A streak of white light, like an arrow loosed by thunder, hammered towards the beast’s skull. The dazzling radiance, clear as spring water, scoured away the surrounding darkness, making the beast’s very fur ripple in reverse.

Clad in white, pure as snow. Her longsword, dancing lightly.

In that eerie, silent darkness, this exquisite tableau flashed and vanished, yet it seared itself deep into a pair of luminous eyes watching from afar. Then, a piercing shriek tore the air—wild, tragic, a desperate roar dredged from the netherworld, shaking the plains and echoing endlessly within this cage stretching for ten thousand zhang.

The beast collapsed. Lying in a pool of its own blood… utterly still.

Bai Yijun stood erect, sword in hand, breathing shallowly. Within her eyes, clear as autumn water, a thread of exhaustion lingered. The semi-divine Charcoal Peak Divine Sword, named “White Snow,” cast a soft luminescence upon her cheek, lending it a touch of tenderness.

Ye Chen gazed over. In that pitch-black darkness where one could not see one's hand before one's face, that midnight lily silently radiated her beauty, drawing the attention of all to her delicate grace while simultaneously obscuring the pallor beneath.

Without pause, Ye Chen strode forward quickly, standing beside her. He glanced at her pale face, his brow furrowed, a deep shadow flickering in the depths of his eyes. “Are you alright?”

Bai Yijun drew a deep breath and turned her head. The gentle white light from White Snow illuminated the side of her face, beautiful and soft. She shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s go.” With that, she moved toward the second level. In that deep silence, her white shirt seemed to glow faintly, leaving a trail of luminescence in her wake.

Ye Chen looked down at the fallen beast, his gaze shifting. After a moment of silence, he finally raised his palm, activating the power within his bracelet to refine the peculiar light substance from the “Ci Zheng Beast.” Numerous specks of pure white light, like falling snow, emerged from the beast’s skin and fur, then converged, drawn irresistibly toward Ye Chen’s body.

Bai Yijun, who had just reached the stairs leading to the second level, paused as if sensing something. She turned back, her clear eyes fixed on the figure shrouded in the darkness. At that moment, Ye Chen was enveloped in an milky-white radiance, forming a shimmering silhouette of light.

“What is this…” A flash of realization crossed Bai Yijun’s eyes.

Ye Chen ignored everything else. His entire body felt searing hot, as if submerged in boiling water. Every pore strained open, breathing deeply, his bones and sinews growing numb and soft, as if countless ants were gnawing at him.

Even with Ye Chen’s formidable self-control, veins popped on his forehead, and sweat poured from him.

Upon his body, the Saint Flame Set, which had previously radiated a pure white light, began to undergo a subtle transformation. The pauldrons, bracers, cuirass, heart-guard, battle skirt, boots, gauntlets, and other major components all shifted slightly, their surfaces dyed with a faint golden sheen and adorned with intricate, mysterious runes.

Within these components, though only a small fraction, were constructed millions—perhaps more—of intermeshing micro-gears. Every inch of the structure was exquisitely precise, entirely self-installed and modified by the main computer system integrated into the set. The process was excruciatingly complex.

One hour later…

The white light gradually receded. The intense pain and itching vanished from Ye Chen’s body. He opened his eyes and looked down, a slight tremor running through him. His Saint Flame Set had fully evolved into the Divine Flame Set!

The pauldrons of the Divine Flame Set were broader, accentuating his imposing figure. The cuirass and heart-guard were traced with pale-gold runes, lending an aura of grounded, profound dominance. Furthermore, the armor automatically ignited the power of a demigod, with waves of divine flame swirling around Ye Chen, forming a natural shield of divine fire!

If someone at the Ghost God Realm were to launch a surprise attack on Ye Chen, they would be instantly tainted by these divine flames before even getting close, resulting in their demise.

Ye Chen could feel the vast, surging divine power emanating from the armor. He didn't know whether to be happy or sad. He was overjoyed to possess the Divine Flame Set, which allowed him to completely ignore the attacks of any expert below the peak of the Demigod Realm!

But he was saddened because his lifespan might be less than seven or eight days—what use was such powerful armor then?

He sighed deeply in his heart, pushing those morbid thoughts aside. He straightened his spirit and walked toward Bai Yijun, while subconsciously pondering, “This Divine Flame Set’s evolution was so arduous: it devoured the corpse of a Pseudo-God Realm beast, plus the remains of several hundred Demigod Realm beasts, just to reach this level. It’s a Semi-Divine Ultimate Set, capable of slightly weakening even the attacks of a nascent Pseudo-God Realm expert. To evolve it to the peak Pseudo-God Realm next time, I wonder how many Pseudo-God beasts, or even Divine Realm beings, I will have to slaughter!”

The set’s power was immense, but its evolution was too difficult!

With his own strength, Ye Chen could never hope to slaughter a Pseudo-God Realm beast and several hundred Demigod beasts.

“No wonder in my previous life, even Young Master Yun could only evolve the set to the first level, the Saint Flame Set,” Ye Chen mused silently, reaching Bai Yijun. “Let’s go.”

Bai Yijun glanced at him, asked nothing further, nodded softly, and turned to lead the way, the White Snow Divine Sword emitting a sharp gleam as she cleaved open the second level of the Dark Tower.

