Hell, one of the Four Supreme Planes, was filled with slaughter and destruction.
Bifu Continent was the domain controlled by Bifu Sovereign, one of the Seven Sovereigns of Hell. No matter their standing, everyone had to follow Bifu Sovereign's rules.
Liang'an Prefecture spanned more than a billion miles. It was one of Hell's 108 prefectures and one of the largest among the twenty-odd prefectures on Bifu Continent, drawing many of the continent's strongest figures.
In the northwestern region of Liang'an Prefecture, a city spanning a thousand miles rose from the ground. The entire city was a rich emerald green, and portraits of many grandmasters were carved into its walls.
At the city's center stood a hundred-meter-tall mansion of astonishing opulence. The city guards stationed around it made its owner's identity clear: a Seven-Star Demon, the City Lord of Iceblood City.
"Lord City Lord, Lucas requests an audience."
With a whoosh through the air, a silver-haired elder in gray robes appeared at the mansion's entrance. He stood respectfully with his head bowed as he spoke.
"Come in."
The clear voice reached butler Lucas's ears. Lucas raised his head and stepped into the main hall of the City Lord's Mansion.
As he entered, an ice-blue corridor appeared before him. Strange patterns adorned its walls, radiating a chill.
Soon, at the far end of the corridor, a young man seated on a bench slowly opened his eyes.
He was handsome, with short black hair and a light blue robe. His eyes held a dazzling brilliance.
The instant the young man opened his eyes and looked at Lucas, Lucas felt his soul shudder. His body wavered for a moment.
"Lord Ren seems to have grown even stronger. As expected of the Iceblood Fiend. No wonder he dares challenge the Prefect."
Lucas's heart jolted, but he quickly regained his senses. Though shaken, he also felt a measure of relief.
The Water Law wasn't suited to soul attacks, yet Lord Ren had made him uneasy with a casual glance. Clearly, after such a long retreat, he had made a new breakthrough.
A few days earlier, when the City Lord emerged from his long retreat, he had ordered Lucas to prepare Combat Projections of the Liang'an Prefecture Lord's past battles.
At the time, Lucas had guessed that Lord Ren intended to challenge the Prefect. He couldn't help drawing a sharp breath.
Lord Ren, the Iceblood Fiend, was the youngest City Lord Lucas had ever served. He had become a Seven-Star Demon after only ten million years of cultivation, defeating the previous City Lord. Now, just twenty million years later, he was going to challenge a Prefect. How could Lucas not be shocked?
"Lord Ren, these are the projections of the Liang'an Prefecture Lord's battles."
Lucas took a deep breath, suppressing his unease, and respectfully retrieved a Crystal Projection from his Spatial Ring.
Fiend Castles collected all kinds of information. They usually kept Combat Projections of veteran powerhouses.
"Good work. You may leave."
Ren took the projection and nodded slightly.
"Yes. Lucas takes his leave."
The silver-haired butler bowed respectfully, then withdrew from the room.
"Three million years already. Time really is worthless in this world."
Ren gazed at the projection in his hand and murmured to himself.
A transmigrator from Blue Star, Ren had been in the Coiling Dragon Universe for three million years. There was little left of his former life on Blue Star, and after enduring Hell, he had long since adapted to this world's rules.
Three million years ago, Ren's soul had transmigrated into a Material Plane called the Wadel Plane, where he became an ordinary young man in a kingdom.
The Wadel Plane spanned several million miles, much larger than the Yulan Continent. It had more inhabitants and fiercer competition.
Fortunately, Ren had decent talent and affinities for Wind, Water, and Fire. He fought his way forward, becoming a god after two hundred years. Thanks to his early attempts to fuse Mysteries, he quickly became a Mid-God who had fused Mysteries, and eventually went to the Supreme Plane of Hell.
However, Ren hadn't been sent to Zijing Continent. Instead, he had been sent to Bifu Continent.
Ren had considered Linley's situation, but a little investigation was enough to reveal that the Four Divine Beasts Clan was currently at the height of its power. Linley wouldn't be born for a long time yet.
As for the Four Divine Beasts Clan at present, they were the true villains. "Arrogant and overbearing" didn't begin to describe their conduct, and they treated outsiders with utter disdain. Ren naturally gave up on trying to get involved with them and focused single-mindedly on cultivating. After all, his own strength was what mattered.
After arriving in Hell, Ren had endured countless battles. After ten million years of cultivation, he had fused eight of the nine Wind Law Profound Mysteries, attaining the strength of an Asura. He had also fused four Water Law Profound Mysteries, giving him the strength of a Seven-Star Demon.
After that, Ren used his Water Divine Clone to defeat the City Lord of Jiliang City, earning his unrivaled reputation as the Iceblood Fiend. He then began focusing on cultivating his Wind Divine Clone.
He had once broken through every bottleneck as naturally as water flowing into a channel. That had given Ren a faint illusion: perhaps he could reach the Paragon realm in the Wind Law.
But only those who had truly reached this stage could understand how difficult it was to become a Paragon. It was far more than just three words; it represented the true pinnacle of cultivation in this universe.
Throughout countless years and across countless planes, fewer than thirty Highgods had truly reached the Paragon realm, or were even suspected of having done so. Bayer was the only Wind Law Paragon High-God. Theresia, the Wind Sovereign, had broken through by using the Power of Faith from a Sovereign Spark.
After ten million years of cultivation, Ren had fused all but the final Wind Law Profound Mystery. He stood just one step away from becoming a Paragon, and he had thought he could make that breakthrough.
But that seemingly simple final step had eluded him for twenty million years. He hadn't advanced at all, as if he had hit the absolute limit of his talent and become completely stuck.
Only then did Ren understand how it felt to cultivate for hundreds of millions of years without making any progress. No wonder so many Highgods went mad on the Planar Battlefield.
After all, gods had infinite lifespans. Even the finest pleasures would grow tiresome over hundreds of millions of years. If they couldn't break through, they might as well witness battles between the strongest. That was their final thought.
Realizing that continued seclusion wouldn't help him break through the bottleneck, Ren ended his cultivation a few months ago and instructed his butler, Lucas, to collect Combat Projections of the Liang'an Prefecture Lord.
At this stage, there were only two paths to becoming a Paragon. One was to seek insight through battle, perhaps finding a new epiphany—either by continuing to fuse Mysteries or by further perfecting his techniques. The other was to rely on external aids, such as a special Heaven and Earth Treasure or a Sovereign Spark, and break through with the Power of Faith. The latter was a matter of pure luck, so Ren naturally chose battle.
The nearest Asura powerhouse was the Liang'an Prefecture Lord, Alfred, a veteran Asura who cultivated the Lightning Law.
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