The Crimson Triangle Starfield, named for the three supergiant stars forming an equilateral triangle, constantly spewed crimson flames, dyeing the nebula within light-years around a deep red, as if vermilion blood had saturated the void.

The armies of the Polaris Empire and the Viking Empire clashed fiercely here; the war had raged for months, resulting in catastrophic casualties on both sides.

By this point, all the Death Star Cruisers of both the Polaris Empire and the Viking Empire had been annihilated through repeated spatial collapses and subspace projection attacks. Even the primary capital ships, the Old Man warships, had been reduced by over ninety percent. Under the bloody glow of the three supergiant stars, only a scattered few thousand White Wing frigates and tens of thousands of other-class vessels remained engaged in the battle.

Such a devastating confrontation between two Six-Star Civilizations was unprecedented in the history of the Star Alliance.

The tall, imposing Ashura, Viking sat upon the command throne of an Old Man warship, with two celestial demonesses perched sedately on his thighs, one on the left and one on the right.

He squeezed the tender, soft bodies of the two young women with unrestrained delight, roaring with maniacal laughter, "Is Sar Viking still stubbornly resisting? Hahaha, is he not afraid of draining the Viking Empire to its very core?"

Smugly, he grabbed one celestial demoness and kissed her forcefully. Ashura, Viking boomed, "I command the army of the Polaris Empire; no matter their losses, I feel no heartache. But that fellow, Sar Viking, doesn't he cherish those insignificant commoners the most? He used my excessive martial fervor as an excuse to depose me. Yet now, he fights me to the bitter end—how can he ignore the subjects he claims to value?"

The Daoist Mu, Meilin, and a host of Polaris Empire nobles stood in the command cabin, each with their heads bowed, silent.

—Over the past few centuries, the celestial demonesses under Ashura, Viking had subtly infiltrated and controlled a significant portion of the Polaris Empire's nobility and generals. Now, taking advantage of the internal turmoil within the Polaris Empire, he had seized complete control. He was staking the very fate of the Polaris Empire against his brother, Sar Viking, out of spite!

As Ashura, Viking stated, even if the entire army was wiped out, they were still the Polaris Empire's forces; he suffered no personal loss.

However, to muster this army, the Polaris Empire had emptied its coffers, even expending all its Bloodline Merit Points to exchange for Death Star Cruisers. If this battle was lost, Ashura, Viking could retreat to his role as Grand Hierophant and continue his secret operations to subvert the Viking Empire. But the Polaris Empire would truly be finished. With its entire military wiped out, the Polaris Empire would immediately become a fat morsel for the other Six-Star Civilizations to devour!

Sighing heavily, the Daoist Mu stepped forward, steeling himself, and spoke, "Your Majesty, please consider the Polaris Empire. If..."

Ashura, Viking glanced coldly at the Daoist Mu. He said mildly, "What did you say? The Polaris Empire? Ah, yes, I am the Emperor of the Polaris Empire now. But our enemy, the Viking Empire, has not yet been defeated; our warriors must continue to fight through blood and fire. To die fighting for their Emperor—is that not the inherent honor of those lowly creatures?"

The Daoist Mu clenched his fists tightly, gritting his teeth, "Of course, the warriors still fight valiantly, but domestically..."

Ashura, Viking frowned and stated coldly, "It doesn't matter. Just some rebellious slaves. Do you think they can overturn the Polaris Empire? That is impossible. Enough, let us not dwell on this issue. No matter what state the Polaris Empire falls into internally, winning this current battle is paramount." He paused, then stated bluntly, "Even if the Polaris Empire is destroyed, as long as I become the Emperor of the Viking Empire once more, your power and status will suffer no harm."

These words nearly caused the Daoist Mu and Meilin to vomit blood. This damnable Ashura, Viking! But what could they do? Ashura, Viking was precisely this kind of cold, ruthless, and brutally ferocious man. Expecting him to safeguard the interests of the Polaris Empire was utterly absurd. His sole focus was reclaiming the Viking Empire and killing Sar Viking, who had driven him from the throne; the survival of the Polaris Empire was inconsequential to him.

With a wry, helpless chuckle, the Daoist Mu retreated to the side. He looked somewhat desolate out the viewport at the crimson nebula, constantly questioning himself how matters had escalated to this point.

His original plan had been so promising: use Meilin to control Eternal Starlight, then deploy the Myriad Immortals Array to strike and kill Eternal Starlight, allowing him to usurp the throne of the Polaris Empire and possess supreme power. But that lunatic woman, Meilin, had done something so drastic; and that terrifying old monster, Eternal Starlight, he actually...

