As they pressed onward, a stark desert unfolded beneath them, crowded with a dense, chilling host of dark, oppressive monsters. To fall into their midst would mean instant annihilation by the swarm.

Many of the beasts roared impotently at the aircraft, unable to fly but capable of hurling stone missiles.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Boulders the size of small houses flew through the air, interspersed with three streaks of ice-tipped arrows.

The Lord of Purple Cloud Island swiftly activated the craft's defensive systems, shattering the incoming debris. Not long after, Ye Po Xiao (as he was known in the legends of the divine spirit) saw the ruins of the Huaxia Base City far in the distance—a landscape of crumbling defensive walls and broken remnants, utterly devoid of human life and now overrun by monsters, its former glory utterly vanished.

Ye Chen’s brow furrowed; he hadn't expected the outside world to change so drastically in just half a year.

Just then, several piercing roars erupted from below, followed by a tremendous rumbling that shook the earth. A colossal monster, a hundred zhang in length and covered entirely in scales and claws, burst from the soil. It reared up, spitting a cloud of dust and rock, and charged toward the dozen or so hovering aircraft.

Ye Chen commanded, "Destroy it outright!"

The old man in the white robe accepted the order, bowed his thanks, and stepped away. In a flicker of movement, he leaped from the flying machine. Facing the whistling barrage of stone and sand, his expression sharpened. He spread both hands wide, gave a low shout, and channeled the full force of his being. As his hands met, they formed an arc like a protective canopy, reaching skyward, which he then drove forward with crushing force.

The moment he acted, a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. He felt incredibly light, as if his body weighed a tenth of what it should. Every movement felt instinctive and perfectly controlled.

When they first entered, they had been focused on observing the Earth's landscape and overlooked the changes within themselves. Now, as they exerted themselves, the anomaly was impossible to ignore: their combat power on this land had increased by more than tenfold!

Originally, a Divine Rank Ninth Stage cultivator could only exert 9,000 levels of power within the Divine Tomb. However, on Earth, where gravity and other combined elements were ten times weaker than in the Tomb, their strength had surged by a factor of ten!

Boom!

The wave of stone and sand struck the protective barrier but was not stopped; it continued to press down, crushing the hundred-zhang scaled monster into a pulp of gore. The residual force slammed into the ground, causing the earth itself to tremble slightly and gouging out a crater six zhang deep!

The old man in the white robe retracted his palm, staring at his hands in utter astonishment, then a wave of pure ecstasy washed over his eyes. With a hearty laugh, he spun around and rushed back into the aircraft.

The Lord of Purple Cloud Island and the others watched him, bewildered.

"How are you so strong?"

"When did your power increase so dramatically? You are nearly comparable to Lord Dragon Sovereign."

The old man in the white robe, ecstatic, boomed with laughter, "Check your own bodies!"

The Lord of Purple Cloud Island and the others quickly examined themselves. Prompted by his words, they soon realized something was amiss. The old man in the purple shirt (as mentioned in the divine spirit's breakthrough records) lifted his palm and exclaimed in wonder, "So light! It feels like I only used a tenth of my strength. With a simple flick of the wrist, I lifted it!"

"Effortless."

"How can this be? It’s miraculous."

Many of the deacons cheered joyfully.

The Lord of Purple Cloud Island, piloting the aircraft, pondered for a moment before turning to Ye Chen. "Is this because of the gravity here?"

Ye Chen nodded. "Gravity is only part of it. There are many other contributing factors."

At this moment, the aircraft reached an altitude above the Huaxia Base City. Roars erupted from below as numerous monsters awakened from dormancy and howled toward the sky. This terrifying spectacle caused even the old man in the white robe and his companions to pale slightly.

"Roar!"

A three-headed, black-scaled Flood Dragon bellowed, its crimson eyes filled with savage intent. As it roared, many powerful monsters rose from the dense crowd below—all over a thousand-level, including familiar faces like the Golden-Haired Green Ape, the White-Skinned Crocodile Beast, and the Iron-Magnetic Blood Beast.

Ye Chen looked at these creatures and was immediately reminded of the late stages of the apocalypse in his previous life. These were the top-tier powerhouses in the Monster Empire, hunted by the major human base cities. During that era, the mercenary system flourished, and the world's top ten gene warriors, the Emperor-Sealed cultivators, had joined the Heavenly God Palace, becoming the very pillars of humanity!

These heroes were revered because they made immense contributions, serving as humanity's backbone. It was thanks to the fearlessness of so many powerful individuals that humanity's future was secured.

Ye Chen gazed intently for a moment, then murmured softly, "Eliminate all the leaders of these monsters!" Though his voice was light, it carried an aura of lethal intent.

The old man in the white robe and the others, eager to test their newfound abilities, nodded immediately. "As you command!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh~~~

As the words fell, the old man in the white robe, the old man in the purple shirt, the Lord of Deficient Light Island, the Lord of Heavenly Palace Island, and many high-ranking deacons of the King Grade Eighth Stage leaped out of the flying machines. Their eyes gleaming, they drew their weapons and charged toward the mass of monsters below.

"This is so easy."

"Like fish in water! Hah! Die!"

Many of the powerful cultivators instantly unleashed terrifying combat prowess. Especially the old man in the purple shirt, the old man in the white robe, and the two Island Lords—each erupted with world-shaking power, descending like falling meteors to slaughter the Black-Horned Flood Dragon and the Six-Armed Vicious Ape in an one-sided massacre!

