Boom!!!
In an instant, endless lightning erupted from the void behind Lu Ming, as if a thunderous star had been born! Countless thick, dragon-like purple vines shimmering with destructive light filled the entire starry sky, weaving into a Thunder Cage that stretched across hundreds of millions of kilometers!
Shadow-Kill King's fleeing figure slammed into an invisible wall and was forcibly driven out of the Space Interlayer!
"No!!!"
It let out a desperate shriek, frantically burning its divine power as the laws of darkness surged wildly, trying to break through the cage of lightning.
But in the next instant, countless lightning vines snapped shut like living serpents of thunder, piercing through it!
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!!!
A dense barrage of piercing sounds rang out, enough to make anyone's scalp crawl!
Countless lightning vines easily pierced Shadow-Kill King's divine body, formed from darkness, wrapping around it tightly, impaling it and pinning it in the starry sky!
"Gaaahhh—!!!"
Shadow-Kill King let out a scream of utter agony. Its divine body shuddered violently under the endless lightning's erosion and tearing, then began to disintegrate!
"Die."
Lu Ming spoke indifferently.
Boom!!!!
The countless lightning vines wrapped around Shadow-Kill King suddenly blazed with blinding light, and all their thunderous energy detonated at once! Like a true supernova, the dazzling lightning devoured everything, reducing Shadow-Kill King's shattered divine body—and its resentful shriek—to the most basic streams of particles!
The lightning gradually faded, and the starry sky returned to silence. Only stardust formed from the lingering energy drifted slowly through the void.
Lu Ming put away the Yan Kong Blade, stood with his hands behind his back, and gazed at the empty battlefield before him.
One battle, four kills!
All four King-Level experts from the Monster Race were dead!
An invisible force swept across the silent expanse of stars.
Four World Rings of different shapes, each radiating powerful energy, along with several precious weapons and materials left behind by Tear-Chaser King and the other Monster Race King-Level experts, flew into his hand as if summoned.
A quick sweep with his spiritual sense revealed their contents. Lu Ming showed little delight and merely murmured, "The wealth of four King-Level experts... not bad, but it's still not enough!"
Whoosh—
A sleek, dark-silver spacecraft, as if forged from stars, appeared beside him. Its hatch slid open silently.
Lu Ming stepped inside, disappearing into the cabin.
"Azure Kite, keep going!"
He gave the order.
The dark-silver spacecraft instantly became a streak of light, tearing through the Dark Universe as it sped toward the most dangerous—and opportunity-rich—core region of the Ninth Outer-Domain Battlefield.
Seated on his throne, Lu Ming's gaze seemed to pierce through the spacecraft's walls.
A cold curve touched his lips as boundless pride and fighting spirit surged in his chest.
"This is only the beginning..."
"Monster Race? Bug Race? Machine Race? And all you Alien Race King-Level experts who think yourselves so powerful... just wait."
"The Ninth Outer-Domain Battlefield will tremble at the sound of my name!"
"I'll make my name ring across these countless stars and strike fear into this boundless battlefield!"
Virtual Universe, a special plane.
An ancient, magnificent hall brimmed with an aura of eternal existence.
One hundred and eight thrones encircled the hall, each occupied by a towering figure.
Some had human forms; others belonged to Alien Races with strange features. Without exception, they radiated an overwhelming pressure that made one's heart tremble. As their eyes opened and closed, scenes of universes being born and destroyed seemed to unfold within them.
"I called you all here,"
began a human Venerable seated upon one of the thrones. He wore a Star Robe, and his face was veiled in hazy starlight. His voice was calm, yet carried unquestionable authority.
"because of an urgent battle report just transmitted by the Outer-Domain Battlefield military system. A Human Faction powerhouse, 'Flame Edge,' killed four King-Level Immortals from the Monster Race in quick succession within the WT-8745 star region!"
"Four King-Level experts? Tell us more!"
A Venerable on a nearby throne, whose body seemed to be made of crimson lava, spoke in a deep rumble.
"According to the battle report and the surviving footage from the battlefield monitoring system,"
the Star-Robed human Venerable continued,
"the four King-Level experts from the Monster Race were the Pinnacle King-Level Tear-Chaser King and Blood Wolf King, the High King Thousand-Leg King, and... the King-Level Limit Shadow-Kill King."
"What? Shadow-Kill King died too?"
"That fellow was exceptionally skilled at stealth and assassination, with powerful life-saving abilities. He actually fell?"
His words immediately drew startled reactions from several Venerables.
King-Level Limit experts were top-tier combatants on any Outer-Domain Battlefield. The death of even one was a major event.
"More importantly,"
the Star-Robed Venerable continued, his tone growing more serious,
"the battle lasted an extremely short time. Judging by the residual energy fluctuations, Flame Edge practically overwhelmed his opponents. Tear-Chaser King, Blood Wolf King, and Thousand-Leg King were apparently defeated head-on and had their divine bodies swiftly annihilated. Shadow-Kill King tried to escape, but was intercepted by his subordinate plant life, Thunderlight Vine, and ultimately perished."
With a wave of his hand, processed footage of the battle appeared before all 108 ancient figures.
The violence of the battle had left the footage incomplete, but the dark-red blades of destruction slicing across the starry sky, the terrifying force that tore through King-Level divine bodies with ease, and the final scene of Thunderlight Vine erupting into a Thunder Cage to strangle Shadow-Kill King still moved even these well-traveled Venerables.
"What an overbearing blade technique! The Fire-Space Fusion Law it contains is no ordinary thing."
"That Thunderlight Vine... judging by its power, it must be at least a Pinnacle King-Level plant life."
"To defeat four King-Level experts from the Monster Race—including Shadow-Kill King—in such a short time, Flame Edge is no ordinary King-Level Limit. He may have already touched the threshold of a Universe Venerable and could be called an 'Invincible King-Level' expert!"
Low murmurs of discussion filled the hall.
When the discussion subsided, the Star-Robed Venerable swept his gaze across the assembly and spoke in a resounding voice. "Everyone, according to the Hong Alliance's internal regulations, the human Flame Edge's outstanding performance has thoroughly proven his strength, which far exceeds that of an ordinary King-Level expert. Although he is not a core member of the Virtual Universe Company or the Giant Axe Martial Arena, and has not received an official King-Level title, we have the authority to invite him based on his strength."
He paused, then proclaimed in a voice like a tolling bell, "Therefore, I propose that we formally invite the human Flame Edge to join the Hong Alliance! Does anyone object?"
"An Invincible King-Level expert is certainly qualified to join!"
"I second the proposal!"
"Agreed!"
"No objections!"
One powerful being after another voiced their approval. Strength reigned supreme, and such a glorious record on the Outer-Domain Battlefield was the best proof of one's worth.
"Good!"
The Star-Robed Venerable nodded.
"Since the proposal has passed unanimously, I'll arrange for an envoy team to invite Flame Edge and welcome him into the Hong Alliance."
As his words fell, his figure blurred and vanished from the throne.
One after another, the powerful beings on the other thrones disappeared as well. In the blink of an eye, only the 108 ancient thrones remained in the magnificent hall.