His body shuddered violently. The Daoist Mu felt that the responsibility for everything lay squarely on one person.

Gu Xiechen. All of it was Gu Xiechen's fault. If it hadn't been for him, the relationship between the Daoist Mu and Meilin would not have deteriorated so sharply, forcing him to move prematurely. He would certainly have made more meticulous arrangements before attacking Eternal Starlight. If Gu Xiechen hadn't suddenly disrupted the situation in the Polaris Empire, the Daoist Mu felt his chances of success would have been at least ninety percent. It was Gu Xiechen’s meddling that had turned everything into such a catastrophic mess.

Look at the current situation: Eternal Starlight was indeed dead, and the power of the Polaris Empire had been weakened to its limit. The one sitting on the throne was Ashura, Viking, who had swooped in to pluck the ripe fruit. After wrestling with Meilin for half a lifetime, they had both ended up as his slaves.

The unwillingness to accept it was immense! If it weren't for Gu Xiechen, he might have become the Emperor in the future, inheriting imperial authority, connecting with the Ancestral Council, and...

Hmm, the Daoist Mu wouldn't have acted so hastily. He would have made much more careful preparations before making a move—for instance, allowing Jin to complete the cultivation of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art, letting Jin's Divine Eye see the future trajectory before striking, which would have given the Daoist Mu a ninety percent chance of success. If Gu Xiechen hadn't suddenly executed so many of the Daoist Mu's disciples and close allies, the Daoist Mu wouldn't have moved so abruptly, nor would he have allowed that madwoman Meilin the opportunity to destroy the Doltrol family.

Sighing deeply, the Daoist Mu helplessly turned to look at Meilin. Meilin sensed his gaze and gently reached out to take his hand.

Perhaps this was the sole reward for the Daoist Mu's arduous efforts—he had regained Meilin’s love. He had always loved Meilin, but why did he realize it only now? Why couldn't he have known this before Jin was born? If he had known Meilin loved him, perhaps if he had used affection to control her, she wouldn't have resisted so fiercely. Perhaps he would already be sitting on the throne of the Polaris Empire.

He gave a few wry chuckles, grasping Meilin's hand in return. He was about to ask Ashura, Viking for leave, intending to take Meilin to his private chambers for some tender moments, when a brilliant light suddenly shot down in the command cabin, and a tall, handsome middle-aged man with blond hair and blue eyes appeared within the intense beam.

"Big Brother, how long are you going to remain mad? Are you truly determined to destroy the foundation of the Viking Empire?" the middle-aged man questioned Ashura, Viking, without courtesy.

"Sar~~~l~~~" Ashura, Viking drew out the name of the middle-aged man with astonishment. He shook his head vigorously and sighed heavily, "Am I mad? Oh, no, I am merely reclaiming what belongs to me. I am the Emperor of the Viking Empire, and you, my dear brother, betrayed me when I suffered qi deviation—and you still dare show your face before me?"

Sar Viking glared fiercely at Ashura, Viking, his brow furrowed. After a long silence, he proposed, "A truce. The standing army of the Viking Empire is nearly annihilated. The Six-Star Civilizations bordering us are already stirring. I need time to reorganize our forces. Do you wish for the empire's legacy to perish because of this?"

"I don't care!" Ashura, Viking cackled malevolently. "I truly do not care. Either I become the Emperor of the Viking Empire again, or I will destroy it. It’s that simple!"

"You!" Sar Viking trembled with rage, roaring furiously, "I should have killed you back then!"

"But you didn't!" Ashura, Viking held his head high, forcefully patting his own dark, grotesque physical form, laughing heartily, "Since you didn't kill me back then, once I have cultivated the Supreme Demonic Body, you cannot kill me! Answer me, Sar Viking: either let me become the Emperor of the Viking Empire, or I will destroy the Viking Empire!"

Grinding his teeth fiercely, Sar Viking clenched his fists, staring at Ashura, Viking with extreme fury.

Ashura, Viking smiled with triumphant arrogance. He laughed wildly, "See? That is the difference between you and me. I can sacrifice everything simply to achieve my goal, but what about you? Tsk tsk, how regrettable. When you banished me back then, you held a public trial for me. Now, it seems the tables have turned?"

Sar Viking roared and hurled a punch forward, shouting in anger, "According to my intelligence, a massive upheaval has occurred within the Polaris Empire! An unknown force has nearly destroyed the entire empire! Aren't you even remotely concerned? Regardless, you are currently the Emperor of the Polaris Empire!"

