The last wisp of the Lion-Head Demon's consciousness twisted in the flames as he stared fixedly at Yan Ning.
Yan Ning watched coldly, his right hand giving the War Blade a light shake.
"Perish."
A crimson-gold blade arc swept out, completely shredding the last remnants of the Lion-Head Demon's divine power!
"Boom!"
With a muffled crash, the Lion-Head Demon's body exploded, dissolving into countless specks of light above the Blood Lake.
Yan Ning put away his War Blade and vanished into the void once more.
Like a ghost, he moved through the Star Tower, forbidden spaces flashing past one after another behind him.
He passed through ten more forbidden spaces.
As he crossed the node of the tenth, the scene before him abruptly changed.
An endless golden desert stretched out before him. The blazing sun baked the sand until it burned, and distant dunes rose and fell like frozen waves.
The moment Yan Ning stepped into the space, he sensed something was wrong.
"This is..."
His pupils contracted. His spiritual sense detected fifty-seven powerful presences gathered deep in the desert! The Human Faction, Mechanical Clan, and Zerg Clan stood apart in three distinct groups, facing off while maintaining a strange balance.
"So many..."
Yan Ning immediately suppressed his aura and slipped into the shadow of a dune.
In a distant sandy valley, the three factions faced off in tense silence.
The Human Faction was led by a white-robed man carrying a sword on each back, with eighteen Sealed Kings behind him;
the Mechanical Clan had twelve metal lifeforms of various designs;
most terrifying of all was the Zerg Faction, where twenty-seven Zerg Sealed Kings guarded a Mother Emperor shrouded in black mist.
He could sense that this Zerg Mother Queen...
was at the Peak King level!
No, she was close to Sealed King Invincible.
That was right. The Zerg Mother Queen's strength was definitely close to Sealed King Invincible.
No wonder not one of the three factions dared to make a move, even though there was only one Mother Emperor.
"Who's there?"
One of the Mechanical Clan Undying glanced in Yan Ning's direction.
Yan Ning frowned. He'd been spotted.
He had no choice but to fly out.
He landed among the Human Faction.
"It's Demon Flame King!"
"Demon Flame King is here. We've got another Peak King, so our strength just got a boost."
The man with the twin swords nodded to Yan Ning.
"Silver Sword King."
Silver Sword King was also a Peak King of the Virtual Universe Company.
That made them members of the same faction.
The standoff between the three factions grew even more tense.
No one dared to strike first.
Just then—
the Mother Emperor's silhouette swayed gently within the black mist, and she let out a laugh like silver bells. "Hehehe. Everyone, I don't think we need to remain at a stalemate here."
Her voice carried a strange cadence, as if it could pierce straight through the soul. "The Sealing Star is about to appear. Wasting time here isn't wise, don't you think?"
Silver Sword King's brows drew together, and a cold gleam flashed across his twin swords. "That's easy for you to say, Mother Emperor. How do we know your Zerg won't launch a sneak attack?"
The Mechanical Clan fell silent as well.
Clearly, remaining here in a standoff was unwise.
Yan Ning stood among the Human Faction, his gaze lingering on the Zerg Mother Queen.
He could feel that her strength was unfathomable. Her own power was already close to the Peak King level, and with the Zerg fighting in unison, she had likely touched the threshold of Sealed King Invincible.
"I agree to a temporary truce."
Yan Ning spoke suddenly.
"However..."
A cold glint flashed in his eyes. "If we meet in the lower spaces, don't expect me to show mercy."
The Zerg Mother Queen chuckled. Her exquisite silhouette was just visible through the black mist. "Such a fierce temper, handsome~ But... I like it~"
After a brief exchange, the Mechanical Clan moved first.
All twelve metal lifeforms activated their thrusters and shot toward a distant space node like streaks of light.
"We should go too."
Silver Sword King nodded to the other Human Faction Sealed Kings.
"Proceed according to plan."
Yan Ning was about to follow the group when he suddenly sensed the Zerg Mother Queen's gaze fixed on him.
There was an indescribable meaning in her eyes, as if she could see through him and into the Chaos Bell in his sea of consciousness.
"Demon Flame King~"
The Mother Emperor's voice sounded directly in his mind.
"Your secret... is so tempting~"
Yan Ning's heart tightened, but he kept his expression calm. "If you're interested, Mother Emperor, you're welcome to come and take it yourself."
"Hehehe~ There'll be a chance~"
The Mother Emperor's laughter gradually faded. The Zerg Faction had already disappeared into the space node.
"Let's go too."
Silver Sword King came over to Yan Ning.
"The Sealing Star's emergence will likely lead to a fierce battle."
Yan Ning nodded and flew up alongside Silver Sword King.
The group streaked across the golden desert sky. Silver Sword King deliberately slowed down to fly beside Yan Ning.
"Demon Flame King, I've heard a great deal about you."
Silver Sword King sent him a telepathic message.
"I didn't expect we'd get to fight side by side this time."
Yan Ning nodded slightly. "I've heard plenty about you too, Silver Sword King."
Silver Sword King looked gravely toward the direction the Zerg had gone. "That Zerg Mother Queen just now is named Irene. She's been the brightest genius in the Zerg Alliance for nearly ten thousand eras."
Yan Ning raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"
"She's extremely powerful, especially when it comes to Soul Attacks and soul enslavement secret arts."
Silver Sword King lowered his voice.
"It's said she even enslaved a Peak King. She simply didn't reveal him just now."
A flicker of surprise crossed Yan Ning's eyes. "A Peak King?"
"That's right."
Silver Sword King nodded.
"That's why none of us dared to act rashly. Her own strength is already close to Sealed King Invincible, and on top of that, she has numerous enslaved underlings. Her fighting strength is immense."
Yan Ning pondered for a moment, then nodded.
That was why he hadn't attacked just now.
After his previous battles, he knew firsthand how powerful a Zerg Mother Queen could be.
She still wasn't a true Sealed King Invincible, powerful enough to contend with a Venerable.
But among the Undying, she was unquestionably one of the very best!
Most likely, she had stored her Zerg army and all her slaves in her World Ring before they met.
If he had to describe Irene's strength, she was invincible beneath the Venerable level.
Against a true Venerable, she would still be powerless to fight back.
Without using the Chaos Bell,
Yan Ning admitted he wouldn't be her match.
Of course, that was also without using his Black Hole Clone.
If he used his Black Hole Clone, the outcome would be uncertain.
"We found it. Over there!"
Silver Sword King said.
Yan Ning looked ahead. Sure enough, there was another space node.
"Let's go. We'll keep moving. Our group will grow larger as we go. When the Sealing Star appears, at least tens of thousands of Sealed Kings will gather."
Yan Ning nodded.
He had also decided that from now on, he would travel with the group.
He had only intended to enter the Star Tower to kill members of the Alien Race.
He hadn't expected the Sealing Star to appear while he was there.
That made it practically impossible to act alone.
If he ran into too many united members of the Alien Race, it would be far too dangerous.
As long as they had enough Sealed Kings, their combined strength could give even a Universe Venerable a hard time.
Before you continue