As the Soul Domain ascended, the very ground beneath their feet began to churn and boil, like water brought to a rolling boil, or as if countless sand serpents were writhing beneath the surface.
A force of undead, more terrifying than the power wielded by the formidable figures before them, surged directly out of the earth through the roiling yellow sands, and a blinding, sharp radiance shot straight for Gan Jin’s jaw.
The Time-Stopping Soul Domain! It had been interfered with!
"Alex!"
Gan Jin felt the massive Necromantic aura and recognized the Lord of the Undead who had previously attacked him twice, manifesting with six blood-red eyes!
The red dot on the chronometer, which had been moving backward, suddenly appeared right beneath Gan Jin’s feet!
A sudden turn of events! Gan Jin showed no panic whatsoever. Alex was reputed to be a super-genius in inscription, magical artifact forging, alchemy, and many other fields; it was not at all surprising that a magical artifact he created could appear suddenly across immense distances.
If he hadn't possessed this capability, Uncle Black and the others would never have been forced into such a bitter fight that day, ultimately being sealed within that peculiar Battle Realm.
“The one who stole the abilities of a god is you!” Gan Jin’s left hand flipped, manifesting his Zhanmadao (Horse-Slaying Saber) to cleave at the blinding sword light, while his right hand showed no pause, reaching out to snatch the Necromantic Emblem from Hai Qing’er’s forehead.
Fast!
With speed quicker than lightning, Hai Qing’er felt a searing pain in her forehead—the Necromantic Emblem had actually been ripped out by Niu Sheng!
Unlike other emblems, the Empress of the Undead Emblem was not a metal forging; it was a special manifestation of materialized energy. However, this energy was intimately connected to the very brain, making its removal virtually impossible—a feat even Akhenash could not achieve.
This was not something achievable merely through technical skill; it also required immense strength and a profound level of understanding regarding countless matters.
Gan Jin understood the True Demon’s Myriad Things, grasped the glory of True Strategy, comprehended the principles of the rise and fall of the stars, and ultimately held everything in his grasp, allowing him to tear the emblem out with a single grab!
“Kuangge, take care of her!”
Gan Jin acted decisively. He did not exhibit the awkward reactions described by bards—worry, tension, or tears upon seeing his woman controlled. Instead, he executed the most resolute and decisive action, rescuing her immediately. As for sentimentality, he would deal with that after settling Alex!
Once he ripped out the Necromantic Emblem, Gan Jin promptly knocked Hai Qing’er unconscious. A life-or-death battle allowed for no distraction whatsoever. The habit of lingering sentimentally with women before setting out on a campaign was never his style. To freeze, weep, or grow sentimental upon seeing his woman controlled in the thick of battle was even less his nature.
Direct and decisive, Gan Jin understood better after his enlightenment: to prevent harm to those close to him, he must be sufficiently resolute and keep every situation as much as possible under his control.
Sword met blade, and the sparks of Battle Qi instantly blasted away the surrounding yellow sand. The sand parted like a sea cleaved by a battle saber, splitting wide open to reveal a massive, thousand-meter-long sand canyon. Alex was clad in dull grey metallic armor, wielding a longsword that carried the same aura as Gan Jin’s weapon.
The Wangzhe Xingchen Sword (Star Sword of the Deceased)!
This sword was originally one of a pair! Alex had lost one during his battle with Black and his cohorts that day, and now it rested in Gan Jin’s possession!
Alex, clad in Saintly artifacts, hovered between the towering banks of sand. Upon seeing Hai Qing’er’s Empress Emblem being snatched away, his eyes flared with a deadly light: “Empress! Damn you, Gan Jin, how dare you touch my Empress!”
“How is this possible? How could I be wounded! I am the invincible Lucifer Zenshi!”
Amidst the boundless yellow sand, the major powerhouses were already engaged in fierce combat. Lucifer Zenshi had a hole punched through his heart. If his body hadn't become undead, that single sword thrust would have been enough to take his life!
Over many days, Chekeflitte’s understanding of the Way of the Sword had reached a true apex. With one or wood in hand, both were sharp blades, but the true longsword in his grasp amplified the sword’s power far more.
The longsword—the very one Chekeflitte wielded upon entering the Saint realm—was now completely merged with his body. In combat, he could even summon back the shattered pieces of the sword that had been drawn into his body!
The pinnacle of the sword is the ability to resurrect any longsword!
In the Way of the Sword, Chekeflitte was akin to a god. Lucifer Zenshi, despite absorbing the essence of both brothers, was utterly defenseless against Chekeflitte’s ultimate swordsmanship. Even the Great Demon King of the Imperial City back then would have met only defeat against Chekeflitte.