Ashura, Viking responded drily, "What does that have to do with me? I care about the Viking Empire. Whether the Polaris Empire is destroyed or not is none of my business! It's just a tool; if it's destroyed, so be it! I only need to reclaim the supreme authority of the Viking Empire, and I need my Bloodline Ring back. The Polaris Empire? Oh, once I am Emperor of the Vikings again, I will likely forget what the Polaris Empire even is." He winked triumphantly at Sar Viking. "I am a forgetful man."

"You!" Sar Viking trembled violently with rage, stomping his foot hard.

"Think clearly: continue fighting and let the Viking Empire perish due to your obstinacy, or hand over all my power and let me become the Emperor of the Viking Empire," Ashura, Viking stated nonchalantly. "I truly don't mind continuing this fight. I can find several more tools like the Polaris Empire. My children are very capable; who knows how many people they've already controlled for me? Perhaps the army of the Flame Dragon Empire will arrive here tomorrow?"

The celestial demonesses sitting on Ashura, Viking's lap giggled flirtatiously, proudly puffing out their chests toward Sar Viking.

The celestial demoness on Ashura, Viking's left thigh suddenly laughed, "Your Majesty Sar, the Third Prince you cherish so dearly has a tiny red mole at the base of his thigh. Hee hee, his body is very strong!"

As soon as these words were uttered, Sar Viking was struck as if by divine thunder, freezing instantly in place. Amidst the formations of the Viking Empire fleet, a White Wing frigate suddenly detached and charged toward the Polaris Empire fleet at maximum speed.

But with a single command from Ashura, Viking, nearly a hundred White Wing frigates fired their cannons simultaneously, obliterating that charging frigate into dust.

Licking the tender earlobe of the speaking celestial demoness lightly with his scarlet tongue, Ashura, Viking looked at the dumbfounded Sar Viking and burst into laughter, "See? My nephew has quite the good relationship with my children, doesn't he? That's one—are there any other nephews who have also become good friends with my children?"

A mouthful of blood erupted from Sar Viking's mouth as he screamed hoarsely, "Big Brother, you win... We simply aren't as ruthless as you! You, you—how could you bring yourself to do it!"

Ashura, Viking laughed victoriously, roaring loudly, "Why shouldn't I? He's not my son! Even if he were my son, if he dared stand in my way, I would certainly eliminate him! You surrender? Hm? Sar, my brother, do you concede? Then hurry up and return the Bloodline Ring to me! Give me the ring!"

Eleven streaks of black light flashed through the void. A ring carved from black crystal, bearing the emblem of a grotesque dragon with three heads and twelve feathered wings, materialized before Ashura, Viking. Ashura, Viking was so delighted he jumped up and down, tossing the two celestial demonesses aside. He snatched the Bloodline Ring and roared with laughter, "My precious, hehe, you are finally back by my side! With you, hehe, I can go to that place!"

The corners of the eyes of the Daoist Mu and Meilin suddenly twitched, as if 'that place' held an irresistible magnetic attraction for them.

Sar Viking and his retinue quickly fled the Viking fleet, vanishing without a trace. The Viking fleet immediately surrendered to the Polaris Empire fleet. The soldiers dispatched by Ashura, Viking instantly took custody of the captured vessels, after which Ashura, Viking issued a massacre order for all surrendering Viking troops.

Millions of Viking soldiers were slaughtered by Ashura, Viking's subordinates. Ashura, Viking explained this by saying these soldiers had opposed him by following the traitor Sar, and if they had surrendered sooner, he might have pardoned their crimes; but since they waited until they were cornered before 'obeying orders' to surrender, what use were such disloyal subjects? It was cleaner to kill them off.

The two fleets merged into one. Ashura, Viking immediately issued a series of commands through the Viking Empire's command network. First, he sealed all warp routes and Stargates connecting the Viking Empire to other Six-Star Civilizations. This meant it would take any approaching Six-Star Civilization months, years, or even decades of travel time to reach the Viking Empire, granting it a much-needed respite to gather a powerful new army.

Next, Ashura, Viking smugly announced a massive bounty on Sar Viking and his cohorts, broadcast across the entire Star Alliance. Anyone who captured or killed Sar Viking and his immediate family would receive an immense reward from the Viking Empire. If a Six-Star Civilization captured Sar Viking and his group, Ashura, Viking was willing to trade one-tenth of the Viking Empire's territory as compensation.

Ashura, Viking specifically stipulated that Sar and his group could be dead, but their female relatives must be taken alive. If these women were delivered to him, he promised generous remuneration.

