Within the High Exarch's heart surged a tide of sheer delight. She had utterly surrendered her body and spirit to the Heavenly Emperor. She could feel her own power climbing relentlessly. Before her stood thousands of wretched vermin, and she possessed the absolute certainty that she could annihilate them with a single stroke!

"Is that her?"

Feng Zikang gazed at the High Exarch suspended in the air, standing beside Luo Lianxin, and softly inquired.

Luo Lianxin shook her head. "Not enough."

"Not enough" meant the manifestation of the god was incomplete. At the very least, what the Heavenly Revolution displayed was merely a fraction of its majesty. Even if they struck down the High Exarch now, the mission would not yet be considered complete.

"In that case," Feng Zikang observed as the High Exarch ceased her gesture toward the heavens, "we must lend her a hand now, must we?"

Luo Lianxin offered a graceful smile before quickly schooling her expression. "Junior Brother, two years apart, and your progress is indeed astonishing. The depth and resonance of your tone are vastly different from before."

Feng Zikang's sudden surge in strength didn't shock her terribly; her own advancement had been swift. When geniuses encounter one another, they do not react with the shock of ordinary folk.

What did surprise her slightly was that he, too, was undertaking the merit-earning mission for the Divine Grade advancement.

Feng Zikang let out a booming laugh. "Then, Senior Sister, please favor me with your guidance!"

Before his words even fully settled, a sword light had already shot forth!

A streak of white light cleaved the void, veering in a sharp arc. The High Exarch snorted dismissively through her nose, reaching out a hand. A crimson miasma enveloped her body, blocking the path of the sword light.

"A parlor trick! You dare flaunt such trifles!"

The High Exarch glared at Feng Zikang with malevolent intent. The compassion that had once filled her eyes was now entirely eclipsed by fury.

"Now I am increasingly convinced, Senior Sister, that what you said is true. This Heavenly Emperor truly does resemble a monster," Feng Zikang replied unconcerned, turning back to smile at Luo Lianxin. Yet, the iron sword in his hand subtly began to gleam.

It was the Star Extinction Great Annihilation Sword Art. Though he hadn't grasped its absolute essence, his sword now moved as his will dictated, completely under his control. Countless beams of sword light rained down from the sky, silently severing the heads of several other Exarchs.

The High Exarch was both shocked and enraged. She spread her crimson aura to shield those behind her, which thinned her own defenses. Feng Zikang had anticipated her thought process. The lights converged into a single beam and slashed down again with a roar. Caught off guard, the High Exarch’s protective crimson aura was cleaved apart. With a clang, the sword light struck her shoulder, scattering sparks of fire.

"Pffft!"

The High Exarch was hurled backward, spewing blood. Although she was in a state of divine descent, her bones were as hard as refined steel, preventing her from being cleaved in two. Still, the shock severely injured her internal organs.

"Excellent technique!"

Luo Lianxin applauded loudly, only to quickly resume her stern expression. Having spent much time in this Mortal Realm lately without her Master nearby to constantly remind her to keep her words and heart cold, her true nature had begun to surface. Seeing her fellow disciple reminded her of her Master's rules, and she quickly sought to correct herself.

She had heavily wounded a formidable enemy while exchanging mere pleasantries.

This Junior Brother had truly grown to such a level. Although Luo Lianxin kept her face rigidly composed, a flicker of undeniable admiration slipped into her gaze when looking at Feng Zikang.

When they first met, he was merely a second-level Qi Condensation disciple, unable even to manipulate objects. Facing the Ghost Gods and the Earth Walker Giants, he possessed almost no ability to resist. But he was vastly different now.

In just two short years, not only had his cultivation soared to the tenth level of Qi Condensation, but his divine powers and mental techniques were now as profound as hers had been in her youth.

"How audacious!"

The High Exarch’s voice grew rougher and more masculine, carrying a faint metallic echo, utterly unlike its initial tone.

"Now this is becoming interesting," Luo Lianxin narrowed her eyes, watching the High Exarch slowly pull herself up from the wall, raising both hands toward the sky to summon the essence from the white light once more.

Feng Zikang shook his head. No matter how mighty this Heavenly Emperor was, the Exarchs he cultivated clearly didn't know how to truly fight. If she invited a god to inhabit her body, and during that process, her opponent could kill her dozens of times, what was the point?

If not for their specific objective today, these mere Exarchs, no matter how high their cultivation, would be nothing more than grass and trees, easily cut down.

Even if they were all at the Foundation Establishment stage, their actual combat power likely wouldn't surpass a mid-stage Qi Condensation military disciple.

Only this High Exarch, whose power was steadily increasing through the process of divine descent, might offer a worthwhile fight. But as her strength continued to escalate, how far could she possibly reach?

Feng Zikang felt a bead of sweat form in his palm.

On the battlefield, the High Exarch's appearance shifted again.

Her feminine characteristics began to fade. Her muscles knotted and became increasingly robust, and her voice grew deep and sonorous.

"Don't stop now,"

Luo Lianxin grew somewhat listless, seemingly unsatisfied with this transformation. Seeing the High Exarch rush toward them with claws and teeth bared, she lightly waved her sleeve. Innumerable silver lights flew out, coalescing into the phantom image of a giant that engaged her in combat.

