While Ye Chen’s experience wasn't extensive, the ancient world was teeming with Ghost God Realm demonic beasts. This Crimson Python Beast was one Ye Chen had encountered before; it wasn't strong, merely around the fifth tier of the Ghost God Realm. He could crush it with a single finger!

The issue was… Finding it was troublesome!

"Does the brain marrow of this Crimson Python Beast possess some kind of special efficacy?" Ye Chen pondered briefly, then dismissed the thought, leaping up and rushing out the door.

"This trial mission only has a one-day time limit. Exceeding the limit counts as a failure! Once failed, one must wait until next month to claim it again."

Ye Chen’s figure flickered as he arrived at the plaza on the mountainside. Through his light-brain bracer, he submitted an application to the clan to rent a starship. A few minutes later, a reply came: Approved!

Ye Chen proceeded to the passenger transport department. Led by a staff member, he was escorted to the Ghost God Realm starship bay, where he selected a low-tier Ghost God Realm vessel. It was ten zhang long, yet possessed only a ten-thousand-level defense rating—it would be torn apart if it encountered a powerful demonic beast!

If this starship were destroyed, Ye Chen’s merit points would be deducted.

Merit points were awarded for completing trial missions, as well as for routine sect assignments. Accumulating too many negative merit points would result in expulsion from the sect, or… being secretly eliminated and refined into medicinal compounds!

Ye Chen was merely looking for transportation and wasn't picky. Once he earned 100 Demigod Stones, he could purchase a low-tier World-Stabilizing Stone, which would allow him to unlock the Rune Space and utilize the rune starships within.

In earlier times, Ye Chen hadn't grasped the true might of rune starships, but his recent surge in experience had made him realize that rune starships belonged to the peak tier of Ghost God Realm vessels. Moreover, due to their unique construction using extremely high-grade materials, if a Demigod Mechanical Rune Talisman was installed in the control core system, they could unleash Demigod-level power!

Upon entering the vessel, the streamlined intelligent system rapidly confirmed Ye Chen's iris, completed the ownership transfer, and immediately flooded his mind with the starship's data and information on all major system functions.

Ye Chen quickly familiarized himself with the controls, piloting the ship along the designated route displayed on the screen. He input a destination, and the automatically navigating vessel sped off on its own.

"Target: Star Fragment -10086!"

Ye Chen casually entered the coordinates of a star fragment relatively close to Mount Scarlet Extinction, and the ship immediately surged forward. Beyond the nine great cities of the White Lotus Divine State lay the wild frontiers—miasma swamps and overgrown thickets harboring lurking demonic beasts and souls lost to harmful gases.

While there were demonic beasts in these areas, they were fewer than those found on the star fragments. Therefore, the fastest way to hunt beasts was to head to a star fragment.

Ye Chen gazed out at the starry expanse beyond the starship's deceleration glass. The dense sprinkle of stars stirred a momentary emotion within him. "I wonder how the civilization on Thunder Square is faring? Given the energy density here, my sister and Bailong should have broken through to the Ghost God Realm by now, right?"

Since arriving in the ancient world, the signal station established by the Atlantis headquarters had lost its relay capabilities. Communication was limited to self-reception via the communicator's sensory signals, with a restricted range; if too far, calls couldn't be connected.

As Ye Chen departed Mount Scarlet Extinction, a crimson starship also lifted off from the Demigod starship area of the passenger transport department, trailing Ye Chen’s vessel from a distance. With the sensors equipped on this Demigod starship, it could monitor Ye Chen’s Ghost God Realm ship well outside its surveillance range.

...

Four hours later, Ye Chen piloted his ship into the star fragment cluster. Because the vessel followed the established routes, it rarely encountered attacks from aerial avian beasts. Deviating from the path risked being besieged by them.

Before long, the ship arrived above the surface of Star Fragment -10086. This fragment was vast, stretching a hundred million kilometers. Within its boundaries were deep mountains and dense forests shrouded in miasma. The roars of beasts echoed from unknown caves, chilling the heart with fear.

Crack!

The starship hatch slowly opened. Ye Chen parked it safely on the designated channel, and with a flicker of movement, plunged down towards the star fragment continent.

"Divine Flame Set!" Ye Chen willed it, activating the armor. Streams of protective golden divine flames snaked around his body. Even if caught by an unforeseen sneak attack, these protective flames would be enough to resist it!

It was known that the Divine Flame Set could negate attacks from even high-tier Demigod powerhouses, offering 360-degree defense. Moreover, thanks to the set’s integrated sensing system, it would instantly alert Ye Chen if danger approached within a certain radius.

Moments later, Ye Chen plunged into the interior of the star fragment continent, speeding wildly through the dense undergrowth. Along the way, he simply barreled through the many demonic beasts he encountered, the protective divine flames on the surface of the Divine Flame Set incinerating them on contact.

"Nothing!"

"Nothing!"

"This isn't it either!"

Ye Chen rampaged across the continent, searching everywhere for the Crimson Python Beast. He scanned over a dozen peaks without success, though he did happen to dispatch quite a few demonic beasts and lost souls along the way.

