still young and perhaps a bit thoughtless; please excuse her.” Zi Lan bristled.

“When was I thoughtless? I am 38,293 years old!

I’m only a few thousand years younger than you!” Bai Lan smiled faintly and turned back to Ye Chen. “The Master commanded us that you cannot leave until you have learned the Blazing God Hammer and the Ethereal Flame Shield.

After all these years, he finally found a successor like you and is extremely worried about your safety. Please forgive our strictness.

If you insist on leaving now, I can release you, but you must keep us with you at all times. Otherwise, I dare not let you wander outside alone.

Should anything happen to you, the Master would dismantle us.” Ye Chen pondered for a moment and nodded. “Agreed.

However, if you two are too weak, it would be better for you to remain in the relic. I don’t have time to protect you.” Hearing Ye Chen’s blunt statement, Bai Lan couldn't help but chuckle softly.

Zi Lan beside her instantly bristled, enraged. “Who needs your protection?

We are the ones who should be protecting you! With your current strength, I could crush you with a single finger!” Ye Chen did not take offense and simply nodded, “That’s good then.” This look of reassurance nearly made Zi Lan’s nose crooked with anger.

Bai Lan smiled gently. “You now have the clearance to apply to leave the Samsara World.

Once you are outside, I will take you on a tour of the relic.” Ye Chen nodded and said no more, quickly sending an application to the system. Approval was granted swiftly.

The scene before him shifted, and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a spacious plaza. The thousands of circular platforms were all empty; there wasn't a soul in sight.

“You’re out?” A gentle voice sounded as a graceful woman slowly walked from behind the plaza—it was Bai Lan. A trace of helplessness flickered in her eyes, which were as clear as a lake.

“That child Zi Lan was too mischievous and didn’t come. Please don't mind her.” Ye Chen shook his head.

He glanced at Mo Feng and the others beside him, seeing that their eyes were still closed. “Can you send a message back into the Samsara World for me, notifying them to exit?” Bai Lan glanced at Mo Feng and the others, nodded with a smile, and without making any apparent gesture, after a few seconds, she said, “It has been notified.” Not long after, Bai Long and the others opened their eyes one by one.