The Daoist Mu and Meilin felt their scalps tingle at this decree. Ashura, Viking was simply too brutal; Eternal Starlight seemed like a docile child in comparison. It took no genius to guess what he intended to do with Sar's female relatives—the man was utterly depraved.

As Ashura, Viking was gleefully tallying his spoils, immense energy fluctuations suddenly erupted around several Stargates leading into the Crimson Triangle Starfield.

Tidal waves of Necromantic beings surged out of the Stargates, followed closely by a vast quantity of warships. As these warships appeared, countless Dark Creatures poured forth from them.

The sheer number of Necromantic and Dark Creatures was astonishing; they arrived with terrifying speed, instantly spreading out to form a dark cloud hundreds of kilometers thick, spanning tens of thousands of kilometers, clawing and tearing their way toward the fleet controlled by Ashura, Viking.

Black magical arrays flickered across the void, manifesting tightly against the warships commanded by Ashura, Viking. Each time a magic array flashed, masses of Necromantic beings roared out, instantly swarming and engulfing the warships.

The Necromantic beings composed of ordinary mortals had no destructive power against the warships' outer armor; their sharp teeth and claws barely left a scratch on the hull plating. However, the Necromantic beings who possessed strong powers in life were capable of inflicting significant damage upon the vessels.

Those Necromantic beings who were skilled practitioners in life relentlessly attacked the armor. Puffs of fire erupted from their palms, each blast perhaps only blasting a thumb-sized hole, but against the tireless, frantic assault of these creatures, and given their sheer numbers—tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of thumb-sized holes coalesced into massive breaches large enough for the Necromantic horde to pour through.

Not to mention the Dark Creatures mixed within the horde. The powerful Dark Creatures could cleave huge gaps in the hulls with a single blow. Countless Necromantic beings streamed through these openings, surging through the ship passages in all directions, bringing the terror of death before every Polaris Empire soldier.

Before Ashura, Viking could order all ships to raise energy shields, the suddenly appearing Dark Creatures had already swallowed over eighty percent of the fleet under his command.

Another warship lost all control, drifting helplessly in space. The Dark Creatures harbored intense hatred for the people of the Polaris Empire; they refused to destroy a ship quickly or allow those inside to die easily. They stormed the vessels, torturing the Polaris Empire soldiers through every conceivable cruel method, tearing their souls from their mangled bodies to be handed over to the Dark Mages and Necromancers for the most brutal torment.

Eternal, endless torment of the soul was the final judgment the Dark Creatures passed upon the citizens of the Polaris Empire.

Those who dared to slay the divine—blasphemers—must suffer the most agonizing torment. This was the unified cognition of all Dark Creatures.

Ashura, Viking's face twisted into a mask of horror. He clearly sensed several extraordinarily powerful auras among the Dark Creatures, each aura equal to or even stronger than his own. His body trembled. He had never dreamed that the Dark Creatures could possess such formidable strength!

"How is this possible!" Ashura, Viking roared in disbelief. "Where did they emerge from?"

No one could answer his question. The Daoist Mu had already issued a series of commands ordering all remaining vessels to flee at maximum speed.

But the Dark Creatures had already surrounded them from all directions. Their numbers were too vast; the ships had no hope of escape.

Minotaurs, Werewolves, Vampires, Giants, Dark Phantoms—all manner of bizarre Dark Creatures descended like a deluge from every angle. Coupled with the dense cloud formed by the Necromantic beings composed of all the citizens of the Polaris Empire, escape for the warships was impossible.

The towering aura of darkness and the chill of death converged into colossal whirlpools, spinning rapidly in the void. The diameter of these massive vortices even exceeded a hundred thousand kilometers, swallowing small celestial bodies whole; mere wraps were enough to shred them into energy sustenance for the maelstroms.

On a distant, minor meteoroid, Gu Xichen sat cross-legged, observing the battlefield through the space telescope controlled by Xiao Xiao. To avoid alerting the powerhouses among the dark creatures or Ashura Viking, Gu Xichen opted for high-tech surveillance of the battle, daring not to release his divine sense. The dark beings retained sacred artifacts left by their deities; who knew if some artifact might detect Gu Xichen’s innate divine consciousness? He dared not take that risk.

Gazing upon the boundless army of the undead, Gu Xichen sighed softly. Fortunately, he had already sealed the spatial tunnel; otherwise, if all the dark creatures had poured into this spacetime, perhaps even a Supreme Golden Immortal descending to the mortal realm would struggle to subdue such a massive legion of the dead. The destructive power of the dark beings truly surpassed the ordinary.