Ye Chen sighed inwardly. He stopped searching, looked up at the sky, estimated the time, and turned towards a distant peak. He deactivated the Divine Flame Set and began searching for the Crimson Python Beast more cautiously.

Not long after, two sounds of rushing air sliced through the distance, hurtling towards him at high speed. They slaughtered every demonic beast blocking their path, accelerating to evade occasional Beast Leaders they encountered.

Ye Chen seemed to sense something and turned to look.

Whoosh!

Two golden beams shot across the dark horizon, kicking up gale-force winds that bent the surrounding grasses low. These two figures halted abruptly two zhang in front of Ye Chen, remaining utterly motionless.

The golden radiance dissipated, revealing two figures standing with one hand behind their backs—it was You Yue and Nan Tian. They wore dashing and noble purple robes, exuding an air of arrogance, like wealthy playboys.

A strange light flickered in Ye Chen’s eyes. He stared calmly at the pair, remaining silent.

You Yue looked down at Ye Chen, sneering, "Didn't expect us to track you here, did you? Aren't you arrogant? Daring to defy your superiors and yell at us! I advise you to hand over that secret manual now, and I’ll leave you a whole corpse. Otherwise, when I inject you with the 'Corpse Rot Virus,' you’ll feel every cell and muscle tissue putrefy until you die!"

Ye Chen fixed his gaze on them. "You mean to kill me? Aren't you afraid I'll report this to the sect?"

Nan Tian scoffed. "Report it? Inside this star fragment, how can you report to the sect without special equipment? Remember, the distance between here and the Scarlet Extinction Mountain headquarters isn't short. Besides, the air is filled with harmful gases, severely interfering with signals. Even top-tier communicators won't receive anything once you're too far from the cities!"

"Receive differently…" Ye Chen nodded thoughtfully, looking at You Yue and Nan Tian. A cruel curve suddenly formed on his lips. "I’ve been waiting for you for a long time!"

You Yue was startled. Seeing Ye Chen's suddenly transformed demeanor, he felt a prickle of unease, though he couldn't pinpoint why. Did this person possess a weapon capable of harming Demigods?

No! Even a Semi-Divine Artifact couldn't harm them.

In terms of Super Modes… Both of them possessed Super Modes, and they were both Third Stage Supermen! Their physical constitution was even stronger! Coupled with the gap between Demigod and Ghost God Realms, even if Ye Chen unleashed the technique that amplified damage by 30 times, manifesting the most formidable Ghost Qi attacks, it would be child's play before the two of them. Before the power of a Demigod, all Ghost Qi would retreat in haste and collapse on its own!

"Facing death and still so presumptuous!" Nan Tian sneered coldly. "Don't think we'll hesitate to kill you. Once you’re dead, we’ll pay a price to send your head to the Thunder Civilization. We can extract your brainwaves and copy the memory data contained within—we’ll still get your secret manual!"

Ye Chen looked coldly at the two men, killing intent faintly visible in his eyes. "Die!" As the word escaped, he abruptly activated the Divine Flame Set, simultaneously engaging the Lightning Superman Mode and the Ant Superman Mode. With the two Super Modes stacked, his body throbbed with explosive power. He charged towards You Yue and Nan Tian like a primeval beast roaring across the heavens.

Whoosh!

His movement was like lightning; his charge, like thunder.

Ye Chen’s figure flashed, and he was instantly beside the pair. These two were, after all, battle-hardened Demigod powerhouses, and their reaction was not slow. Their pupils contracted, and they immediately retreated rapidly, activating their Super Modes without a word.

"Sky Ant Superman!"

"Snow Wasp Superman!"

You Yue roared, a pair of snow-white antennae extending from his forehead. His bones cracked audibly, and his skin took on a faint metallic sheen. The pores of his dermis sealed completely; his body looked forged from metal, covered in a thin carapace!

Nan Tian beside him activated Snow Wasp Superman. Two long, curved antennae sprouted from his forehead, and two translucent, delicate cicada wings materialized on his back. His skin was crisscrossed with black and yellow stripes.

(Sky Ant Superman Third Stage: Strength amplified by 200 times!)

(Snow Wasp Superman Third Stage: Speed amplified by 150 times!)

Both You Yue and Nan Tian possessed low-tier Divine Power, with physical constitutions rated at only 110,000 and 120,000 levels, respectively. Under the amplification of their Super Modes, their strength surged, and their retinas could easily lock onto Ye Chen’s figure.

Seeing the two activate their Super Modes, Ye Chen frowned. The demonic beasts in the ancient world possessed even stronger genes, being the ancient progenitors of many Earthly animals. You Yue and Nan Tian's Super Modes were merely mid-tier demonic beast types, not rare in the ancient world, yet the amplification ratios far surpassed the two Super Genes Ye Chen had worked so hard to acquire!

Under the activated Super Modes, his own strength was at a further disadvantage. He immediately abandoned any thought of a direct clash of physique and simply charged headlong into them.

"Die!" Ye Chen’s gaze was like a blade. Relying on the Divine Flame Set, he slammed directly toward You Yue.

You Yue sneered coldly. Instead of rushing forward directly, he waved a hand and unleashed a pale-gold arc of light, slicing towards Ye Chen. In his estimation, this single blow would certainly end Ye Chen’s life.