The instantaneous annihilation of the Eight Heavenly Dragons—such a feat was enough to rock the entire Dou Hun Continent. Martial Saints were already exceedingly rare in this world; for eight of them to perish simultaneously was an unparalleled spectacle. And today, the toll was even higher—a staggering sixteen Martial Saints had fallen...

And yet, despite such a massive confrontation between titans, Yun Jing City remained largely unscathed. Barely any trace was left even on the main square. It could only be described as a miracle... a monumental miracle...

The common folk who witnessed it all were beside themselves with excitement. In their lifetimes, they had actually seen a battle involving so many Martial Saints—a tale they could boast about forever. Especially seeing these Saints brought down utterly under the awe-inspiring might of the Duke of the Nation...

They were just ordinary citizens; they couldn't see the near-fatal assault Ye Jingyu had endured. What they saw was Ye Jingyu besieged, only to erupt in brilliant light and obliterate more than half his assailants in a single stroke. That was the outcome, the result they witnessed...

The thought that beings as legendary as Martial Saints could be personally slain by their own Duke in droves sent a surge of fervor through the crowd. With such a mighty protector guarding the Nanyun Empire, what was there left to fear?

Their already profound admiration for Ye Jingyu deepened into outright worship. As they emerged from their shock, their thoughts and shouts were entirely consumed by Ye Jingyu’s title...

Luo Xiaofeng also gazed at Ye Jingyu hanging in the void with a sense of awe. Sixteen Martial Saints—a full sixteen Martial Saints! A year ago, faced with such a threat, the Nanyun Empire could have had only one outcome: total annihilation. But now, because of his appearance, they not only withstood the onslaught but managed to slaughter their attackers. What kind of power was this?

When had his strength grown to such terrifying heights?

Even Nanfeng Yun, who had been severely injured in a past clash with Xuanyuan Xiao Zhan and had since been in seclusion attempting to break through to the Martial God realm, appeared unexpectedly near a corner of the palace wall. Watching the white-haired man soaring in the sky, his eyes brimmed with tears. With this man’s existence, didn’t his family’s chance for vengeance increase tenfold?

He understood perfectly that no single family on the continent could mobilize sixteen Martial Saints at once; none possessed the deep reserves for such an immediate deployment. Perhaps the Xuanyuan family, the Bai family, and perhaps some hidden old monsters combined might possess that many Martial Saints, but they could never commit them all simultaneously. The only power capable of casually dispatching sixteen Martial Saints across the entire Dou Hun Continent was the Yuan Ling Cult...

The thought of that mysterious sect, which supported the Xuanyuan family in wiping out his own Nanfeng family, the sect teeming with masters and standing figures, sent a sharp pain through Nanfeng Yun’s heart...

Everyone watched Ye Jingyu in the sky with expressions ranging from reverence to relief. However, Ye Jingyu, who had absorbed Long Yi’s complete memories, frowned deeply...

From Long Yi’s memories, he learned that both the Eight Heavenly Dragons and the Eight Pagodas were merely peripheral agents for the Yuan Ling Cult. Yes, peripheral assignments—things like the sudden death of a nation’s monarch or the demise of a kingdom’s minister. Through their influence, one unforeseen incident after another occurred, subtly shaping the entire continent’s balance of power...

And these acts were merely the Yuan Ling Cult’s outer missions. What, then, was the Cult’s true objective?

From Long Yi’s memories, Ye Jingyu only uncovered the whereabouts of the eight elders and a secret location belonging to the Yuan Ling Cult in Tian Yuan City. Beyond that, there was not a single other piece of intelligence regarding the Cult. To think that Martial Saints were only qualified for their external duties, unaware of the Cult’s ultimate aims—how utterly shattering was this realization?

Just how powerful was the Yuan Ling Cult? Furthermore, through Long Yi’s memories, Ye Jingyu discovered that Qin Yan was someone who had escaped from the Yuan Ling Cult. This was precisely why they were intent on killing Qin Yan and everyone connected to him at all costs. They targeted Ye Jingyu simply because he had killed Qin Yan...

He had previously believed his power was enough to look down upon the entire Dou Hun Continent, that outside of the ancient monsters, he feared no one. But only at this moment did Ye Jingyu comprehend with a shock that what he knew of the Dou Hun Continent was merely the tip of the iceberg. The experts he was familiar with amounted to nothing significant. Even with the formation of the Star Pellet granting him the strength to contend with a Third-Heaven Martial God, he could not afford to be careless...

“Xiao Yezi… what is wrong?” Just then, Luo Ling’er’s voice pulled Ye Jingyu from his contemplation...

Looking at the woman before him, who had just risked everything for his sake, Ye Jingyu allowed a faint smile to touch his lips. With her by his side, what did it matter how arduous or difficult the road ahead might be?

“Nothing, just a bit of indigestion from absorbing the power of the Seven Pagodas too quickly,” he replied with a light smile, stepping forward to take Luo Ling’er’s small hand...

It was best not to tell her about these matters. He only wished for her to live happily and freely; all his melancholy, bitterness, and pressure—he would bear it all alone...

“Pfft…” Hearing Ye Jingyu dismiss the absorption of seven Martial Saints’ power as mere indigestion, Luo Ling’er burst out laughing...

The strength of seven Martial Saints! To absorb all of it in such a short time—even her Imperial Father couldn't manage that, surely? Yet he not only absorbed it completely but claimed it gave him indigestion. He was simply too invincible!

If Luo Ling’er knew that the power of those seven Martial Saints was merely the tiniest fraction of what Ye Jingyu had absorbed, what would her reaction be?

The intense fluctuations of spiritual energy, the shifts in the stars—at her current level, she could barely comprehend them. Even the strongest present, Luo Xiaofeng and Liang Xiaoke, struggled to sense them...

Star Power—that was the world’s most mysterious energy. Without reaching a certain threshold, one could never perceive it. Few individuals in this world could feel such potent vibrations, excluding, of course, that enigmatic Yuan Ling Cult...

Meanwhile, in a mysterious space, Yuan Tian, clad in a long black robe, walked step by measured step along a path paved entirely with precious stones...