On a nearby small hill, Liang Xiaoke lurked behind a few unknown large trees, a self-made cigar clamped between his teeth. He took a deep drag, exhaled a thick plume of smoke, and squinted at the lovely woman inside the crystal coffin.

“Alas, such a fine girl, so pure, how could she just go like this? Sister-in-law, can you truly entrust yourself to that scoundrel? If you’re gone, he’ll surely go chasing after my enchanting Yao Rao. How could you leave with such peace of mind?” As he spoke, two streams of bloody tears slipped from the corners of Liang Xiaoke’s eyes, tracing paths down his cheeks. When they reached his lips, he swiftly darted out his tongue and licked them up…

“Why do zombies weep tears of blood? This is my vital essence; it shouldn't be wasted. Heavens, even crying makes me so tired.”

He convulsed violently, then inexplicably pulled out a bottle of white liquor and downed it greedily, gurgling the contents down his throat.

Taking a deep, final breath after swallowing the entire bottle, he suddenly hurled it to the ground with immense force.

“Heaven and Earth are merciless, treating all things as straw dogs. In the eyes of the cosmos, are we truly nothing more than ants?”

“No! I refuse to be an ant! I refuse to watch anyone near me die again. I have died once; that feeling is unbearable. I won’t let those close to me perish. If the Heavenly Dao is merciless, then I will crush it beneath my feet!” A low roar erupted from Liang Xiaoke’s mouth. His body began to contort and expand; two long fangs emerged from his lips, scales erupted across his skin, demonic markings crawled across his face, and strands of black light relentlessly coiled around him.

The Golden Core within him spun frantically, and an irrepressible malevolence poured forth, causing his cultivation realm to surge unstoppably: Corpse Emperor Ninth Heaven, Corpse Emperor Tenth Heaven, Corpse Emperor Eleventh Heaven, Corpse Emperor Twelfth Heaven…

In the span of a mere blink, his power reached the Twelfth Layer of the Corpse Emperor realm, equivalent to the Ninth Heaven of the Martial God.

The various shades of obscure energy between Heaven and Earth converged upon him. The Nine Nether Waters absorbed from the Thunder Marsh that he had not yet fully digested now rapidly decomposed and integrated, filling the void left by his rapid ascent.

In moments, his strength solidly stabilized at the Tenth Layer of the Corpse Emperor. When the last drop of Nine Nether Water was consumed, his power reached the Eleventh Layer.

This was strength equal to the Eighth Heaven of the Martial God, yet his realm stood at the Twelfth Layer. Once he accumulated sufficient raw power, he would truly become a master of the Corpse Emperor Twelfth Layer—at which point, relying on his speed and physical might, he would be capable of defeating any expert at the Ninth Heaven.

As if responding to Liang Xiaoke’s roar, Ye Jingyu, silent for seven days and seven nights, finally stirred. He slowly turned his body, the Reincarnation Eye on his brow clearly perceiving the transformation occurring within Liang Xiaoke.

Sensing Liang Xiaoke’s explosive rage and the profound heartache over the loss of Luo Ling'er, Ye Jingyu suddenly threw back his head and let out a long, piercing cry. A beam of light shot from his brow straight into the heavens, while his entire body erupted in blinding, piercing luminescence.

The three Golden Cores—the Thunder Core, the Star Core, and the Fire Eye Core—spun furiously, channeling torrents of intense energy to temper his physical form.

All energies between Heaven and Earth rushed madly into his body, causing his power to rise continuously. Now, relying on physical strength alone, he could already contend with experts of the Ninth Heaven.

Not to mention the power of the three Golden Cores, coupled with his magical artifacts—he felt confident he could even exchange blows with a Venerable-level powerhouse.

His white hair moved without wind, and his black robe hissed softly. He slowly stood up, raising his gaze toward the sky shimmering with purple light…

“If Heaven is heartless, then we shall cleave that Heaven! If Earth is unjust, then we shall shatter that Earth! We are born free, who dares stand above us? Big Brother, we must defy Heaven…”

A colossal roar boomed from Ye Jingyu’s lips as his terrifying aura exploded outward. Purple lightning, silver starlight, and crimson firelight shot toward the sky. The Heaven Sovereign Blade materialized in his hand, its sharp blade energy slicing through the air. Surrounding stones began to shatter, the ground buckled, and the sheer force of his rampage pulverized the nearby hills.

“Indeed! Heaven and Earth are merciless, so we shall cleave the sky and shatter the ground! We must defy Heaven! Defy Heaven! Defy Heaven!” Liang Xiaoke bellowed wildly, releasing the entirety of the power within him.

Following their roars, Chi Yi Xiu, Hu Yan Qi, the Nine Li Pagoda, Lin Xiaoyi, and others unleashed their powers without reservation. Furthermore, tens of thousands of Minotaur tribesmen converged, shouting their support in a furious clamor.

Countless massive forces erupted. Nearby mountains began to collapse, rivers ceased their flow, surrounding forests were annihilated, and the very earth cracked open as if splintering with ice…

Sensing the violent surge of power, the eyes of Zhuge Siyu, Jiu Feng, Yao Rao, Hu Yan Meng, and the others glistened with tears. They stared blankly at Ye Jingyu, watching him unleash ever-greater strength. Yet, behind the moisture in their eyes was a profound, hazy adoration.

This was the Ye Jingyu they knew in their hearts—the arrogant, unrestrained Ye Jingyu who scorned the heavens.

No matter the difficulty, no matter the setback, nothing could suppress his innate haughtiness…

Casting a cold glance down at the Minotaurs below, Ye Jingyu shifted his gaze back to the distant horizon, murmuring to himself, “Ling’er, rest assured. I will live well, I must live well for you! Not only must I live well, but everyone around me must live well too. To live—that is the greatest happiness…”

A single tear of blood slid from his eye. Before it could fall, it was evaporated by flames that leaped from his body. The grief vanished from his face, replaced only by an arrogant disdain for the world and an endless, bottomless will to fight…

Fragrant soul departs, warrior soul arises!

At that very moment, a magnificent carriage, drawn by twenty-four jet-black Earth-Rending Beasts, thundered into view from the distance. Adorning the top of the carriage was the emblem of a purely silver wolf…