“Myriad Laws Return…”
“Nine Snakes Devouring Heaven! Swallow this for me!”
“Mountains and rivers, converge into my body…”
“Wargod, capable of adjudicating the brittle outcome of war, mountains and rivers will only be destroyed by war!”
“Roar!” The roar of a lion-man had just begun when it was violently suppressed by the dragon’s cry of the Three-Headed Golden Dragon, the King of All Beasts.
Alex’s ferocious eyes glittered with boundless astonishment: “Your squad can actually suppress my Four Great Undead Generals? Gan Jin, you are even more formidable than I imagined! If we had been born in the same era, you would surely have surpassed those old fossils like Black! Am I right? Inheritor of those old relics? Did they beg you to save this endless continent? Don’t worry! After I kill you, absorb the Human, Demon, and Savage races into my dominion! Then, I will lead my undead army to explore this boundless continent!”
Rousuo (Exploration/Fumbling)? Gan Jin looked at Alex with surprise. With such powerhouses, coupled with Uncle and the others back then, hadn’t they explored the entirety of this continent?
“What do you say? Aren't you also curious about this illusion beneath the stars?” Alex’s red eyes, blazing with undeath, slowly rose from the ground.
At this moment! Gan Jin finally saw Alex’s face clearly. He looked like an ordinary man, except he possessed four extra eyes on his forehead! Each eye was saturated with a bizarre, blood-red hue!
Wuming stood beside Fentukuangge. The moment he saw Alex’s appearance, his eyes twitched violently, and a fearful divine light bloomed in his ruthless pupils, like a lamb facing a ferocious hungry wolf. Even when they were in the Demon Race territory, this mysterious young powerhouse had never shown such fear.
Despite his power being clearly greater now than it was in the Demon Territory, Wuming felt terror upon seeing Alex! It was a fear that permeated his very bones!
Alex smiled, sweeping a glance over Wuming. The six eyes seemed to convey a sense of approval. The weak fear the strong, and the invincible Emperor of the Undead was the strongest existence. A young man showing fear at their first meeting was the normal human reaction.
But Gan Jin! Alex frowned slightly at the corners of his six eyes. This young man’s demeanor was nothing like what a normal person should show when facing the Emperor of the Undead. Even Black hadn't been this composed back then.
“Though I have been nearly dormant all these years, I have gained comprehension of the Soul!” Alex looked at Gan Jin excitedly: “Do you know what a soul is? It is a special form of will! It connects with our physical body to form a complete living entity! While I slept, my soul wandered unconsciously. It once traveled to the Endless Sea in the east, where it even discovered some living civilizations! However, I was too weak then, and I feared there might be powerful beings there, so I had to retreat!”
“I once wished to traverse the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea, to see if this endless expanse of sand had an end!” Alex took a deep breath: “When I sensed that my energy was approaching the edge of the Sand Sea, my body began to revive, and my soul started to return. Although I failed to see the end of the Sand Sea, I know! Beyond the Sand Sea lies new civilization!”
“Gan Jin, don’t you want to know what those civilizations are? Don’t you want to know what lies across this boundless continent? Don’t you feel that we are trapped on just one part of the Endless Continent?” Alex’s six eyes stared excitedly at Gan Jin: “Don’t you want to know why this place is called the Endless Continent?”
“The Endless Continent?” Gan Jin shook his head slightly: “This continent never had a name; I’ve never heard of it.”
“What? You’ve never heard of it?” Alex paused, his expression turning somewhat despondent: “People nowadays don't even know this place is called the Endless Continent? Did the war we fought back then destroy so many civilizations? Even the name, the Endless Continent, is lost to memory?”
In an instant, Alex’s six eyes filled with desolate grief: “Back then, we made a pact to explore the secrets of this Endless Continent together, to see what lay at the end of the Endless Sea, and what lay at the end of the Ancient Desolate Sand Sea… Why has this continent been called the Endless Continent since our ancestors first held memories…”
“Young man!” Alex looked at Gan Jin: “Become undead! Let us turn the entire continent into a domain of the undead, and rule them as we explore this Endless Continent! Of course, hand over the Battle Realm that holds that old relic Black! Let me destroy it! If it weren't for them, my brother wouldn't have died! Becoming undead grants a long life! Before I die, I am certain I can find the method to become a god! Don’t you wish to become a god?”
Alex’s words were laced with the scent of seduction. An ordinary person falling into such an alluring voice would easily become lost and nod in agreement.
