Fang Zhentian clutched the black, ominous sword tightly in his hand, his face alight with excitement. What a magnificent weapon! This material was utterly unlike anything he had ever encountered. The grade of this sword was definitely above his own Fang Tian Pagoda; it seemed this trip had truly not been in vain.

Glancing toward the distant island, now almost reduced to a heap of ruins, Fang Zhentian let out a soft sigh. To obtain such a peerless sword, what did the loss of a few sons, who weren't particularly loyal to him anyway, truly matter?

Yet, a sliver of doubt lingered. This divine sword seemed to be suppressing something here. Now that he had pulled it free, would it allow that entity to break free from its seal? But even if it did break free, so what? If there truly was something sealed, this sword sealed it once, it could seal it a second time. As long as he possessed this sword, what did he have to fear?

With this thought, Fang Zhentian beckoned his few remaining sons and several elders, and the group transformed into streaks of light, speeding toward the Guhua Continent, showing no inclination to even check on his deceased sons who remained on the island.

A long time passed before the entire island was virtually reduced to rubble. Fang Zhuguo, covered head to toe in blood, slowly crawled out from the debris. Gazing at the island, which had ceased to exist, a bitter smile bloomed on his face.

"Fang Zhentian, is this how you treat your sons?" Fang Zhuguo roared toward the heavens, veins of blood flashing in his eyes. His already unhandsome face twisted into a ferocious mask.

Vaguely, a malignant aura began to diffuse—an atmosphere completely alien to humanity.

Fang Zhuguo was unaware of this; his heart was filled only with resentment. The final thread of paternal affection he held for Fang Zhentian had been utterly severed. Looking at the tattered mirror in his hand, a cold sneer reappeared on his face.

"Since you show me no righteousness, don't blame me for showing you no mercy. With this Mirror of Annihilation and Rebirth, can you still hope to be my match?" With a cold snort, he conjured a stream of light and staggered away toward the Guhua Continent.

News that Fang Zhentian had acquired an ancient sword from an island quickly spread. Feng, Hua, Xue, Yue, and the other major families went into a frenzy, commencing a frantic search for ancient relics. Instantly, the craze for antiquity swept across the Guhua Continent. Some families, like Fang Zhentian, managed to procure some primordial treasures; others returned empty-handed. But whether they found treasures or not, every faction suffered massive losses among their elite forces.

While the major families of the Guhua Continent were preoccupied with hunting for ancient artifacts, far to the west on the Douhun Continent, Ye Jingyu and his company had begun their campaign of conquest over the entire landmass. With a supreme expert like Ye Jingyu anchoring them, and monstrous allies like Liang Xiaoke and Xue Wuqing bolstering their ranks, in just one month, Luo Ruofeng had become the Emperor of the Nine Provinces, achieving the feat that Luo Xiaofeng had always desired but failed to accomplish.

Not only that, but the affiliated states west of the Tiangang Mountain Range immediately pledged allegiance. Facing power that defied human comprehension, they had no other choice.

Just as Ye Jingyu was preparing to lead the massive army from the southern face of the Tiangang Mountains into the Fanlong Empire, Liang Xiaoke's power advanced further, on the verge of becoming a Flying Night Demon. However, since the Haotian Pearl was in his hands, how he handled the tribulation was his own problem; Ye Jingyu felt no particular worry.

His only real concern remained Luo Ling'er. But no matter how much he worried or how anxious he felt, he understood that now was not the time for recklessness.

With a powerful expert like Ye Jingyu, and the fully grown fierce beast Xiaotao Tao accompanying them, the treacherous Tiangang Mountain Range was like level ground to the armies of the Nanyun Empire. They advanced mightily toward the Fanlong Empire.

The Fanlong Empire was one of the three great empires that had once rivaled the Tianyuan Empire, situated in the southern reaches of the Douhun Continent. Because it was separated by the Southern Wasteland Forest and the Tiangang Mountain Range, there had always been little contact between the two nations.

Furthermore, Ye Jingyu understood that the shadow of the Gufei Continent loomed behind the Fanlong Empire. The Gufei Continent—could it possibly be the Africa of their former Earth?

As the army steadily approached the Fanlong Empire, the imperial palace of Fanlong was a grand structure built atop a colossal mountain.

The entire complex was constructed from massive black stones; viewed from a distance, it resembled a monstrous beast crouching on the peak, exuding a profound sense of oppressive stillness.

Currently, within this vast palace, the Emperor of Fanlong, Taigesi, sat upon his throne. He possessed curly brown hair, and his complexion was not pure black but rather an olive tone. His physique was somewhat portly, yet he commanded an aura of solemn authority—the inherent majesty of an emperor.

Below him, there were no assembled civil or military officials, only a man and a woman, both appearing young. The man’s features were grotesque, sporting a single horn on his head, and his eyes glowed a faint red, making him look terrifyingly unnatural.

The woman was equally savage in appearance, with half her face covered in scales. Despite this, her figure was graceful and exceedingly alluring. Her eyes were also a blood red, and her forked tongue occasionally flicked across her lips.

"Mu, Lin, currently millions of troops from the Nine Provinces are marching toward our nation. They crossed the Tiangang Mountains in only half a month. They must have a master among them; I am concerned..."

"Hahahaha, Your Majesty, there is no need for concern. With Lin and I here, never mind a million soldiers—even ten million could be easily annihilated by me!" The horned man burst into loud laughter, showing not the slightest concern for the approaching host.

"But..." Taigesi remained deeply worried. The events of the past few days surpassed anything he had experienced in his entire life.

First, these two malevolent spirits had inexplicably appeared in the palace, completely obliterating the Fantian Sect that had always controlled him. Even the mastermind behind them had said nothing more. Only then did Taigesi realize that beyond the Douhun Continent existed another, the Gufei Continent, and the Fantian Sect had merely been a tool in their hands. This realization profoundly impressed upon Taigesi the sheer power of these two beings.

"There is no 'but.' Unless they possess experts at the Venerable level or above, bringing more of them is as simple as slaughtering sheep for Lin and me. Even if they do bring a master of the Venerable level, we still have the Great One. Once the Great One makes a move, who in this world can possibly oppose him!" Taigesi was about to speak again but was interrupted by the scale-covered woman.

"The Great One?" Taigesi frowned. They were already this powerful; surely, there must be someone even stronger behind them?