Thin, pale clouds shed an orange-gold light, scattering like fine grains of gold dust drifting on the wind, shining down through the breaks in the cloud cover onto a vast, hovering airship. The shifting breeze moved the clouds, and the orange light bathing the vessel drifted slowly along with them.

Within the pitch-black portholes lay an exquisite yet cold grand hall, attended by numerous beautiful maidservants standing respectfully in every corner of the ship, much like attendants in an aerial castle. Only one area remained unguarded.

That was a frigid engine room located at the bottom of the vessel. This cold compartment was not spacious; it was filled with steel-like piping and glowing, transparent crystals, with a massive, transparent test tube situated at its deepest point.

A golden talisman seal was affixed to this test tube, emitting a pure and gentle power. Suddenly, the black tadpole script upon the golden seal began to roll like a mechanical lock, rapidly contracting from the surrounding dense, complex runes into a single central black dot, then, with a bang, it burst, scattering as specks of golden light into the wind.

A gust of frigid air jetted out from the transparent test tube, filling the entire engine room. The air was oppressive and heavy.

Slowly, a hand covered in fine, sharp scales emerged from the test tube, gripping the edge of the container tightly. The immense force caused the rim of the test tube to bend and deform as if it were mere metal.

…… “The sixth one.” In the blood-red [Omitted term] chamber, Ye Chen reached out and tore a Blood Crystal from a protruding piece of crimson flesh, absorbing it into his Inner World. He spun around, securing Xiao Hei’s body, and rushed out of the crimson [Omitted term], departing the scene.

“To the next one.” Xiao Hei obeyed Ye Chen, swiftly leading the way. It couldn't articulate whether its feelings were joy or awe; these Blood Crystals were undoubtedly supreme treasures of heaven and earth.

They not only contained abundant vital energy but also the natural law power inherent to the Earth Blood Beast. A single Blood Crystal alone was enough to rapidly elevate Ye Chen to the realm of a Void Heaven Realm expert.

If all nine were accumulated, the benefits Ye Chen would gain were incalculable. It knew that Ye Chen would inevitably drift further and further away from it, eventually to a distance where it could no longer even see him.

“Boss, aren't you planning to absorb these Blood Crystals now?” Xiao Hei asked, noticing Ye Chen storing them away instead of using them. Ye Chen, while speeding onward, replied, “I will use them all together after finding the remaining nine.

If I only devour one, I’ll reach the Void Heaven Realm. But devouring the remaining eight consecutively will only incrementally increase my power.

The threshold from the Void Heaven Realm to the Heaven-Defying Realm is too difficult; it requires charging across in one breath. Slowly enhancing strength only causes the height of that threshold to rise higher and higher.

It’s like a flood and a dam; if the water rises one foot, the dam rises ten feet.” Though Xiao Hei was an insect, it understood the logic. “I see.

So, does that mean every Heaven-Defying Realm expert achieved their breakthrough by surging across in a single rush?” “Precisely,” Ye Chen nodded. “To break and then establish anew, to act against the heavens, to transcend the origin, and to reshape all things—that is Heaven-Defying.” Xiao Hei clicked its tongue.

“People at this realm could probably kill us just by raising a finger. The only ones who can suppress this realm are World Supremes.

Once acknowledged by the world and bound by a contract, even Heaven-Defying individuals cannot breach the world’s shackles.” Ye Chen nodded slightly. The man and the beast sped onward into the distance down the fleshy-walled tunnel, vanishing from sight.

…… On the vast white bone path, the charming young woman gazed at Jin Si before her, lifting his chin with a slender finger. “You must be from the Ancient Temple.

You people have been dwelling in the Ancient Origin World for so long; your development should be quite strong. Why would a minor figure like you, who hasn't even received recognition from the Ancient World, be sent out?

The outside world is very dangerous…” Jin Si’s cheeks flushed crimson, and he clenched his fists tight. Like the other eight great worlds, the core power of each world resided with those who had lived for generations in the world’s origin core—a space squeezed between, hidden within any corner of that world, perhaps in a single grain of sand or on a blade of grass.

Those residing within survived in family structures. Those living in the Ancient Origin Core called themselves the Ancient Clan; the other worlds were home to the Ghost Clan, Sky Clan, Heart Clan, and so on.

The charming young woman’s words had inadvertently struck the rawest nerve in his heart. Among the direct descendants of his father’s generation, he ranked ninth, and he was the only one of the nine who had not signed a contract with the Ancient World’s origin.

All his older brothers and sisters had long since completed their trials and entered into a contract with the Ancient World before their coming-of-age ceremony. (PS: The Ancient Clan measures immaturity and maturity in millions of years.) The charming young woman’s eyes seemed to see through everything, and her smile grew more pronounced.

“Oh? Did I hit a sore spot?

I suspected as much. Why are you gripping your fists so tightly?

Are you trying to bully a defenseless little lady? What a bad man.

