Perhaps that man was truly formidable, for even his myriad Ghost-Devouring Worms were annihilated entirely within the space of a single exchange! For Zhan Lunhui, this was an indelible, staggering disgrace!

He sat in the room with a darkened countenance, quietly unfurling his Soul Force, searching comprehensively, yet still finding absolutely nothing. After waiting until Zhan Tu, Cheng Yi Xiao, and Zhan Xiaoxiao returned, all confirming they had discovered nothing, Zhan Lunhui finally let out a long sigh and fell silent.

Though he spoke no more, this unusual quietude only amplified the unease in their hearts. The three Great Saint Venerable powerhouses—Zhan Tu and the others—stood before him, daring not even to draw a full breath. Though Zhan Lunhui’s current strength was merely that of a Fourth Level Saint, each of these three men surpassed him by scores of levels, yet they remained utterly unable to show the slightest disrespect! This was because the man before them was the true progenitor of the Zhan Clan! Without him, absolutely no one bearing the surname Zhan would exist within this Ethereal Phantom Estate! Furthermore, his current strength was a deliberate suppression, a foundation being carefully laid for his future assault on the Legendary Peak. Otherwise, his true power would surely have already surpassed theirs... How could a Reincarnated Holy Infant possess such meager foundations?

Just as Zhan Lunhui sank into brooding despair and Zhan Yi Xiao and the other two stood uneasily, a tremor suddenly radiated from a great distance! Simultaneously, a wild roar rent the sky...

Zhan Xiaoxiao gasped in shock and blurted out, "That is where Zhan Tianji is located..." Before the words had fully left his mouth, the other three had already charged out. Zhan Xiaoxiao hastily deployed his evasion arts and followed closely behind.

The four arrived together at the Cave of Ten Thousand Corpses only to be struck dumb by the scene before them! Even with the profound foundation of a Saint Venerable, it was utterly useless in that moment! Before them lay only utter ruin; the Cave of Ten Thousand Corpses had lost all semblance of its former appearance, utterly demolished beyond recognition. Zhan Lunhui’s primary concern was the shifting of Destiny, and he immediately lifted his gaze upward.

With that glance, Zhan Lunhui nearly spewed a mouthful of blood: the stone ceiling above was stripped bare, nothing remained... In the upper left corner of the stone chamber was a massive hole, and in the upper right corner, another large aperture! The cauldron upon the high platform lay shattered into four pieces, and before the remnants of the cauldron rested Zhan Tianji’s mangled, unrecognizable corpse!

Zhan Lunhui staggered, his eyes dull as he surveyed the devastation, suddenly consumed by absolute despair! Millennia of ancestral planning, a colossal scheme prepared across countless generations, was completely undone at the very precipice of success! And it was destroyed so thoroughly! So mercilessly!

The entire subterranean world had been constructed over millennia, rooted fundamentally in this very spot. Now, the underground structure was complete, but the core—the most crucial element—was annihilated! If so, what was the meaning of thousands of years of effort? Across those thousands of years, how many talented Zhan Clan youths were born here, grew up here, poured the effort of their entire lives into this place, and died here, never once seeing the sun! How many times had they endured the gnawing of conscience, ceaselessly slaughtering helpless commoners with whom they held no grudge and who offered no resistance! Now, with success so near, at this critical juncture... All of it, all of it, had dissolved into smoke!

“Ancestor...” Seeing Zhan Lunhui’s complexion change, Zhan Yi Xiao called out with concern. Zhan Lunhui’s face suddenly flushed a deep crimson, his body shaking violently, and with a great waah, he spat out a mouthful of viscous, scarlet blood! His expression was not one of rage or anger, but rather settled into a strange, unnerving stillness!

After expelling the blood, Zhan Lunhui regained composure. He walked slowly to Zhan Tianji’s corpse, clasped his hands together, and began weaving a series of exceedingly bizarre hand signs. Orbs of milky white light gradually formed between his palms, descending upon Zhan Tianji’s body...

But after a long, long time, there was still no reaction whatsoever!

Zhan Lunhui finally stopped, ceasing his actions. He spoke in a voice so calm it chilled the bone: "What a ruthless, venomous, and absolute method! Not only was the physical form destroyed, but Tianji’s spiritual seed was also annihilated! Even the Holy Infant could not escape! It was a complete soul extinction! Now, Tianji is beyond all salvation..."

“What?!” The other three, who had been watching Zhan Lunhui with hopeful expectation, suddenly let out cries of utmost shock!

“The one who entered possesses true ruthlessness! Furthermore... his strength is likely beyond anything you can handle,” Zhan Lunhui slowly rose to his feet, his long black hair suddenly whipping wildly in the air without any wind.

