Almost simultaneously. In a notoriously lawless region of the Three Realms, a desolate and exceptionally harsh corner of existence.

Within the deep, dim void, countless shattered stars floated in perpetual, lonely suspension—barren and ancient. Life was sparse and fading. Only a few Void Beasts, possessing robust vitality, would choose to nest in such a place.

For example, there was a notoriously fierce Celestial Viper that held dominion over a territory spanning millions of miles. Anyone who dared trespass would become its next meal. However, not long ago, this Celestial Viper, a peak Spirit Transformation stage beast that had rampaged unchecked in the vicinity for years, suffered a major defeat. It was thrashed mercilessly by two Asura clan generals, losing many of its young offspring in the process. It was only thanks to the cunning of this early Void Refinement stage Celestial Viper that it managed to escape when the situation turned dire, swiftly fleeing into the complex maze of shattered stars and hiding within a pre-prepared sanctuary. This narrow escape saved it from being flayed and refined into spiritual treasures or elixirs by the two Asura demons.

Having hidden for several long years, the Celestial Viper, sensing that the situation had finally stabilized, could no longer endure the gnawing hunger from its long fast. It emerged from its sanctuary, intending to hunt for sustenance within its domain. As it rhythmically smashed the floating debris with its massive tail, trying to flush out prey, something appeared not far ahead of it.

Not far in front of it.

Three women of extraordinary demeanor, possessing beauty so captivating it defied description, materialized slowly amidst a distortion of space, revealing their graceful forms.

The starved Celestial Viper, blinded by hunger, mistook these three women for the prey it had just agitated. It immediately opened its immense maw and inhaled deeply, attempting to use its unique Devouring Talent to swallow these seemingly insignificant little morsels and quell its hunger.

Yet, no matter how powerful its suction became, the three women remained rooted in the void, utterly unmoved, treating the devouring force as nothing more than air.

The Celestial Viper was stunned, snapping back to full awareness, cursing inwardly about the sudden appearance of yet more freaks. Opponents against whom its Devouring Talent was ineffective had to be at least as strong as itself, and judging by their bearing, they seemed significantly more powerful. Even one of them would be too much for the Viper to handle, let alone three appearing at once, sending a chill down its spine and prompting curses about bad luck.

Though it could not discern which clan these powerful beings belonged to, it was certain it was no match for them. The old and cunning Celestial Viper immediately decided to flee. But before it could even turn tail, it felt its entire body stiffen, as if pinned down by the gaze of a peerless, ferocious beast. Paralyzed by terror, it could only adopt a submissive posture, coiling itself in the void.

Unexpectedly, the woman on the left let out a charming, coquettish laugh: "Sister Ji, this dull snake is quite amusing. It actually tried to swallow the three of us whole. It’s hilarious! Doesn't it fear choking to death?"

The leader, whose expression was icy, was markedly taller than the others. Her peerlessly beautiful face, however, held a hint of aloof arrogance. Hearing the comment, she did not smile but merely stated coolly to the woman on her right, "Hongwu, the Celestial Viper carries a small trace of your clan’s bloodline. You kill it. Be quick and clean, lest any rumor leaks about our presence here."

The woman on the right, named Hongwu, whose figure was sultry, executed the order without hesitation: "Hongwu obeys." Instantly, the woman, as alluring as a peony in bloom, fair-skinned and beautiful, transformed her body, morphing into a colossal serpent a hundred and fifty zhang long, its scales radiating an unearthly, scarlet glow. Every single scale shimmered with a bizarre, bright red hue.

When the overwhelmingly dominant giant serpent manifested, the peak Spirit Transformation stage Celestial Viper was so terrified it nearly fainted. It was a Crimson Refinement Divine Serpent—a Chilian Shenshe! Damn it all, what kind of era was this? It had roosted here peacefully for so many years, assuming no one would venture to this desolate place. Yet, in just a few short years, two groups of people had arrived successively, and each one was more ferocious than the last.

There was no living like this anymore.

The Celestial Viper was now utterly trapped, with no cry for help answered. Fleeing seemed impossible, and fighting was out of the question, as the Crimson Refinement Divine Serpent was considered the ancestor of most serpentine beasts. Its bloodline was supremely noble; it could reach the Void Refinement stage with minimal effort and was hailed as a Divine Beast. How could it fight that?

Finished, utterly finished. The Celestial Viper’s massive, ferocious serpentine face was etched with utter misery. So be it. I accept my fate. Being eliminated by the Ancestor Crimson Refinement Divine Serpent is certainly better than being slaughtered by some other inexplicable entity.

Just as the Celestial Viper resigned itself to death, the unexpected occurred.

Between it and the lunging, clawing Crimson Refinement Divine Serpent Hongwu, a faint, cryptic spatial fluctuation suddenly arose. Amidst the void, a group of figures, each with a distinct form, materialized. The leader was entirely encased in a set of aggressively styled, imposing black armor, emanating an aura of profound mystery.

Behind him, arranged in a semi-circle, like stars orbiting the moon, was a cluster of people. There were men and women, each differing in form, yet all possessing remarkable bearing and appearance. Two of them radiated a breath so powerful it was suffocating.

