And over on the other throne sat a host of unfamiliar faces, yet the aura emanating from each one was in no way inferior to that of Yue Heng and the others across the way—in fact, it seemed even more formidable. Everyone had arrived long ago and had been waiting for a considerable time.

Yet, all seemed possessed of immense patience, showing not the slightest hint of impatience. The vast hall was silent, not a single sound disturbing the stillness.

After an indeterminate period, a swirl of black mist suddenly descended before the golden dragon throne at the head position. As the mist dispersed, the slender, enchanting figure of a woman materialized, standing silently on the steps, gazing down upon the assembled heroes.

Her eyes, seductive and luminous, reflected the image of every person present. As if stung, every single person rose in unison, bowing respectfully, “We pay our respects to Frost Concubine.” “Mmm,” Frost Concubine acknowledged with a slight nod, her voice soft.

“Lord Nine Dragons is occupied today, so he has asked me to convey his message. The army of the undead is relentlessly advancing towards our borders, and our territory shrinks daily.

Everyone must expedite their efforts to hunt and kill more demonic beasts. Once you accumulate sufficient Hunting Contribution Points, you can exchange them for the Power of the Ancient World.

You all know just how potent the Power of the Ancient World is; acquiring even a mere trace will instantly elevate you to the ranks of super-beings!” At the mention of the Power of the Ancient World, the gazes of everyone present instantly became feverish. One must understand, the World Power was something that only experts who had transcended the Heaven-Defying Realm could obtain by forming a contract with their world through their own strength, after which they would be allocated a portion of the World Power based on their contributions and abilities.

This power could shatter everything! Now, the Ancient World had devolved into a wasteland, a cataclysm; this was both the decline of humanity and the ascent of the mighty, the ruin of civilization and the epic of heroes.

And here was such an opportunity—to exchange for the World Power bestowed by the Ancient World, simply by gathering enough contribution points! This was tantamount to instantly becoming an expert surpassing the Heaven-Defying Realm!

“Yes!” Everyone nodded vigorously. Then, from the thirty-six thrones, thirty-six plumes of smoke suddenly erupted.

When the mist dissipated, everyone had already exited the divine hall. Frost Concubine remained on the steps, gazing out at the sky, a captivating allure shining in her eyes.

“The various worlds are finally growing restless and preparing to act. These are merely the ants and small soldiers for now.

I wonder when the true protagonists will finally make their entrance…” Heavenly Snow Peak. Among the White Spirit Mountain Range, Heavenly Snow Peak was one of the seventy-two major peaks.

Legend held that the spirit essence of a Snow Soul Beast was sealed at its base, causing heavy snow to perpetually blanket the entire mountain. With a flash, the figures of White Dragon, Yue Heng, along with Zhuge Fan and Yue Ling, appeared within Heavenly Snow Peak and proceeded directly back to the main hall.

White Dragon took the seat of honor and waved his hand, causing the serving maidens in the hall to quickly withdraw. “After this hunt, how many contribution points did everyone manage to exchange for?” White Dragon pinched a virtual seal between his fingers, and instantly, the entire main hall was sealed by an elaborate barrier, preventing any sound from escaping.

“I submitted two Blood Fiend Bones this time, which were appraised as artifacts of the third layer of the Era Realm, earning 18 billion contribution points. Combined with what I had before, that brings my total to 900 billion contribution points.” Yue Heng shrugged, saying, “I only hunted one Dragon Soul Beast this time, roughly equivalent to the fifth layer of the Era Realm.

That yielded a mere 11 trillion contribution points. With what I already had, my total is now 790 trillion contribution points.” Zhuge Fan offered a wry smile, “You both got so much; mine is the least.

I was on watch duty outside this time and only luckily encountered a Sky-Light Beast—just a little bug at the Half-Step Era Realm. It was only worth 2 billion contribution points.

Adding my previous haul, I only have 650 billion contribution points total.” Yue Ling, seated next to him, rolled her eyes in annoyance. “You have the nerve to say you have the least?

I clearly have the lowest! Your cultivation levels are all in the Era Realm, but I’m only at the Divine Emperor Realm.

Even with my Void-Sky Artifact, I can only suppress monsters below the fifth layer of the Era Realm. If I encounter anything stronger, I have no choice but to flee.

This time, I only managed to kill one Earth Ghost Beast at the first layer of the Era Realm, earning only 3.5 billion contribution points. Combined with my previous amount, I only have 480 billion contribution points, still hopelessly far from the hundred trillion mark…” White Dragon chuckled, “That’s not bad, considering.

It was lucky we found this location, thanks to Zhuge Fan. That dog nose of yours is quite sharp; you managed to find such a treasure trove teeming with high-level mutated monsters.

Otherwise, earning this many contribution points would have been unthinkable.” Yue Heng nodded in agreement. “Indeed.

While reaching a hundred trillion is necessary to exchange for the Power of the Ancient World, it is far more difficult than cultivating slowly until we surpass the Heaven-Defying Realm—we can’t imagine how much time that would take. Now, if we are lucky and work hard, perhaps we can earn enough exchange points in a few hundred thousand years.” Zhuge Fan nodded silently.