“Find me a secluded chamber. The three of you will guard me; I must recover my strength from my Peak period in the shortest time possible! The Zhan Clan now requires an unparalleled supreme powerhouse, not merely a legendary figure aspiring to the Peak!” Zhan Lunhui’s tone carried an extremely suppressed killing intent: “Mobilize the entire Zhan Clan! You must discover who is responsible for today’s events! Once this person is found, spare no expense to annihilate him and erase his entire lineage! If necessary, I will act personally!” “To shatter the grand plan of my Zhan Clan spanning millennia! Such an act warrants death beyond expiation!” Zhan Lunhui spoke slowly, articulating each word. As he spoke, a terrifying, ghastly green light burst from his eyes, almost solidifying into substance as it fixed upon the empty space before him!

“Ancestor, rest assured! Our Zhan Clan will certainly avenge this!” The killing intent in Zhan Yi Xiao’s and Zhan Tu’s eyes surged heavenward, and they declared fiercely: “Even if our entire Zhan Clan sacrifices everything, this vengeance must be exacted! Generation after generation, for all time, this hatred must be carved into our souls! Whoever this person is, once identified, not one of his family, young or old, nor any acquaintance, shall be spared!”

Zhan Lunhui remained silent, casting a distant look over the wreckage. He stated calmly, “Immediately begin sealing this entire area! Especially block up every single void! Do not allow a single trace to remain!”

Then, Zhan Lunhui turned and departed, showing no further hesitation. Yet, the increasing urgency in his steps betrayed that his internal state was far from the calm he projected.

At the doorway, Zhan Lunhui paused, then let out a long, slow, heavy sigh before stepping out. Where he had passed, a droplet of liquid moisture formed a clear puddle that slowly seeped into the ground... There was one thing he left unspoken: The hope of ten thousand years... utterly destroyed! If I had known this would happen, why did I insist on returning here?

Watching Zhan Lunhui’s desolate silhouette depart, Zhan Yi Xiao and the others felt a mountain pressing heavily upon their hearts! A flurry of hurried footsteps heralded the arrival of Zhan Wuyun, the Clan Head, who rushed in as if possessed. Seeing the horrific state of the chamber, he froze, his face flickering between colors, his mouth hanging open, issuing only unconscious sounds of ‘Uh, uh...’ Suddenly, he spewed a massive mouthful of blood and fell backward, looking up at the sky! Such a crushing blow was too much for Zhan Wuyun to bear! He immediately fainted... Only after losing consciousness did two lines of tears trace paths down his face... All hope, all preparation, all effort... reduced to naught! How could the Clan Head endure this! This was the greatest dream and expectation of his lifetime—

“Us too!” Zhan Yi Xiao’s usual smile had vanished, replaced by profound sorrow. The other two nodded in silence. Then the three men lifted Zhan Wuyun’s body and left the scene together...

What they did not know was that the oath they swore in their fury that day would indeed be fulfilled in the future... “Even if our entire Zhan Clan sacrifices everything, this vengeance must be exacted!” How resonant was that oath! But they never imagined that the first half of the vow, ‘the entire Zhan Clan sacrifices everything,’ would indeed come true... But the second half, ‘this vengeance must be exacted’... would never materialize...

“As you wished, I will absolutely ensure your Zhan Clan is completely extinguished... However, as for whether you can exact this revenge, you shouldn't hold out too much hope; it’s rather unrealistic,” sneered Jun Mo Xie, hidden in the void, watching as the Zhan Clan giants furiously vanished beyond the stone door. Immediately afterward, a heavy CLANG echoed as the entire chamber was sealed from the outside. The light inside dimmed instantly, gradually yielding to darkness. Moments later, a deluge of rocks began pouring in like a torrential storm...

Outside, a hundred experts from the Zhan Clan worked frantically to push enormous quantities of stone and soil into the opening... Piles of rock fell continuously, kicking up dust everywhere. The once vast space visibly shrank at an astonishing rate. In less than a minute, this stone chamber, steeped in wicked truth, was completely filled, ensuring no power could ever find a shred of evidence...

As for Young Master Jun, he only moved to leave when the stone filling had reached nine-tenths capacity. In Jun Mo Xie’s calculations, there was no intention of using this place as evidence for anything! In his view, the destruction of the Zhan Clan required no proof! To kill and to slaughter—what need was there for evidence? So-called evidence was merely an object for the victors to display their own righteousness to the masses. For the Evil Monarch, such things held absolutely no meaning! It mattered little if others didn't believe him; as long as he could accomplish what he intended, that was enough!

Compared to the Zhan Clan’s near-frenzied search for the culprit, Young Master Jun remained remarkably calm, continuing to penetrate deeper into the Zhan Clan's underground world! Firstly, the primary objective of his journey had not yet been achieved, and secondly—