Spiritual power! The Mental Force of the Mute True Strategist!
Gan Jin knew Alex was a super-genius among warriors, a top-tier powerhouse in both battle and demon cultivation, but he hadn't expected his magic to be of the spiritual type! Or rather, in addition to his normal peak-level magic, his spiritual magic was also at a pinnacle level!
While speaking in a deep voice, Alex did not stand idle. He stepped forward instantly, arriving before Gan Jin. The Wangzhe Xingchen Sword in his hand transformed into a dagger, silent as a poison stinger hidden in the shadows! It stabbed directly toward Gan Jin’s chest!
Kill! Alex never considered cooperating with Gan Jin. Anyone taught by Black must be killed! Furthermore, this infuriating human had stolen the Empress’s Necromantic Emblem! Such an offense was worthy of a thousand deaths!
The dagger struck Gan Jin’s chest silently! The strong physique, upon being pierced by the sharp blade, suddenly exploded into a cloud of Battle Qi!
“Thousand Troops?” Alex’s six eyes widened simultaneously, astonishment mixed with disbelief. His six eyes could observe anything in the world, yet this young man used Qian Jun (Thousand Troops) right in front of him, and his true body had long since departed—how did he not detect it at all?
Chaos! Gan Jin’s steel fist erupted behind Alex! Thick killing intent mixed with immense pressure instantly enveloped Alex’s back. Even Saintly artifacts could not fully guarantee his body’s safety against the rolling pressure from this single punch! The boundless Chaos Battle Skill landed on Alex’s back, causing him to detonate on the spot.
“Thousand Troops,” Gan Jin’s eyebrow twitched. Alex had, in an instant, also executed a Qian Jun!
“You want to kill me?” Alex’s cold, emotionless voice dripped with scornful laughter: “Did you not know I can also use Qian Jun?”
The Wangzhe Xingchen Sword pierced Gan Jin’s body once more. His robust form exploded completely again in an instant, transforming into countless strands of Battle Qi that shot skyward, dissipating into the air before silently returning to Gan Jin’s body.
Qian Jun again! The two powerhouses consecutively used Qian Jun against each other. However, Alex’s expression suddenly shifted. Having been tricked twice in succession tarnished the honor of the Emperor of the Undead.
“Playing Qian Jun with me?” Alex suddenly spread both arms wide, his body shaking repeatedly… In an instant, hundreds of figures mimicking him appeared in the yellow sand, making it impossible to discern the real one.
“So what if I use Qian Jun?”
Gan Jin strode forward through the crowd. The Myriad Shadows beneath his feet allowed him to weave through Alex’s Qian Jun army, like passing through a field of flowers without touching a single petal. He hurled a punch of Chaos toward the Alex at the edge: “My true body is here! Break for me!”
“How is this possible?”
Alex hastily met Gan Jin’s fist—which was enveloped by the Wangzhe Xingchen Sword—with his own sword in a desperate block. This was the first true clash of raw power between them, a direct confrontation of strength with no trickery involved! His body was instantly sent flying backward!
The Emperor of the Undead was actually at a disadvantage in a direct clash? Everyone present froze for a moment; no one had anticipated this result.
“The lifespan of the undead is long, but they possess a fatal flaw,” Gan Jin advanced toward Alex: “The longer other experts live, the stronger they become. But it is the opposite for the undead; the longer you live, the weaker your strength becomes. Your only method to replenish your strength is to absorb the power of other undead! That is why you wish to turn the entire continent into a domain of the undead, to serve as your source of power.”
“How do you know?”
The hand holding the Wangzhe Xingchen Sword trembled violently. The previous collision had flooded his body with a large amount of Battle Qi, and his arm nearly exploded instantly. The astonishment in his heart was far more intense than the physical damage. His Qian Jun was executed flawlessly; how did this young man find his true body?
True, the Eye of Universal Comprehension!
Alex could never have known that the seemingly powerless human standing beside Fentukuangge possessed a special Soul Domain that allowed all thoughts to communicate perfectly. While suppressing his opponent, Duan Fengbu'er still had time to observe Alex’s Qian Jun.
If Duan Fengbu'er hadn't studied Qian Jun, finding Alex’s true location quickly might have been difficult. However, Gan Jin was never one to conceal much from his friends, and Duan Fengbu'er instantly discerned the location of Alex’s true body and relayed it to Gan Jin immediately.
“You slept for too long. You can only recover to your current strength now. If you wish to continue recovering and improving, the only way is to absorb the power of the undead…” Gan Jin smiled as he walked towards Alex: “But you were too eager to restore your strength, deploying your entire army to launch an offensive. Now, it’s too late to recall them.”