Though these monsters were formidable, they were ultimately only around four or five thousand levels, whereas, on Earth, any King Grade expert now commanded the combat power of a thousand-level entity!

Led by the two Island Lords and the elders, the dozen or so figures surged into the sheepfold like hungry wolves, scattering the dense monster army into chaos. Many monsters at the two-hundred level, having gained sentience, were terrified by the sight of these fierce humans and turned to flee.

Among this monster horde were numerous high-level zombies and mutated zombie beasts, with physiques reaching seven or eight hundred, even a thousand levels, having developed a Dark Creature consciousness. Through their unique method of communication, these dark beings had managed to command many of the zombie humans!

These zombie legions, led by several mutated zombie beasts, promptly retreated, unwilling to engage.

In the distance, a colossal black shadow lay crouched—it was, unmistakably, an Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon.

The Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon stared at the dozen or so aircraft hovering in the distant sky. Its cold, amber eyes registered deep concentration. When it saw the figures like the old man in the white robe emerging from the craft, its pupils constricted sharply. Internally, it was aghast, watching in disbelief as the Golden-Haired Green Ape, the White-Skinned Crocodile Beast, and other monsters were crushed like straw in the hands of these human powerhouses, slain before they could even attempt to escape!

"How could this be?" the Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon shrieked internally, its face a mask of terror. "How can humans be this powerful? It's impossible! This entire vicinity is ruled by my beast clan; how could this group of humans suddenly appear?"

It possessed high intelligence. With a thought, it suppressed its shock and slowly began to shift its bulk, slinking away stealthily toward the rear of the monster army, daring not even to breathe heavily, lest it draw the attention of the old man in the white robe and his comrades.

After moving a hundred zhang, it noticed the old man in the white robe and his group were fully engaged in the slaughter, paying it no heed. A surge of relief washed over it, followed by sinister resolve. "Wait until I report this to Lord Evil Wing; you humans can just wait to die." Recalling the power of Lord Evil Wing, a cold smile touched its lips as it continued to lower its head, cautiously retreating backward...

Suddenly, a light, indifferent voice echoed directly behind it: "Where are you going?"

This airy sound struck the Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon like a thunderbolt from the heavens. Its mind went blank, and its entire body froze rigid. After a long moment, it painfully managed to turn its head, only to see a young man in black seated calmly upon the scales just behind its neck. Standing respectfully beside this youth was a majestic man clad in purple armor.

"You... when did you...?" The Flood Dragon’s heart hammered wildly. The fact that the individual could land on its body without it noticing could only mean that the opponent was vastly superior in power...

These two figures were, of course, Ye Chen and the Lord of Purple Cloud Island.

Ye Chen had been surveying the scene from the flying machine when he spotted the Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon attempting a sneaky retreat in the distance. He had then brought the Lord of Purple Cloud Island with him to intercept.

"Are you the leader here?" Ye Chen asked indifferently.

The Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon glanced at the two humans. From the man in the purple armor beside Ye Chen, it sensed an overwhelming, suffocating pressure. It shook its head violently, like a rattle-drum, and hastily denied, "I am just passing by. I am not any leader."

"Oh," Ye Chen acknowledged, standing up calmly. "Since you are not the leader here, then kill it."

"Yes!" The Lord of Purple Cloud Island nodded in assent.

The Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon nearly fainted from terror and shrieked, "No! Don't! I'll talk! I'll talk! I am the leader here! Please don't kill me!"

Ye Chen nodded. "Who ordered you to guard this area?" Based on the arrangement of the monsters nearby, he had already discerned that this place was not merely occupied by common beasts.

The Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon hesitated slightly.

"Kill it," Ye Chen stated without hesitation.

The Lord of Purple Cloud Island began to step forward.

The Flood Dragon was on the verge of tears. "I’ll speak! I’ll tell you everything! My leader is Lord Evil Wing. He ordered us to encamp here and kill any humans we discovered."

Ye Chen frowned slightly, recalling those who had hunted him in the past: besides the Dark Prince and that bewitching woman, there had been a man with twin wings. This Eight-Winged Flood Dragon was most likely referring to that individual. Ye Chen immediately asked, "Where is he?"

The Flood Dragon paused for a beat, then saw the impatience darkening Ye Chen's brow. Tears streamed down its face again. "If I tell you, you won't kill me?"

"I won't," Ye Chen replied instantly.

The Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon asked cautiously, "You guarantee it?"

A vein bulged visibly on Ye Chen's forehead.

Seeing the situation turn grave, the Flood Dragon quickly conceded. "Fine, I’ll tell you. Lord Evil Wing is in a city to the east. With my speed, I can reach it in two hours."

Ye Chen inquired, "Are you certain?"

The Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon nodded vigorously. "I swear I am not lying to you!"

"Oh," Ye Chen said, turning his head to look at the Lord of Purple Cloud Island. "It's up to you. Its tendon is a fine tonic, try not to damage it, and the liver and lungs too. Oh, and the gall bladder. Its flesh can also be used for cooking; the back meat is quite tasty."

Hearing Ye Chen systematically list its own internal organs, the Eight-Winged Black-Scaled Flood Dragon turned pale, its body trembling violently. It stammered, "You... you said you would let me go?"

Ye Chen blinked in confusion. "Did I say that?"

The Flood Dragon froze, utterly dumbfounded...