“It was the right decision not to let Jin come here,” Gu Xichen murmured contentedly. “To see one’s own parents torn apart by countless undead creatures? That would be too cruel.”

Truthfully, watching the multitude of undead assaulting Daoist Mu and Meilin gave Gu Xichen a sense of pleasure. But such a scene should not be witnessed by Jin, so he had forcibly kept Jin on a safe, small planet several star-gates away, even trapping her with several complex formations.

A stream of dark energy shot forth from Ashura Viking’s flagship, and the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner transformed into a black tide sweeping across the surroundings. With just one strike, nearly a million low-level skeletons and zombies were pulverized into dust by the dark wave. Ashura Viking emerged, arrayed with the Eighteen Heavenly Demons and four thousand nine hundred elite subordinates. The Ten Thousand Great Banners circled and danced above the great formation, stirring up waves of dark energy that spiraled across the sky.

A powerful, utterly tyrannical divine thought flashed through the void, accompanied by Ashura Viking’s deep, killing laugh. His four thousand nine hundred retainers simultaneously roared skyward, their magical power fluctuations rapidly ascending to the realm of Taihuang Huang Zong Tian. The tens of thousands of banners converged instantly; the surrounding void trembled violently, and countless specters flew out from the banners, transforming into streaks of pitch-black, evil light that stirred up chaos across the firmament.

Ashura Viking held the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner aloft and laughed loudly: “From where do you think the title of my Demon Emperor comes? Heh heh, after cultivating diligently for tens of thousands of years, every hundred years I slaughtered all inhabitants of one star-domain in the Viking Empire, refining them into soul spirits within this Asura Soul Devouring Banner. These past few days, the vital essence and souls of hundreds of millions of warriors from the Extreme Star Empire and the Viking Empire have saturated the atmosphere. Drawing upon the aggressive and bloody aura of war, the Acquired Demonic Qi has triggered the full manifestation of the Asura Heaven-Defying Array!”

After laughing heartily several times, Ashura Viking roared: “Let you bunch of blind, low-caste creatures witness my might!”

The tens of thousands of banners suddenly swept out, unleashing countless soul spirits composed of pure demonic malevolence. These spirits, vaguely tinged with a sickly green translucence and trailed by miles-long black ghostly light, surged toward the surrounding undead creatures like a flood tide. Flying with speed like lightning and wind—characteristic of Demonic Malevolence—they carried a corrosive and dissolving effect. Wherever they passed, all undead creatures, whether common zombies and skeletons or the anomalous undead formed from powerful beings, had all their energy sucked dry, scattering into clouds of white ash.

The soul spirits accumulated by Ashura Viking through tens of thousands of years of ceaseless slaughter of the Viking Empire's populace numbered in the trillions. Once these endless soul spirits were released, the surrounding undead forces were driven back step by painful step. In the blink of an eye, the area spanning a thousand kilometers in every direction showed not a single bare bone, nor any trace of flesh. Even the Necromancers commanding from within the undead host suffered losses numbering in the tens of thousands; facing these soul spirits condensed from Devouring-All, Absorbing-All Demonic Malevolence, the Necromancers found no shred of life remaining.

Seeing the number of enemies instantly obliterated by the soul spirits he controlled, Ashura Viking couldn't help but laugh maniacally. The hard work of tens of thousands of years had finally paid off; it was not in vain that he wasted so much effort and slaughtered so many citizens of the Viking Empire. The pity was that the people of the Extreme Star Empire had already been wiped out by these dark creatures; otherwise, if he could have refined the souls of every citizen of the Extreme Star Empire into the Soul Devouring Banner to become soul spirits, the power of his Asura Heaven-Defying Array could have doubled.

“But this is enough!” Ashura Viking arrogantly stared at the enraged leaders of the Minotaur race, Bloodhorn and the others, and stated coldly, “No matter who you are, no matter what you intend to do, today, all of you must die.” Licking his lips greedily, Ashura Viking glared at Bloodhorn and the others with a sinister grin: “Your soul auras are so robust. You are excellent material for artifact refinement!”

The four thousand nine hundred retainers, possessed by projections, tightly gripped their spears and halberds, charging toward Bloodhorn and his group. Black banners flew above their heads, countless soul spirits howled and circled around them. They simultaneously chanted strange incantations, surging toward the dark creature formations with an overwhelming demonic miasma.

Bloodhorn shook his head, and all the high-ranking dark creatures retreated rapidly. Endless numbers of undead creatures frantically rushed toward the Asura Heaven-Defying Array. Countless descendant puppets controlled by the Blood race also charged forward against their will, letting out sharp shrieks as they hurled themselves into the seemingly all-consuming demonic formation in a desperate, moth-to-flame assault.