Though the words sounded encouraging, he knew that spending hundreds of thousands of years hunting monsters outside, unless always staying near the periphery, meant facing death every single time they ventured out. A single lapse in concentration could mean oblivion!

“Alas, I wonder how Brother Ye is doing,” Zhuge Fan murmured, looking up at the sky beyond the window, lost in recollection. “It’s been over ten thousand years; he should be out by now,” White Dragon rubbed his brow.

“His aptitude can’t be that sluggish. That Fire Blood Phoenix back then claimed that with good aptitude, a few centuries should suffice.” “How do you know she wasn't just trying to trick you?” Yue Heng glanced at him sideways.

White Dragon raised an eyebrow and snorted, “That only proves his aptitude is truly terrible. If it were me, Young Master, I might have been out in less than a hundred years!” “Yes, but sadly, you don't even qualify to participate,” Yue Heng retorted with chilling sarcasm.

White Dragon shot him a look. “And you do?” “I just choose not to participate,” Yue Heng huffed.

Zhuge Fan watched the two, shaking his head helplessly. “You have the energy to argue, you might as well head out to the edges of the monster horde and kill some cannon fodder monsters at the Ghost God or Demigod Realms.

Even though killing one Ghost God Realm monster only yields 1 contribution point, it’s better than nothing. Just make sure you don’t use too much force and leave the corpse intact.” “Children shouldn't interrupt when the adults are speaking,” White Dragon said smoothly, adjusting his hair before standing up.

“Where shall we hunt this time?” Getting down to business, both Zhuge Fan and Yue Heng knitted their brows, their smiles vanishing as they pondered. Yue Ling considered for a moment.

“The Dragon Abyss Valley we went to last time should be cleared of the mutated monsters we hunted. According to the map marking, next to the former Ice and Snow Empire, there is a Black Lake, and I saw traces there indicating powerful mutated monsters had passed through.” “Mmm,” White Dragon stroked his chin thoughtfully, then his expression suddenly shifted.

He spoke in a deep voice, “Someone is coming.” Everyone present was momentarily stunned. White Dragon subtly moved his fingers, dissolving the barrier on the room, and with a flick of his finger, the main door of the hall swung open.

Almost the instant the door opened, two figures walked in from outside and stood in the center of the hall. Both were clad in robes as white as snow, the fabric shimmering with a gentle, beautiful radiance that seemed to outshine the lamps overhead.

White Dragon looked at the pair, a slight curve appearing on his lips. “It is the Samsara Saint King and Patriarch Bai.

What an honor!” The final words were emphasized heavily, clearly dripping with irony. The two who had entered were indeed the Samsara Saint King and Bai Tian.

The deeds these two had perpetrated against Ye Chen so many millennia ago—even after ten thousand years had passed—how could White Dragon and Zhuge Fan ever forget? Perhaps the hardest thing to forget in this world is hatred.

The Samsara Saint King frowned slightly, seemingly about to speak but stopping himself. Bai Tian beside him, however, remained impassive, smiling mildly.

“Still dwelling on those old matters? I was merely acting under duress back then.” White Dragon let out a cold snort.

Bai Tian sighed lightly. “I have no desire to revisit the past.

We are not here today to quarrel. During our last hunt, we discovered a powerful, mysterious location where we sensed an aura surpassing that of the Era Realm—most likely a mutated monster at the Void-Sky Realm.” White Dragon and Zhuge Fan exchanged glances, though they inwardly sharpened their focus.

A monster at the Void-Sky Realm yields one hundred times the contribution points of an Era Realm monster! “You’ve come seeking our help?” White Dragon squinted at Bai Tian.

“Precisely,” Bai Tian affirmed. “I know your strengths; you are all at the peak of the Era Realm.

If we cooperate, we should be confident in slaying this Void-Sky Realm monster! How about we split the contribution points evenly?

Given your numbers, you will undoubtedly benefit.” White Dragon scoffed, “With such a fine opportunity, why approach us? Among those people in the Ancient Divine Hall, there should be several who possess Void-Sky Realm strength.

You could approach any one of them, offer thirty percent of the contribution points as compensation, and they would readily agree.” Hunting monsters is inherently perilous, but finding targets is even harder. The more powerful the monster, the more elusive its hiding spot.

Therefore, most individuals would never refuse such a favorable proposition. Bai Tian shook his head and sighed lightly.

“Those people are all deacons within the Ancient Divine Hall; they live underground and have little contact with us. Furthermore, they look down on us surface dwellers.

Why should I approach them? I’d rather give up such a good deal than let those fellows profit.” Yue Heng looked at him, suddenly sneering, “Are you afraid that after they hunt the monster, they’ll kill both of you and claim everything for themselves?” Bai Tian’s expression remained unchanged.

“That is indeed a hidden danger.” “Aren’t you afraid we might do the same thing?” White Dragon fixed his gaze on them. The Samsara Saint King smiled faintly.

“Naturally, we have that concern. But you are easier for us to deal with than them.

If you wanted to eliminate us, you would lose at least two of your own. I trust you wouldn't want to pay that price.” He was counting on the deep fraternal bond among White Dragon and his allies, which gave him the confidence to propose this.

White Dragon stared at him for a long moment before finally nodding. “I agree to your terms.”