At the center of the nine Heavenly Pillars stood a half-collapsed divine temple, suspended in the air.
On the temple's tallest, most ruined hall stood a platinum throne.
The throne was carved with all kinds of Desolate Beasts—winged creatures and coiling dragons. Gemstone orbs adorned it. It must once have shone in splendor, but now it was dim and cracked all over, its jewels dull.
That wasn't what shocked Fang Mo. What stunned him was the towering human corpse seated upon the throne.
It was a giant, as massive as a mountain, clad in shattered armor. His skin was a dull gray, and his face was stern. Even with his eyes closed, he still radiated the might of one who ruled all beneath the heavens.
Yet a gaping wound pierced his chest. Golden blood flowed from it, staining the throne before spilling down the dais. It connected to the bases of the nine Heavenly Pillars, forming an enormous golden formation of unfathomable complexity.
Light flickered across the formation as energy surged through it, as if blood were coursing through its veins. In response, the nine Heavenly Pillars flashed from time to time.
More chilling still, beneath the Divine Corpse's feet lay the immense black skeleton of a creature that was part human, part ape, and more like some twisted Demonic Beast. A long, pointed tail trailed behind it, still stained with golden blood, while its sharp claws had pierced the throne.
One glance was enough to make Fang Mo's soul tremble. The monster radiated an aura that sent a chill through him.
A blood-red saber was impaled in the monster's back. The giant gripped its hilt, pinning the creature beneath the throne.
"Did they take each other down?"
The thought flashed through Fang Mo's mind.
The Divine Corpse had sacrificed