The earth erupted with a heaven-shaking tremor, and the sky boiled with rolling black mist, as if countless specters writhed within it. Tentacle-like tendrils of black fog drifted across the heavens, as menacing and jagged as wolf fangs.

Ye Chen and the others shot through the air like streaks of dark light, rocketing toward the far edge of the black mist barrier. Ye Chen took the lead, his voice low and commanding. “Stay close behind me. We break through this mist in one go!”

“Yes.”

Bai Long and the others wore grave expressions. From the massive, tooth-inlaid ground at the center of this natural black mist barrier, they sensed an unfathomable, savage aura—an aura that mere Void Heaven Realm experts could not possibly withstand, especially since none of them were truly established in that realm yet.

Soon, the group reached the boundary of the black mist. Behind them, the convulsing earth seemed to stir fully awake, and the spewing black tentacles grew even denser.

Ye Chen stared at the black mist ahead, and a profound, deep black flame materialized in his palm. The instant this flame appeared, Huo Feng, standing at the very rear, felt his expression change drastically. The flames within his own body seemed to suddenly contract, recoiling as if facing a venomous snake, shrinking into a tight ball.

Following this sensation, he looked up and saw the black flame in Ye Chen’s hand. His eyes snapped shut in horror.

“What, what is this flame?” he muttered, utterly stunned. “My Nine Extremes Demon Fire, capable of incinerating ordinary Void Heaven Realm metal materials, fears this black flame so much? Could this black flame be stronger than my Nine Extremes Demon Fire?”

His shock was not without reason. His Nine Extremes Demon Fire was the result of countless years of effort, culminating in the essence of a Vermilion Bird Feather, refined within his body for a million years to forge a new flame, one that inherited a portion of the Vermilion Bird’s fiery power—a truly terrifying Divine Fire among flames.

And this person who had suddenly appeared before them, possessing only the physical body of a Divine Emperor realm expert, carried a flame stronger than his own?

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Ye Chen’s black flame coalesced into a massive black palm, which swept forward with a thunderous impact.

Sensing life approaching, the black mist immediately extended countless dark tentacles, sharp as spikes, enveloping Ye Chen and the others. The surrounding fog churned like the sea, releasing waves of noxious black gas. The viral content in this mist was unimaginably dense; even a slight touch risked infection.

The descending black palm struck the mist as if hitting hardened ceramic, instantly incinerating the myriad approaching tentacles and blasting a vast, palm-shaped void through the barrier.

“Go!”

With a flick of his wrist, Ye Chen seized Bai Long and Zhuge Fan by their robes and hurled them outward. He then blurred, leaving an afterimage in his place, and reappeared next to Yue Heng and Yue Ling, sending them through the opening. Finally, he swept a leg toward the last man, kicking Huo Feng directly out.

The black mist blasted open by the palm print immediately rushed to close the gap.

Ye Chen reached out, grabbing Bai Yijun’s hand. The black flame erupted from his skin, enveloping them both. The moment the black tentacles extending from the mist touched the black flame surrounding his body, they instantly turned to ash.

This black flame seemed to be the bane of the virus, immune to all poisons, capable of burning through everything. As it consumed the mist tentacles, a faint wisp of grayish current mixed into the black flame.

Ye Chen had no time to spare for analysis. His body shot forward like a cannonball, crashing through the barrier and blasting a massive hole in the black mist, emerging into the clear sky outside.

A blood-red crescent moon hung silently in the sky, resembling the curved, cold smile of the god of death.

Bai Long, Zhuge Fan, and the others hovered in the void, waiting anxiously for Ye Chen. Relief washed over them when they saw him emerge from the blackness.

“Let’s fall back,” Ye Chen said, swiftly joining them. “That section we just breached was likely only a part of this monster. The ground beneath our feet might still be part of its body. We need to leave this area quickly.”

Bai Long and the others nodded gravely.

Huo Feng waved his hand and summoned the Flame Warship, inviting them aboard. “Everyone, get in.” As he spoke, he cast a subtle glance at Ye Chen, his dagger-like, slender eyebrows furrowing slightly, his usual arrogance somewhat diminished, though his expression remained detached.

Ye Chen, holding Bai Yijun’s hand, ushered Bai Long and the others quickly into the vessel.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, two colossal black tentacles burst forth from the earth below. Thick as massive vines, they were more than ten times bulkier than the tentacles they had encountered before, immediately wrapping around the Flame Warship and yanking it downward.

Ye Chen and the others, who had just stepped inside, swayed slightly but quickly regained their footing. However, in that split second, the warship was dragged inexorably downward. From the endless black earth below, countless tiny black tentacles surged, writhing like fine hair, seemingly welcoming the ship’s descent.