"Still not enough. It seems we must wait for this Heavenly Emperor to fully descend before it counts,"

Luo Lianxin shook her head, and even her tone betrayed a hint of worry. Although the power displayed by the High Exarch seemed insufficient to represent the Heavenly Emperor’s true might, she couldn't be sure how much strength she had borrowed.

If she became significantly stronger, she and Feng Zikang might no longer be certain of victory.

In reality, she knew this was wishful thinking. A Divine Grade Foundation Establishment merit mission would never be so simple. She only hoped the great demon's strength wouldn't escalate to an unreasonable level.

"Eh?"

Feng Zikang, however, stared at the giant phantom image, lost in thought.

At this moment, the giant phantom had gained the upper hand, pressing the High Exarch into a desperate retreat, her roars of anger echoing incessantly.

"This..." Feng Zikang was utterly astonished. He turned to Luo Lianxin with wide eyes. "Senior Sister, has your Ten Thousand Southern Barbarian Armored Slayers Divine Ability actually broken through the Thirtieth Layer?"

This was why he was so surprised.

It was an iron law of the cultivation world: the level of a Divine Ability could absolutely not surpass the level of the core cultivation technique (Xinfa); otherwise, comprehension and control would be impossible. Furthermore, the level of the Xinfa was restricted by the cultivator's realm. A cultivator at the peak of Qi Condensation simply could not advance their Xinfa beyond the Thirtieth Layer. Logically, Luo Lianxin, who had not yet achieved Foundation Establishment, could not possibly exceed the Thirtieth Layer of her Xinfa. So how could the Ten Thousand Southern Barbarian Armored Slayers Divine Ability she was using exceed the Thirtieth Layer?

Luo Lianxin was overjoyed. "Junior Brother, you noticed?" A hint of boastfulness crept into her manner.

Then, realizing her lapse, she pursed her lips and offered a faint smile. "Actually, it’s just a small secret from my years of cultivation."

No matter how a Divine Ability was trained, it could never surpass the Xinfa level—that was an immutable law. However, Luo Lianxin’s Ten Thousand Southern Barbarian Armored Slayers had been forged slowly through endless slaughter in the Five Elements Grotto.

Before accepting this Divine Grade Foundation Establishment mission, her Divine Ability had already reached its peak. Unless she succeeded in Foundation Establishment, there was no room for further advancement.

She hadn't paid it much mind initially, but after two years of slaying monstrous beasts and many temple Exarchs, enduring countless battles between life and death, she suddenly discovered that her Ten Thousand Southern Barbarian Armored Slayers Divine Ability had inexplicably advanced!

"You mean..."

Feng Zikang was startled. If this claim was true, it represented a new discovery capable of shaking the entire cultivation world.

It was true that repeatedly using the same Divine Ability would cause slow improvement, but the pace was negligible compared to formal cultivation speed. Even using the same Divine Ability consistently for decades might not lead to an upgrade in rank.

He never imagined Luo Lianxin had achieved an upgrade through this method, and moreover, broken the restriction imposed by her Xinfa!

Feng Zikang looked at the silver lights swirling from her sleeve and felt a chill rise in his heart. How many people must she have slaughtered?

Huo Zhongguang trailed behind him, peering nervously, thoroughly intimidated.

"Bang!"

The giant hurled the High Exarch, who scrambled up covered in bloody gashes, venomous hatred burning in her eyes.

"Done,"

Luo Lianxin clapped her hands, sighing. Did it really require driving her to this extreme just to achieve complete divine manifestation?

"Junior Brother, you must be careful. If the true body of this Heavenly Emperor descends, its power will surely be far beyond this current level. Do not be careless in the slightest,"

Feng Zikang nodded, standing ready. He had already resolved that even if it meant exposing all his trump cards for Luo Lianxin to see, it didn't matter.

He had to ensure his survival first. He was not optimistic about the current situation.

"Roar!"

The High Exarch unleashed a bestial howl, her heart choked with fury and humiliation.

Impossible! How could this be?

She had already borrowed the power of the Heavenly Emperor, so why was she so easily defeated by these two 'monsters'? How could she explain this failure of the Heavenly Emperor's divine majesty to the subjects under his rule?

"Heavenly Emperor! I offer my flesh and blood as sacrifice! I beg Your Majesty to descend and sweep away all demonic miasma with your supreme, great divine power!"

Her face contorted in grief and anger as she hoarsely cried toward the heavens.

The white light changed drastically!

The light that had enveloped her and all the Exarchs behind her suddenly turned blood-red. The several hundred Exarchs, who had looked on with startled expressions, suddenly froze in place, sheer terror flooding their eyes.

"Pop! Pop-pop!"

Following a series of crisp sounds, the heads of those Exarchs burst open like overripe watermelons, one after another, though their bodies remained standing. Only a fountain of fresh blood sprayed out, mixing with the enveloping crimson light, creating a shocking spectacle.

The High Exarch's gaze turned hazy. She glanced back and saw the row of headless, stiff corpses, and a look of horror and dread washed over her face.

However, that expression quickly vanished.

When she turned back, her demeanor was one of coldness, malice, and rage. She straightened her back, her body stark naked, utterly devoid of any female characteristics—like a sexless vessel.

The Heavenly Emperor had descended!

Feng Zikang and Luo Lianxin felt a pressure suffusing heaven and earth surge toward them, forcing them to stagger and retreat rapidly!