I don't like men who hit women…” Her fingernails slowly elongated, like sharp talons, inching toward Jin Si’s handsome cheek. Boom!

Suddenly, a concussive roar exploded from directly overhead. Before the charming young woman could fully react, she felt a massive, violent gust of wind pressing down upon her.

Her cascade of red hair flew wildly as she looked up, only to see a pitch-black fist rapidly enlarging in her pupils, smashing down viciously. Jin Si’s expression shifted, a mixture of malice and bitterness flashing across his lips.

“They’ve finally come. Let’s perish together…” Smash!

In that split second, the charming young woman pulled away from Jin Si, instantly retracting the crimson strands wrapped around him, retreating a thousand zhang. Jin Si’s shoulder was struck by the force of the blow; bone and flesh instantly ruptured, and his body was flung far away, rolling onto the ground, his fate unknown.

The charming young woman was startled. She looked up and saw a figure slowly ascending where she had just stood—a monster as large as a demon, possessing a human physique but covered entirely in sharp, black scales, with a single dark horn atop its head and two massive black, fleshy wings on its back that blotted out the light.

The young woman’s pupils contracted slightly as she stared at the demon-like creature; her entire body felt enveloped by the presence of death, making her deeply uncomfortable. The Black-Winged Demon raised its head.

It possessed a delicate face completely at odds with its monstrous body, featuring eyes as clear and bright as jewels, appearing no older than sixteen or seventeen. However, its irises now seemed smeared with blood, congested and crimson, filled with brutality and bloodlust, staring intently at the charming young woman.

With a slight flutter of its wings, it transformed into a streak of light and shadow, rushing forward. The charming young woman frowned and retreated backward.

Suddenly, thousands of black tentacles erupted from her back, shooting toward the Black-Winged Demon like a sudden storm of swords and blades. The Black-Winged Demon’s two wings acted like razor-sharp knives; as they beat, their edges sliced through the black tentacles, shredding them like tofu until they fell like raindrops.

The remaining black tentacles, like sharp steel lances, struck its chest and arms, but they were blocked by the black scales covering its body, sustaining not the slightest damage. The charming young woman felt a jolt of shock.

Gritting her teeth, her pupils abruptly turned blood-red, and her white teeth sharpened like a vampire’s. She let out a piercing roar toward the sky, a sound abrasive, like tearing silk, sweeping across the entire white bone road.

From within her soft body, countless black tentacles and thousands of sharp blades suddenly burst forth, tearing her skin membrane until nothing remained intact. In front of the Black-Winged Demon, she was completely revealed as a spider-like monstrosity, its immense body resembling a giant mountain, its underside covered in sharp, blade-like legs, and its back bearing twelve eyes, as crimson as fresh blood.

Far down the white bone path, Jin Si, lying unable to move, turned his head to watch the battle. The battlefield was a blur of shadows.

His throat moved, his tongue dry and raspy. “This… is the true form of the Earth Blood Beast?” He had only heard tales from his elders; this was his first time seeing it.

Perhaps it would be his last. Having manifested its true form, the Earth Blood Beast let out a screech from its pointed teeth.

A massive golden wave surged from its body, distorting the surrounding spacetime, causing many blurry images to flicker into view, resembling mirages. Faintly, one could see marketplaces and flowing crowds.

This was a sign of unstable spacetime; with just a slight increase in power, the vague marketplace would truly appear here, and the spatial passage between here and that other world would be opened. The Black-Winged Demon acted like a killing machine, its brutal red gaze fixed on the Earth Blood Beast’s main body as it roared and charged.

Facing the oncoming gigantic golden wave, a black, baleful aura emanated from its form, and mysterious, arcane symbols manifested upon the countless black scales covering its body. With a push of its hand, the black baleful aura surged out, violently colliding with the incoming golden giant wave.

Its wings beat repeatedly, and its body advanced rather than retreated, charging directly into the black-gold energy stream, instantly appearing before the Earth Blood Beast’s core. The Earth Blood Beast was startled and quickly waved its limbs, which were like blades, slashing toward the demon.

The Black-Winged Demon's movements were exceptionally agile; it dodged more than a dozen strikes, then reached the Earth Blood Beast, grabbing one of its appendages and tearing it off fiercely. Viscous, pale green ichor sprayed out from the joint, and the Earth Blood Beast let out a scream of pain and rage.

Its limbs flailed faster, enveloping the demon in an impenetrable net, leaving the Black-Winged Demon nowhere to evade. A flash of red light sparked in the Black-Winged Demon’s eyes.

Its body violently retreated a thousand zhang, then dove toward the Earth Blood Beast. Its black wings wrapped around its body, spinning helically in the void, generating a hurricane as it struck the Earth Blood Beast’s back.

Thwack! The black carapace on the Earth Blood Beast’s back was incredibly hard, yet the Black-Winged Demon, transformed into a black projectile, bored a massive hole straight through it.

The sharp pain stabbed the Earth Blood Beast’s heart like a needle, and it writhed in agony, letting out a piercing shriek.