Ye Chen knew that if they were entangled by these countless minute tentacles, this Void Heaven Realm Flame Warship would be crushed into scrap metal instantly. His eyes flashed. He shot toward the cabin door, his voice steady and resolute, devoid of fluctuation, echoing inside the ship: “You go back. Fetch the experts from the Divine Hall. I can hold them off for a while.”

Swish!

Ye Chen was already outside the vessel. A surging torrent of black flame erupted from his body, condensing around his fists, which he slammed forward.

The black flames shot out like meteors, slamming into the two massive, thick black vines. They immediately began to burn with a sizzling sound, emitting a greenish-blue ichor. The portion wrapped around the ship rapidly turned to ash, but the black flame behaved as if alive, racing along the vines to incinerate the end still connected to the ground.

“Brother Ye!!” Zhuge Fan’s voice rang out from within the warship.

Ye Chen turned and roared, “Go!” With a mighty blow of his palm, a fierce force lifted the Flame Warship and hurled it toward the distant sky.

Standing by the porthole, Bai Long and the others could only watch as Ye Chen’s figure rapidly shrank into a dark speck, speeding away from their sight until he vanished.

Having dispatched Bai Long and the others, Ye Chen felt a slight relaxation, his mind growing calm. He looked down at the countless black tentacles writhing on the ground, his brow deeply furrowed. He shifted his spiritual sense to the black flame that was burning along the vines and immediately saw that when the flame reached the root of the two huge vines, the surrounding countless minute black tentacles scattered, appearing to recoil in fear.

Just then, a mass of white viscous fluid erupted from the black earth, splashing onto the black flame and generating plumes of white vapor.

Through the black flame, Ye Chen sensed that this white fluid contained an intense corrosive power, as if highly concentrated virus had gathered, capable of infecting and eroding everything. Even the black flame gradually subsided and extinguished after struggling against the white fluid for a moment.

This large pool of ash-white fluid was reduced to a mere spot, slowly seeping into the soil.

Ye Chen’s brow tightened. If he were engulfed by this ash-white fluid, even he would struggle to resist. While his body wouldn't be infected, every single Divine Fire cell within him would be neutralized by the white fluid until his entire form was extinguished like a flame, leaving no trace.

The monster beneath the ground seemed to realize Ye Chen was no ordinary being, as it ceased launching black vines at him. Instead, the already churning earth intensified its movement. Abyss-like fissures cracked open in the soil layer, and countless rocks tumbled into the deepening cracks, vanishing from sight.

Ye Chen frowned deeply, then his eyes flashed. He took out the Celestial Illusory Mirror from his internal universe and cast its light upon the earth, activating its analysis and replication functions.

Time slowly passed…

After several minutes, the Celestial Illusory Mirror’s intelligent system suddenly stated: “Negative. The target does not belong to the Heaven-Defying Realm. Replication is impossible; maximum power replication is limited to 75%.”

Ye Chen’s brow furrowed. From the white fluid he had just witnessed, he knew this monster was far from simple, definitely surpassing the Heaven-Defying Realm. Hearing the mirror confirm this sank his heart further. In that case, he was facing a monster equivalent to a Bronze Supreme Being?

“Why only 75% replication?” Ye Chen communicated mentally.

The Celestial Illusory Mirror replied: “The entity is a Half-Step World Supreme Being. Its body has already achieved the strength of a World Supreme, but it has not yet signed the contract to control World Power. Therefore, I can only replicate 75% of its strength. If the entity were a true World Supreme, I would strongly advise you to flee immediately; there would be no chance of victory. You have not witnessed it, and you cannot fathom how terrifying World Power is.”

Ye Chen pondered thoughtfully. “If that is the case, 75% replication is acceptable. Can you replicate eight of them?”

“It is possible, but it will consume enormous energy. Replicating this single monster is already my limit; eight at once is out of the question,” the Celestial Illusory Mirror’s system responded.

Ye Chen pondered briefly. “Replicate one for now.”

“Agreed,” the Celestial Illusory Mirror replied crisply. A string of data immediately materialized from the mirror—analysis of the monster’s bones, genes, and cells from the ground below. Different realms possessed different cellular and genetic structures; though the variation was subtle, complete dissection was necessary for perfect replication.

Ye Chen gripped the Celestial Illusory Mirror and shot toward the distant sky.

Rumble～～

Suddenly, thousands of black vines erupted from the earth, blocking every possible route of retreat for Ye Chen. These black vines whipped toward his body like lashes, striking down indiscriminately.