One was an older man with long, flowing white hair and an air of noble elegance. The other was a robustly built figure with wings, a faint, thin layer of flame smoldering over his body—a Hellish Fiend. Both subtly betrayed the aura of the Void Refinement stage.

It was the sudden appearance of this mysterious group that startled the Crimson Refinement Divine Serpent. It hastily reformed into human shape and retreated far into a safe distance, watching the newcomers with guarded eyes.

In fact, Lei Dong and his entourage were equally taken aback. Scattered fragments of information gleaned from the mid-stage Void Refinement Poison Fang Primordial Spirit indicated that although this spatial node was within the Chaotic Star Domain, its location was exceedingly remote—a desolate, forgotten backwater. Anyone with even a sliver of ambition would never seek treasures or resources here. This was hardly surprising; if the location hadn't been so barren that no one wished to visit, this spatial node would surely have been discovered long ago, and Lei Dong wouldn't have had the chance to claim that ancient Heart-Devouring Demon incubation base.

Because of this, Lei Dong had assumed their teleportation would be safe—at most, they would encounter some minor beasts.

But Lei Dong had never anticipated encountering a snarling Crimson Refinement Divine Serpent immediately upon arrival, nor the two exceptionally alluring beauties nearby. Judging by their demeanor and their contained, deep-seated aura, they were clearly no pushovers.

Both parties were momentarily stunned, refraining from immediate engagement, instead taking the time to thoroughly assess the other side.

Even more shocked was the Ji-surnamed woman among the trio of females. Although her expression remained coldly exquisite, she was internally shaken to the core. Her objective for this journey was precisely the location of the spatial node from which these people had teleported. Intelligence suggested that the Blood Fiend Tusk organization from the Demon Realm had already dispatched two Void Refinement stage generals.

Having obtained this secret intelligence, they had rushed, expending considerable influence and resources to track them here. The ruins of the ancient high-level Demon Race held immense allure for the beings of the Spirit Beast Realm as well. Even if they couldn't claim the relics, the people of the Spirit Beast Realm were determined not to let the Demon Realm factions acquire them.

But they never expected this place to host a group that looked like... humans, and perhaps Ghost Clan members, and even a Void Refinement stage Hellish Fiend. The Ji-surnamed woman’s thoughts were turbulent. She wondered if these mysterious people had reinforcements waiting. However, given the small number, they didn't pose a significant threat to their trio, as the mysterious group seemed to have only two Void Refinement experts.

The rest, though mostly high-stage Spirit Transformation, couldn't truly harm them. After all, they were all generals from the Spirit Beast Realm, possessing their own hidden trump cards.

Just as Lei Dong was considering how to break the stalemate, his brow, concealed beneath the Black Emperor Battle Armor, subtly furrowed. There’s someone else hidden nearby? That fluctuation was extremely subtle, but Lei Dong was intimately familiar with it; it resembled the effect of the Heavenly Cycle Sun-Concealing Art.

As far as Lei Dong knew, this Heavenly Cycle Sun-Concealing Art was obtained by Tantai Bingyun from an ancient ruin, and only two legacy jade slips existed for it.

For a moment, Lei Dong felt lost. Could that faint, hidden energy fluctuation truly be Tantai Bingyun? Or perhaps, even in a place like the Three Realms, the Heavenly Cycle Sun-Concealing Art was present?

It wasn't just Lei Dong who sensed the spatial ripple; the Ji-surnamed woman also felt it. She couldn't help but frown and sneer coldly, "Who is lurking behind us? Bold enough to attempt a mantis stalking the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind? Show yourself!"

As expected, about ten li away, after another spatial distortion, three human figures appeared. The one in the middle, clad in flowing white, possessed an immortal-like aura. His ice-cold, beautiful eyes paused on Lei Dong for a moment, revealing a flicker of complex emotion, before he led the two behind him across the void, settling into a position that formed a triangle with the other two factions. He bowed respectfully toward the Ji-surnamed woman: "This junior is Tantai Bingyun of the Immortal Realm's Azure Wave Palace. I pay my respects to the Vermilion Bird Clan’s Young Master, Ji Shuangshuang, Young Master Ji."

Lei Dong was already taken aback by Tantai Bingyun's sudden appearance here. But upon hearing that the cold, statuesque woman with the slender neck was actually the legendary Young Clan Leader of the Vermilion Bird Clan, his heart skipped a beat.

This wasn't due to a lack of composure on Lei Dong’s part, but genuine shock. In the Six Domains and Nine Continents, the Vermilion Bird was revered as one of the Four Divine Beasts, a creature belonging entirely to legend. Yet, here, he had stumbled upon a real, living Divine Beast.

This served as a stark warning to Lei Dong: he had now entered the Three Realms, not the Six Domains and Nine Continents where he could reign supreme. Every action from this point forward demanded utmost caution.

"Tantai Bingyun?" The Vermilion Bird Clan’s Young Master Ji Shuangshuang also looked at the ethereal, white-robed Tantai Bingyun with surprise: "So you are the young mistress of the Azure Wave Palace that has been causing such a stir in the Immortal Realm recently?"