As the door shattered, black vapors rolled out. This second level was still pitch black as ink. The two did not enter immediately. Bai Yijun flicked a finger, launching a thread of scorching white light that shot into the second level, illuminating the interior as if it were daytime.

Deep within the second level, a dark silhouette was coiled—thirty zhang long, the size of a large truck, its body covered in undulating scales as hideous as bone spurs. It was corpulent, with a mouth like an alligator’s, lined with interlocking canines.

“Crocodile Dragon Beast!” Bai Yijun’s eyes turned icy. She moved in a flash, raising her palm. The White Snow Divine Sword pulsed with a killing white light as she charged toward the sleeping beast.

The beast had awakened the moment the door shattered.

“Roar!” Man and beast clashed.

Ye Chen watched silently, his fists clenched quietly.

Thump!

The ninth level of the Dark Tower. The dark portal burst open under a blinding beam of white light, leaving a gaping hole. Two figures entered first. A blast of scorching flame shot from Ye Chen’s hand, hovering high above the level, radiating light that illuminated the thousand-zhang expanse of the black tower.

After a day of relentless ascent, guided by Bai Yijun, the pair had carved a path straight to the ninth level. The previous eight levels were populated by Demigod Realm beasts, from the early stage on level one to the peak on level eight, all slain beneath Bai Yijun’s blade!

“The last one. You step back!” Bai Yijun drew a deep breath and spoke to Ye Chen behind her.

Ye Chen paused for a moment, then slowly retreated a few steps, standing at the edge of the dark door, his face obscured by shadow where no one could make out his expression.

Clatter—

The sound of iron chains echoed in the silent tower level. Deep within this chamber, a beast ten zhang long, comparable in size to a train carriage, slowly rose. Its physique was massive, like a lion, with four hooves like those of an ox. Its entire body was covered in scales the size of palms, crimson as blood. Its eyes were like bronze bells, radiating fierce malice, reflecting the image of the woman in white.

Bai Yijun held the divine sword and advanced slowly. The White Snow Divine Sword cast a faint gleam, illuminating the side of her face, highlighting her pale and serene features.

Facing this behemoth of heaven and earth…

Facing this overwhelmingly powerful monster…

She walked forward expressionlessly, like a tragically beautiful white lotus, her figure slowly being engulfed by the darkness.

Boom!

The beast took a step. Its iron hooves struck like mountains, landing with the force of thunder. Its sharp fangs hung low, threatening to touch the woman with the slightest movement.

Amidst a killing atmosphere, the sharp sound of a sword whistled out. Bai Yijun had already struck, and amidst the interweaving light and shadow, the blinding white sword pierced the void, aiming for the beast’s head.

“Roar!” The beast roared, lifting its hoof as if to eclipse the sky, bringing it crashing down upon Bai Yijun. Even before the hoof landed, a crushing pressure slammed into her, whipping her long, dark hair backward and causing her clothes to flutter wildly.

Mid-air, Bai Yijun gripped the divine sword, her body turning against the onslaught. At this critical juncture, this instant where life tipped into death, her expression suddenly settled into a tranquility never before seen. She met the gaze of the ferocious beast and slowly chanted a voice, ancient as if lost since eternity, like the hymns of celestial Buddhas: “When I wish to tread upon the heavens, all living things shall be my stepping stones…

“When I wish to slaughter the heavens, all living things shall be my blades…”

“When I wish to defy the heavens, all living things shall be my defiance…”

This ancient chant flowed softly from her lips. The White Snow Divine Sword instantly erupted with ten thousand zhang of white light, enveloping her and the beast within it, illuminating the entire black tower as brightly as day.

A faint dragon’s roar, soaring high and clear, shot toward the dome above.

Ye Chen felt nothing but a blinding white light; he could see nothing, only a chilling, killing aura washing over him, striking his Divine Flame Set, which managed to weaken and repel it layer by layer.

After a long, long time…

The white light quickly retracted, like a whale drawing water, condensing entirely onto the White Snow Divine Sword, which resembled a pool of autumn water. Bai Yijun held the hilt, her expression cold as frost, like an immortal maiden descending from the Ninth Heaven, her white robes billowing. With delicate fingers pinching the sword, the White Snow Divine Sword, now imbued with immense divine power, moved like heavenly lightning toward the beast’s head!

KABOOM!

This single strike surpassed all historical elegance; it was perfectly heartbreaking, inspiring a desire to willingly cast oneself beneath the blade. The ten-zhang-tall beast, before this woman, suddenly found its momentum crippled, its imposing might utterly seized. It sensed unprecedented danger, its cruel eyes filled with madness, roaring skyward—a thunderous bellow that made the surrounding walls subtly tremble.

Only the White Snow Divine Sword, emotionless, descended with the weight of the cosmos!

CRACK!

The immense force tore the air, carrying the power of the entire space. Before the blade even arrived, its crushing pressure forced the beast to half-bend its knees… as if bearing an invisible mountain.

For a second, time seemed to halt.

Then, the divine sword landed precisely on the center of the beast’s head. From within the beast, an earth-shattering aura suddenly exploded, thick Pseudo-God power surging from its entire body, condensing into a proud, sharp horn that thrust upward in defiance!