The first wave of undead creatures self-destructed at the periphery of the Asura Heaven-Defying Array, releasing vast amounts of ash-white necrotic energy that quickly neutralized the surrounding black demonic qi.

The second wave self-destructed, spreading another patch of ash-white necrotic energy.

The third wave, the fourth wave, the fifth wave, the sixth wave, the seventh...

The endless tide of undead knew nothing of fear; under the command of the Necromancers, they streamed wave after wave toward the great formation, constantly detonating, releasing billows of ash-white necrotic energy. Countless soul spirits greedily absorbed the surrounding necrotic energy, exerting every effort to devour all the white energy they encountered, until their own bodies turned ash-white and gradually dissipated into wisps of white vapor.

Necrotic energy is what remains after the final annihilation of all energy in the cosmos. The soul spirits’ ravenous consumption prevented them from absorbing and digesting excessive amounts of this energy, leading ultimately to their own assimilation.

Next came those controlled by the Blood race descendants. They fiercely charged close to the Asura Heaven-Defying Array, forcing out every drop of vital blood within their bodies, condensing it into blood orbs the size of fists, and then hurling these orbs with all their might toward the swarming soul spirits. Decay, rot, putrefaction, corrosion—various negative curses were imbued within these blood orbs. Any soul spirit struck by an orb would instantly see its flying speed drastically reduced, its entire form coated in a faint layer of foul, bloody discoloration. Within a few breaths, these soul spirits vanished as if they had never existed.

The Asura Heaven-Defying Array functioned like a massive grinding stone. The countless undead creatures and the puppet descendants controlled by the Blood race were the hard beans. An infinite quantity of beans surged toward the grinding stone; the stone crushed them into powder, while layers of the stone itself were gradually worn away.

Bloodhorn and the other leaders of the dark creatures watched dispassionately as the unending stream of undead poured out from the star-gates, continuously throwing themselves into the Asura Heaven-Defying Array.

This was a battle of attrition based on numbers—a mutual sacrifice between the soul spirits, the undead, and the bloodline puppets. Whichever side held the numerical advantage would ultimately claim victory.

Ashura Viking had spent tens of thousands of years slaughtering countless citizens of the Viking Empire; by all reckoning, he had wiped out the entire populace of an empire. The dark creatures, on the other hand, had simply massacred the entire Extreme Star Empire, turning all its citizens into undead creatures and Blood race puppets. The national strength of the Viking Empire and the Extreme Star Empire were comparable, and thus the number of converted soul spirits, undead, and Blood race descendants was also equivalent. If nothing unexpected occurred, both sides would end up severely wounded.

The meaningless war of attrition persisted for a full nine days and nine nights. Gu Xichen, sitting on that minor meteoroid in a daze, finally could not bear the monstrously horrifying spectacle. He suddenly slumped over the meteoroid and vomited violently. For nine full days and nights, every single moment saw hundreds of thousands, even millions, of soul spirits, undead creatures, and Blood race descendants annihilating each other. Every second, the last lingering trace of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of lives was utterly erased from the universe.

Gu Xichen was merely a cultivator who had just recently attained immortality. That he held out until the ninth day before vomiting proved he possessed a sufficient degree of cold-bloodedness.

“So many people!” Gu Xichen stared blankly at the Asura Heaven-Defying Array, which emitted flashes of various colors, and felt another surge of nausea rising from his stomach.

A surge of Profound Yellow Qi suddenly poured from the Haotian Pagoda into Gu Xichen’s innate primordial spirit. His agitated mind quickly calmed, and his physical discomfort vanished without a trace. A deep, powerful voice began chanting a single sentence repeatedly within Gu Xichen’s sea of consciousness, until finally, Gu Xichen joined the voice in reciting it.

“Heaven and Earth are merciless, treating all things as straw dogs,” “Heaven and Earth are merciless, treating all things as straw dogs” . . . “Heaven and Earth are merciless, treating all things as straw dogs”!

As Gu Xichen recited in a low tone, and as his state of mind grew increasingly peaceful and indifferent, his gaze upon the blood-and-flesh-splattered Asura Heaven-Defying Array became steady as stone.

A bell tolled in the hidden depths of the cosmos. The black and yellow currents of air on Gu Xichen’s face vanished in an instant, and the foundational practice of his Profound Yellow Indestructible Body reached culmination at this critical moment.

