Ye Chen and the others sped toward the cosmic passage leading to the Abyss Manor, having been in a state of constant dread since their encounter with the Heavenly Emperor. None of them could fathom why the dead had risen to attack them.

Nuwa and the others, possessing immense age and experience, sensed something amiss from the Heavenly Emperor’s expression, realizing the man had likely lost all his memories; otherwise, he would never undertake such a perilous action without reason.

As the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark sliced through the void, a low, hoarse roar erupted from the mountain of skeletal remains ahead. Immediately after, a blood-soaked hand, still visibly regenerating muscle, clawed its way out of the bone pile. It belonged to a man clad in tattered golden armor, his handsome, cold face framed by curly golden locks—a visage potent enough to steal the breath of every woman in the world.

Anyone who saw this man’s first impression would be of divinity, sheer handsomeness, and perfection!

This man in fractured golden armor stood atop the heap of bones, a long sword sheathed at his waist, his entire body stained with blood, his golden hair flowing loose. He appeared somewhat desolate and solitary, gazing upward at the heavens, like a divine knight bathed in the last rays of the setting sun.

And then…

He slowly lowered his head.

The expressions of Nuwa and the others shifted dramatically, and they cried out in shock, "It is the Great Emperor Jin Long!"

"Great Emperor Jin Long? Isn't he the grandfather of Great Emperor Jin Shan?" Shao Hao exclaimed in astonishment.

Fuxi’s face grew grim. "Legend states he perished on the Heavenly Road. Great Emperor Jin Shan searched for his corpse here countless times without success. I never imagined he was buried here!"

Ye Chen frowned, his voice cold. "Charge through!"

Xiao Zongsheng nodded in assent, pressed the C2 button, and the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark accelerated into a fierce dash. The Great Emperor Jin Long looked utterly indifferent, his eyes glowing with an eerie, strange crimson light. Facing the massive Heavenly Dao Divine Ark, he slowly gripped the long sword at his waist, his figure suddenly launching forward to meet the vessel head-on.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Ark struck forward abruptly, sending the Great Emperor Jin Long flying, its speed momentarily paused before it surged onward again. To everyone’s surprise, after shattering into countless pieces of flesh and blood, the Great Emperor Jin Long slowly began to reassemble, utterly unharmed.

"What exactly is happening…" A faint worry creased Nuwa’s delicate, willow-like brows. The headless ancient corpse from the Ancient Realm Peak and the many resurrected powerhouses on the Heavenly Road hinted that something monumental was about to unfold.

After passing the Great Emperor Jin Long, the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark blasted forward, gradually approaching the passage to the Abyss Manor universe. Just then, the bones at the entrance of the passage began to tremble slightly, seemingly on the verge of reawakening.

Ye Chen frowned and immediately urged the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark to accelerate, diving straight into the Abyss Manor universe. The moment they appeared, several whistling sounds rapidly approached from ahead. Four or five figures were swooping toward them: three men, one woman, and one beast—the beast being a Cat Girl whose deep, pitch-black eyes were soul-captivating, possessing an inherent allure that could incite carnal desires in anyone who looked too long.

Fuxi’s expression shifted upon seeing one figure, and he gasped in terror, "The Lord of the Abyss!!"

Nuwa was surprised. "Why are they here? They usually remain on the Abyss Star. And five of them at once!"

Ye Chen frowned slightly and said in a deep voice, "Break through!"

"Yes!" Xiao Zongsheng nodded, engaged the thrusters to maximum power, and shot forward violently.

Whoosh!

It executed a grand cosmic teleportation!

Swish~

The Heavenly Dao Divine Ark appeared before the entrance passage leading to the Black Devil Pass, diving straight into it, narrowly avoiding the encirclement of the five Lords of the Abyss.

Upon entering the Black Devil Pass universe, mournful cries echoed through the receiving system, making everyone’s scalps prickle. Looking up, they saw nothing but endless hordes of Black Devils, a vast, oppressive black mass that seemed limitless. Among the leading Black Devils, there were shockingly two winged ones!

Fuxi’s face changed slightly. "Go quickly, we cannot fight them."