Alex watched Gan Jin approach step by step, showing a rare flicker of panic for the first time. This young man was far more formidable than he had imagined; he understood everything so clearly!
Weakness! Alex’s only weakness was insufficient power! Previously, he used several great generals to try and distract Gan Jin. When Gan Jin, certain of victory, activated his Soul Domain, his sneak attack was supposed to succeed.
But, that supposed successful sneak attack had failed!
Escape? The magical artifact Alex used for high-speed space travel had already exploded; escape was now impossible.
Duan Fengbu'er, suppressing Qian Wushuang, laughed repeatedly as he watched Alex’s arm vibrate. The legendary invincible Alex was now reduced to this state? He was completely different from the great villain in the bard’s stories! Shouldn't they have engaged in a desperate, life-and-death struggle, exerting every ounce of strength just to barely defeat this terrifying enemy? How could this be?
“Alex, your life is about to end.”
Gan Jin pressed forward step by step, clenching his hand into a fist. The Wangzhe Xingchen Sword transformed into a gauntlet enveloping his palm, its fingers bursting forth with a power capable of extinguishing stars, locking onto Alex’s skull with destructive might.
He intended to crush the once-rampant King of the Undead in ancient times with a single punch. The Chaos, containing countless Battle Skills, had reached complete perfection. The various skills rotated within the Chaos like shifting stars, weaving and intersecting, unleashing the majestic might of the Heaven and Earth Cycle in one strike.
“You are not qualified to make me die! Even Enrak and the others couldn't kill me!”
Alex’s trembling arm stabilized, and he let out an angry roar. An emblem of the Emperor of the Undead bloomed on his forehead. The surrounding sand surged violently, and the Wangzhe Xingchen Sword sang a clear note, radiating grey Battle Qi. His arm became a spear, slashing down with the sword.
Buzz!
In the yellow sand, the sword light surged wildly; sword cries and Necromantic energy permeated everywhere. A grey Undead aura emanated from Alex’s body, eerie and terrifying, as if tens of thousands of the dead were screaming and wailing within him.
The Emperor of the Undead’s Guiwang (Return to Death)! Everything would return to death!
The yellow sand in the sky instantly turned into powder in that instant, disintegrating into dust under the concept of Guiwang and entering the realm of ultimate demise.
Not just the sand, but any Battle Qi tainted by Guiwang would dissipate, also entering the state of Guiwang, where everything would perish!
“Death is just one part of life.”
Gan Jin stood like the most patient preacher in the world. His Chaos Fist Seal remained unchanged; the Battle Skills moved like stars completing their cycle. He smashed a single punch into the true sword amidst the myriad sword beams!
At that moment! The sand particles that had been turned to dust by Guiwang unexpectedly reassembled in mid-air, regaining their form as individual grains of sand, as if they had never shattered or died!
Chaos! Not only does it end everything, but it can also create everything! One punch contained destruction, and one punch contained rebirth. Cycles are the true principle of the stars!
The Chaos intent, full of invincible majesty that pulled the viewer in with a single glance, shattered Guiwang in the most direct manner, and simultaneously broke Alex’s confident fighting will.
“I am Chaos, I control the stars. Life and death, rising and falling, all at my whim! Break for me!”
Gan Jin’s invincible punch struck Guiwang. The resulting Battle Qi wave from the collision shook the yellow sand for dozens of miles into the sky, completely obscuring the sun. The beasts within that radius were instantly shaken to death and shattered; flesh and sand mingled together, and they died without even time to utter a single scream.
Bang! Alex’s sword-wielding arm exploded with a loud crack, completely shattering. The Guiwang Battle Skill was instantly and thoroughly destroyed. The Wangzhe Xingchen Sword, deprived of its grasp, spun repeatedly in the air. Chekeflitte spoke flatly without looking back: “Sword, come.”
The Wangzhe Xingchen Sword, which had once recognized Alex as its master, flew directly into Chekeflitte’s palm. The next moment, this Saint Artifact longsword sank directly into his body!
Swallowing the sword! Assimilating the sword! Merging with the sword!
Chekeflitte was the origin and the center of the sword beneath the stars! Even a Saint Artifact like the Wangzhe Xingchen Sword, when it fell into his hands, would naturally submit to him.
“The pinnacle of the sword! How is this possible?”
Alex’s right arm was shattered, and his body recoiled repeatedly. Seeing Chekeflitte’s performance, his six eyes glowed with indescribable envy, jealousy, and hatred.