With a series of sharp kacha kacha sounds, Gu Xichen’s bones, muscles, internal organs, and meridians simultaneously began frantically absorbing the Profound Yellow Qi spewing from the Haotian Pagoda. Infinite Profound Yellow Qi flooded into Gu Xichen’s body, gradually filling him to the point where he felt a strange illusion of becoming heavier and heavier.

Another nine days and nights passed. More undead creatures poured out from the various star-gates, still silently approaching the Asura Heaven-Defying Array, detonating their bodies to infect the myriad soul spirits with their necrotic energy. The Asura Heaven-Defying Array, which originally covered tens of thousands of miles, now barely spanned a scope of ten miles. Tens of thousands of black banners had turned ash-white, and only a sparse few tens of thousands of soul spirits were still flickering in the void.

Ashura Viking trembled violently, staring blankly at the Asura Soul Devouring Banner, which was almost beaten back to its original form. A string of drool unconsciously slipped from the corner of his mouth.

“Impossible, this is impossible! How could you possibly break my Asura Heaven-Defying Array? You… Do you dare enter the formation to fight me to the death?”

Ashura Viking furiously pointed at Bloodhorn and the others far in the distance, issuing a challenge for single combat.

Bloodhorn gripped his battle-axe tightly, his lips twisting to one side, and forcefully shook his head: “Old Wolf, the God of the Wolf Clan is your divine being. If you seek a duel, take your troops!”

The Great Chief of the Wolf Clan and the seven Clan Leaders stepped forward simultaneously. The Great Chief of the Wolf Clan forcefully puffed out his robust chest and roared: “Sons of the Wolf God, slay everyone before us and avenge our deity! This great shame, this profound humiliation—our deity was actually killed by these base humans! Only blood and flesh can wash away our disgrace!”

His speech sent the assembled werewolves into a collective frenzy. Over one hundred thousand of the fiercest Wolf Clan warriors transformed simultaneously; their eyes all turned crimson, and they emitted nearly insane howls as their forms rapidly grew larger. Countless stars in the void suddenly brightened, shooting beams of starlight from afar to inject into the bodies of these wolf warriors.

The power of starlight caused the wolf warriors’ bodies to inflate rapidly. Long, multi-colored fur sprouted from them, and their forms transformed swiftly. In the span of a heartbeat, they changed from bipedal, upright werewolves into four-legged, massive wolves of various colors. The largest among these giant wolves stretched a hundred meters from head to tail, while the smallest were still over twenty meters long.

Hundreds of thousands of giant wolves lined up shoulder to shoulder, forming a vast crescent arc spanning a thousand miles in the void. Following a roar from the Great Chief of the Wolf Clan, the chests of all the giant wolves swelled simultaneously. They opened their great maws and spewed forth torrents of roaring blasts, varying in diameter, aimed at the Asura Heaven-Defying Array.

A sky full of light-bombs swept across the passing stardust, causing countless celestial particles to shatter and creating a rain of light across the starry expanse.

An immense pressure struck them from above, and Ashura Viking’s expression changed. He urgently gave an order for his demonic subordinates and four thousand nine hundred warriors to shift the formation immediately.

Hundreds of thousands of light-bombs struck the Asura Heaven-Defying Array. A blinding flash of light erupted in the void, and the tens of thousands of Asura Soul Devouring Banners gradually disintegrated under the intense light. The four thousand nine hundred Celestial Immortal-level retainers simultaneously spat blood and retreated rapidly. Facing the onslaught of hundreds of thousands of the Wolf Clan’s strongest elites, the four thousand nine hundred retainers, who merely possessed temporary Celestial Immortal strength through projection possession, were no match for this power.

Hmph.

Ashura Viking gnashed his teeth and glanced back at his driven-back followers. The opposing side possessed superior numbers, and their strength was not weak; it seemed this time he was genuinely in trouble.

Just as he was contemplating how to reverse the defeat into a victory, a sudden foul wind swept in from the side.

Ashura Viking snapped his head up to see a massive, moon-azure bead descending upon him. This bead was only the size of a human head, yet the azure light it emitted illuminated ten thousand miles; the blue radiance nearly lit up the entire Great Crimson Triangle Starfield. Ashura Viking was startled and hastily raised the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner, sweeping it viciously across the void.

A vast black tide soared upward, and white lotuses materialized out of thin air within the tide, firmly blocking the moon-azure bead.

The pressure of the great bead was heavier than Mount Tai. Although the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner was intercepting it, the pressure still made Ashura Viking’s bones crackle, and he spat out several mouthfuls of blood.

