The mere thought that this orb might be the personal artifact of the legendary Haotian the Great sent a jolt through Ye Jingyu, as if he’d won the cosmic lottery.

Though his body housed supreme treasures like the Eastern Emperor Bell and the Heaven-Overturning Seal, the Bell, at least, could be wielded in combat. The Seal, however, was only superficially repaired; adequate for battling Demon Lords, yet utterly useless against true Demon Kings.

It was as if he possessed two ultimate treasures he couldn't utilize. The Haotian Orb was different. For years, it had served as the nexus of the Heavenly Tribulation Array, continuously absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Not only was it undamaged, but it had amassed an untold amount of power—it was ready for immediate use.

Without a second thought, he lunged toward the Haotian Orb.

Such a priceless artifact was best secured in his own hands. But halfway through his reach, the Orb suddenly erupted, shooting a column of golden flame that struck Ye Jingyu's arm. With a sharp hiss, his limb melted as if ice meeting fire, and the golden flame instantly crawled up his arm toward his core.

An indescribable agony shot through Ye Jingyu’s entire body, yet facing the rushing golden fire, he was helpless. At that critical moment, the Eastern Emperor Bell above his head seemed to sense the threat to his life. It emitted a faint weng sound, unleashing a beam of azure light that struck Ye Jingyu’s arm. It solidified like a turquoise guard, fiercely protecting his limb, while the golden flames burned with terrifying ferocity, seemingly determined to consume him entirely.

“Ah…” Ye Jingyu’s screams of pain echoed continuously as the sound of the Eastern Emperor Bell grew louder and more resonant.

“Weng, weng, weng…” The sound of the bell filled the entire sky, scattering the dense storm clouds. Everyone except Yan Senxu, who remained unconscious from the lightning, had recovered: Hei Mingba and Medusa were alert. When they witnessed the golden Orb unleashing flames to sear Ye Jingyu, Hei Mingba’s body shot into the air, his palm raised to strike the Orb.

With a deafening boom, Hei Mingba’s strike exploded into radiant light against the golden surface of the Orb. The Orb dimmed momentarily, then transformed into a streak of light, shooting straight toward the heavens.

Its speed was incredible. Perhaps only Ye Jingyu, under normal circumstances, could have intercepted it. But Ye Jingyu, scorched senseless by the golden fire, lost consciousness and plummeted from the sky, crashing heavily onto the ground. The golden Orb vanished without a trace.

Watching the Haotian Orb disappear, Hei Mingba and Hanba felt a pang of regret. Yet, beyond that sorrow, there was nothing they could do. Artifacts of this innate supreme quality were destined only for the fated; one could not force destiny.

At that moment, Liang Xiaoke and the others, seeing the tribulation clouds dissipate, rushed over. Leading the charge was Hei Ming Shixuan. The moment she saw Ye Jingyu lying broken on the ground, his right arm burned down to half a bone, her large eyes instantly flooded with tears.

“Big Brother… wake up, quickly! Big Brother, what happened to you? Father, will Big Brother be alright?” Little Shixuan collapsed onto Ye Jingyu’s chest, weeping heartbrokenly.

Having been with Ye Jingyu for so long, she knew the incredible resilience of his body; even the gravest injuries usually healed swiftly. But his half-burnt arm showed no sign of recovery. If not for the lingering azure light covering it, the injury might have continued to spread.

Seeing his daughter cry with such profound grief, Hei Mingba paused in surprise. He had never seen the girl weep before. Had her affection for him grown this deep?

“Little girl, there’s no need to be sad. He’s only sustained a burn. Once we purge the residual power, he’ll recover quickly!” Before Hei Mingba could answer, Hanba interjected.

Hearing Hanba, Hei Ming Shixuan looked up at her father. Only when Hei Mingba nodded gently did she stop crying, though her large eyes fixed intently on her father.

Seeing his daughter’s expression, Hei Mingba immediately understood what she wanted. A bittersweet smile touched his lips. “Let’s return to Gutian Peak first. I will help him purge that energy!”

“Why not purge the energy first before returning to Gutian Peak?” Shixuan murmured, pouting her lips.

“Because there are those plotting against us. If we delay, your elder sister might suffer misfortune!” Hei Mingba said calmly, his gaze drifting toward the direction of the Leize Circle.

When the mention of her sister was brought up, Hei Ming Shixuan, though uncertain of the details, nodded. She trusted that her father would not lie to her.

Just as Hei Mingba’s party prepared to leave the Panbulasi Great Prairie and return to the Leize Circle, far away in a secret location in the mortal realm—specifically, the canyon where Ye Jingyu and his companions had passed through the Demon Realm’s Blood Mist Forest, the one where the Celestial Dragon was imprisoned—events unfolded.

Because Luo Ling’er had used her own soul to draw in the power of the Abyss Demons, the resulting shockwave shattered the passage, granting Xuan Yuan Ruoxing a secure stronghold there.

By absorbing Fang Guyou’s power and utilizing the physical body forged from the Celestial Dragon’s remains, he had fully assimilated Fang Guyou’s entire faction. Any who dared resist were swiftly executed.

Now, he was the undisputed master here. Over the past few months, he had finally absorbed all of Fang Guyou’s strength and memories, refining his own physique. Though he remained at the level of a Nine Tribulation True Immortal, he was just one step away from the Godly Immortal realm.

He only needed to survive one final thunder tribulation to ascend. Currently, he was engrossed in studying the white pagoda left behind by Fang Guyou.

He mused that if he could control this pagoda, overcoming the heavenly tribulation would be effortless.

He sat cross-legged atop a mountain peak, the white pagoda hovering above his head, casting down rays of white light that served as the only luminescence in the deep night…

Below this peak, more than twenty Soul Immortals and True Immortals stood guard, none daring to disturb his meditation.

At that moment, a blinding golden light flared in the distant sky, growing steadily brighter, as if a sun were slowly rising. The white pagoda suspended above Xuan Yuan Ruoxing’s head seemed to sense something, beginning to spin rapidly. The eyes Xuan Yuan Ruoxing had kept tightly shut flew open instantly…

To the readers: It’s 2:30 AM. Evening productivity is always low. Three chapters are finished; I can finally rest soundly tomorrow. Good night, everyone~