Deep within the Death Abyss, two figures staggered as they landed.
Pangu spat out a mouthful of black blood, then slapped his thigh and roared with laughter. "What a rush! I've lived a whole lifetime, and this was my first time taking an Eternal True Lord head-on!"
Su Changqing remained silent, lowering his gaze to the sword in his hand.
Two new fragments slowly slotted into place along its blade.
Humm-!
The sword rang out again. The third fragment, then the fourth, slotted into place.
"Four fragments now," Su Changqing murmured. "Still missing..."
"How long will it take to gather them all?" Pangu smacked his lips. One hundred and thirty-eight million fragments-even with some already collected, far too many remained.
"No hurry." Su Changqing drew the sword into his brow and looked into the depths of chaos. "Someone is more anxious than we are."
"Since the Card Lord knows where the Pillar of Creation is, the Death True Lord must know as well."
"Things will only get livelier."
"Lively is good." Pangu grinned. "There's nothing I love more."
"Let's go." Su Changqing turned. "To the origin of the Thousand River Mountain Grand Competition, to find that True Card."
"The Sword Heart is waiting for me there."
The two figures became streaks of light and vanished into the depths of chaos.
Above the Death Abyss, the Card Lord stood amid the ruins, watching that receding light without speaking for a long time.
At last, he slowly spoke.
"Go. Spread the word."
"Say that the successor to the Thousand River Mountain Sword is heading toward the competition's origin to seek the Pillar of Creation."
"Someone will be more eager than I am to meet him."
As his words fell, several cold, shadowy gazes turned downward at once from deep within the Death