Sword! Alex was a powerhouse who wielded swords in the ancient era; otherwise, he wouldn’t have forged two Wangzhe Xingchen Swords. Even Black admitted that his swordsmanship was nearly at the extreme of the Way of the Sword.
All along, Alex believed he had a chance to master the ultimate Way of the Sword.
He was a genius! After his will awakened, he continuously pondered what the ultimate form of the sword truly was. He thought that perhaps after a thousand years, he could grasp the ultimate essence of the sword.
Indeed, Alex never would have imagined that the Endless Continent harbored so many freaks! And these freaks were all congregating around Qian Jin.
Under thirty years old! Yet, he had grasped the absolute zenith of the Way of the Sword, a level others could not attain in thousands, even tens of thousands of years!
The instant the Starfall Sword of the Deceased was drawn into CheekFrit's grasp, Lucifer Zenshi instinctively felt an overwhelming terror, a sense of impending death enveloping his entire being!
Qian Jin paid no mind to CheekFrit’s relentless attacks against Lucifer Zenshi, striding instead towards Alex, whose severed arm had weakened him further. The only one Qian Jin had failed to kill with a single Chaos Strike previously was the Great Demon King of old; today, it was Alex. They were both powerhouses standing at the absolute peak; without striking a vital point, a true death was difficult to achieve.
Golden blood sprayed violently from the stump of Alex’s right shoulder—the unique blood of the Undead Emperor, representing his noble lineage.
Death! In that instant, it enveloped not just Lucifer Zenshi, but Alex as well. Qian Jin’s strength surpassed all expectations; with every clash, one could sense his power evolving, as if celestial stars were continuously docking with his body, channeling their might for his use.
Death? No! Alex’s six eyes flashed with cold, unyielding defiance. The Undead Crest on his forehead flared with an even more blinding radiance. Lucifer Zenshi, mid-combat with CheekFrit, suddenly shrieked; all the Undead Emblems across his body seemed to transform into the most virulent corrosive agent in existence, and a pungent vapor began to steam from within his body.
In the blink of an eye! Just as CheekFrit’s strike was about to land, Lucifer Zenshi inexplicably began to melt first! In less than one-hundredth of a second, half his body dissolved, and the process of rapid disintegration continued!
“No! Don’t consume me! Great King! I am your most loyal servant! No!” Lucifer Zenshi let out the most piercing scream, struggling desperately to rip the Undead Emblems from his flesh, only to find these markings were utterly beyond his ability to remove.
Moreover, he was dissolving too fast! Lucifer Zenshi couldn't even reach a single emblem before he completely collapsed into a puddle of foul slurry.
All his essence, in that single instant, poured through the Undead Emblems and flooded into Alex’s body. The muscles at the severed arm writhed rapidly, and a new, blood-soaked arm instantly regenerated!
This new arm was even more robust than the previous one! Alex himself appeared visibly stronger! His vital spirit and aura instantly elevated by a full tier!
Alex extended his long, black tongue to moisten his lips, a deeply satisfied smile spreading across his face: "Satisfying! A truly delicious flavor! It’s a pity this hog wasn't fattened to its peak! Forcing me to eat it before its time."
Qian Wushuang watched Lucifer Zenshi perish, every hair on his body standing on end. To gain power through undeath only to harbor such a hidden danger? To be subject to sudden consumption by the Undead Emperor?
How could this be? Shan Chuan immediately abandoned his opponent and bolted toward the depths of the Barren Sand Sea.
Flee! Flee! Flee! Only the word 'flee' echoed in Shan Chuan's mind. Perhaps if he ran far enough, he might survive!
“Trying to escape? Alas! I intended to let you all fatten up nicely so I could devour you all in one gulp, vaulting directly to the achievement of Supreme Heavenly Deity! Now, it seems I must consume you piecemeal to restore myself to my former peak state!” Alex waved a massive hand: “Offer me your power!”
“No…”
In the distance, Shan… who had already vanished from sight, let out a scream. Simultaneously, the lion-headed monstrous figure also shrieked. Qian Wushuang instinctively tried to activate his own Undead Crest to boost his power against Alex, but this action inadvertently triggered the very Emblems on his body.
Instantly! The three great powerhouses were reduced to piles of the most fetid, stinking slurry.
At the same moment, Alex’s powerfully built body swelled slightly, his skin growing remarkably smooth, even emitting an indescribable, seductive luminescence. His muscles saw only a minor increase in bulk, yet it gave the overwhelming impression of strength multiplied tenfold, perhaps a hundredfold!