Ye Chen said nothing more, raising his hand in command. Xiao Zongsheng understood immediately, spurred the Heavenly Dao Divine Ark into a powerful dash. Ye Chen watched the numerous Black Devils that had pierced through the hull and entered the interior hall, his eyes flashing with cold light.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Ark was no mere Eight Trigrams vessel like Fuxi’s; it was a high-grade Void Heavenly Artifact, superior even to the Nine Great Origin Void Heavenly Artifacts. Any Black Devil below the Six-Winged rank could not breach it; upon contact, they would be instantly annihilated by the energy shielding. Even if a Six-Winged Black Devil managed to penetrate, its strength would be drastically reduced within the special energy field permeating the vessel.

With a thought from Ye Chen, swords of will flew wildly around him, swiftly slaying any Black Devils that drew near, meticulously protecting Shao Hao, Emperor Yao, and the others.

Nuwa and Fuxi were secretly astonished but wasted no time, joining forces to slay the encroaching devils. Bai Yijun’s silhouette flashed, dancing gracefully through the swarm of Black Devils like a beautiful lily in the midnight hour. She held a greatsword of white light, and wherever she passed, Black Devils dissolved into misty vapor one by one. Some that fell yielded Black Devil Pearls, which she deftly plucked and tucked into her pouch.

The Heavenly Dao Divine Ark swept past, soon leaving the majority of the Black Devils behind; those that had managed to enter were all slain. Bai Yijun gracefully floated back and stood beside Ye Chen. Once everyone relaxed and dispersed, she led Ye Chen to a secluded spot and pressed the two Black Devil Pearls she held into his hand, whispering softly, "These are the ones I just obtained. Use them to advance your state of mind."

Seeing her sly expression, Ye Chen smiled inwardly, feeling touched as he took the pearls. "Don't you need these?"

Bai Yijun playfully winked. "I don't need them. You absolutely cannot give these to Shao Hao and the others; I specifically saved these for you."

Ye Chen rubbed his nose. "Big Brother Shao Hao has been kind to me, and their state of mind is currently low; they urgently need these. I should give them to them. Besides, my state of mind is almost at a bottleneck; these won't help me much anymore."

Seeing his firm resolution, Bai Yijun knew she couldn't argue. After thinking for a moment, she conceded reluctantly, "Alright. Since he is your brother, it’s good for you to give them to him; they can help you in times of crisis too."

Noticing her deep unwillingness, Ye Chen smiled subtly, patted her small hand, and then turned back to the main hall. He handed the eight Black Devil Pearls he had obtained, combined with the two from Bai Yijun, to Shao Hao and Emperor Yao, giving two to each person.

Shao Hao stared at the Black Devil Pearls in his hand, stunned for a long moment, before looking up at Ye Chen. "You, Chen..."

Ye Chen smiled faintly. "I've hit a bottleneck and don't need them much. Give these to you."

Shao Hao’s body trembled, warmth rushing to his blood, catching in his throat. His body shook slightly, and after a moment, he firmly grasped the Black Devil Pearls and nodded heavily. The others, including Emperor Yao, were deeply moved, glancing at Ye Chen in silence and committing this great kindness to memory.

After they accepted the pearls, Ye Chen rested briefly in the hall. Suddenly, Bai Yijun approached. "Come with me."

Ye Chen looked at her with surprise but followed her without further thought to a nearby lounge room.

Bai Yijun closed the door and walked up to Ye Chen, presenting her hand. "Here." In her palm lay seventeen or eighteen Black Devil Pearls, varying in size but all uniformly smooth and top-grade.

Ye Chen was taken aback. "What is this..."

Bai Yijun smiled cunningly. "I knew you would definitely give those to Big Brother Shao Hao, so I intentionally kept these back. Hurry and absorb these; don't let the others find out."

Ye Chen gave her a speechless look. "You cunning spirit! No, these will help them more. I should give them to them."

Bai Yijun grew anxious and quickly took his hand. "If you give them more now, right after you just gave everyone two, what will they think? They might suspect you were hoarding some for yourself."

Ye Chen stopped, frowned, and realized Bai Yijun was right. He sighed. "Fine, I'll listen to you this time. But don't do this again."

"