It happened faster than words could describe. The Great Chief of the Wolf Clan had just launched an unsuccessful sneak attack with a secret sacred artifact of the werewolf race when Bloodhorn, seeing an opportunity, glared with both eyes and flung out a golden horn, only three feet and six inches long, twisted like a conch shell pattern, and entirely golden in color.

As soon as this horn appeared, it created a golden cyclone thousands of miles long in the void. Amidst a shrill wind roar, the golden horn spun rapidly, piercing fiercely into the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner like a drill. Ashura Viking’s wrist jerked; he felt a huge spiral force violently tearing at the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner in his hand, almost causing him to lose his grip on the hilt, nearly having the banner torn away by the force.

With a mixture of fury and shock, Ashura Viking hastily cast an incantation onto the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner. He shouted sharply, spitting out over a dozen mouthfuls of vital blood onto the flag’s surface.

Countless white lotuses flew up from the black tide. Ashura Viking unfurled the great banner, hastily enveloping the Eighteen Heavenly Demons and his four thousand nine hundred disciples behind him, preparing to flee.

The Great Chiefs of the various Dark Creature races struck almost simultaneously, each summoning the sacred artifacts left by their ancestors, transforming them into beams of various colors descending upon Ashura Viking.

These sacred artifacts were refined from parts of the bodies of ancient Primordial Great Sages, possessing incomprehensible, powerful might. Furthermore, the Great Chiefs of each race possessed secret arts to control these artifacts, generally allowing them to exert forty to fifty percent of their power.

Although the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner was infinitely higher in grade than these sacred artifacts, Ashura Viking could not control this innate supreme treasure; he could only passively activate the banner’s most basic defensive function. Facing the siege of dozens of innate-grade sacred artifacts, Ashura Viking could only let out a despairing wail. His right hand shook, and the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner slipped from his grasp.

A thin streak of fire flashed by with extreme speed. Before anyone present could see what the object was, the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner vanished into thin air.

Deprived of the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner’s protection, Ashura Viking and his disciples could only watch in despair as the endless light rained down, their bodies dissolving into nothingness under the intense radiance.

“I am not reconciled! That place~~~ If I were given just one more chance~~~”

Ashura Viking’s despairing, mournful cry made the surrounding void tremble slightly.

With a loud boom, the projections hidden within Ashura Viking’s disciples erupted simultaneously. Roars filled with shock and anger echoed through the void, which visibly shook slightly. Black shadows were seen spurting out from the bodies of these retainers, transforming into writhing black figures that lasted for less than a hundred-thousandth of a blink in the intense light before being utterly annihilated.

Far in the distance, Gu Xichen gently patted the head of the Fire Crow and casually retrieved the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner from its beak.

Glancing happily at this legendary defensive supreme treasure, Gu Xichen opened his mouth and exhaled a stream of black and white energy, carefully dragging the banner to integrate it into his sea of consciousness.

A dark cloud floated gently above Gu Xichen’s innate primordial spirit. The Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner luxuriated in the colorful streams emanating from Gu Xichen’s primordial spirit, greedily sucking in the innate essence of the Five Elements evolved from the Primordial Five Viscera. However, it accidentally swallowed too quickly, directly impacting the absorption speed of the Haotian Pagoda and the Haotian Mirror. The mirror and the pagoda simultaneously struck the Xuan Yuan Water Control Banner, which immediately became obedient, swallowing only in small sips.

Having eliminated the formidable Ashura Viking, the dark creatures immediately surrounded the remaining White-Winged Battleships, trapping them completely.

Inside a battleship, Daoist Mu looked at Meilin with deep affection.

“Are you willing to follow me for a lifetime, love me deeply, and never abandon me?” Daoist Mu asked Meilin with a smile.

“Since things have come to this, to follow you for a lifetime, love you deeply, and never give up on you… this is my choice!” Meilin sighed slightly, leaning gently into Daoist Mu’s embrace.

“Then… let’s go! We still have a chance to make a comeback!”

Daoist Mu flicked his hand, sending out a five-colored glorious light that shattered the battleship they were in. Holding Meilin, he soared into the void.

He glanced coldly at the surrounding dark creatures, and Daoist Mu scoffed disdainfully.

“Just based on you lot, what can you do to me?”

Laughing three times, a golden light shot up from Daoist Mu’s right hand, within which nine golden dragons coiled, rushing into the boundless void. A heavenly great path appeared beneath Daoist Mu and Meilin’s feet.

Daoist Mu took Meilin’s hand and strode swaggeringly onto that path, ascending directly toward the high heavens.