The Might of the Demon Island Vine

"Damn it, it never ends." Ancient Emperor Longzun stood firm, gripping her longsword. Chen Beixun had not allowed the Demon Island Vine to unleash its full strength; if it had gone all out, there wouldn't even be a speck of dust left within a few breaths.

Ancient Emperor Longzun's entire body erupted with golden light. She thrust her longsword forward, and a dazzling radiance instantly exploded outward.

"A Light Domain?" Chen Beixun frowned.

The Demon Island Vine's tendrils lashed out wildly at her, completely disregarding the domain.

Ancient Emperor Longzun shuddered, manifesting her divine might. Her entire body transformed into a beam of white light, with specks of radiance scattering into the surroundings until the entire space was illuminated. She vibrated her longsword, manifesting several brilliant cyan-green rays that struck toward the Demon Island Vine. As those rays neared, they transformed into countless slender needles before detonating instantly.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The Demon Island Vine had already laid out a killing formation. Ignoring the explosions, it flew toward Ancient Emperor Longzun, intent on strangling her. Ancient Emperor Longzun transformed into a stream of light to dodge, but the Demon Island Vine followed closely behind. Despite changing directions several times, Ancient Emperor Longzun could not shake it off. Several vines lunged directly at her.

In a manner akin to being torn apart by five horses, her life was brought to an end.

"Demon Island Vine..." Chen Beixun looked at this plant lifeform that had followed him for so long.

The Demon Island Vine is a rare type of plant life in the universe that possesses both offensive and defensive capabilities, as well as the ability to devour. Its growth method is extremely savage; it can consume anything from rock and metal to liquids. Such heaven-defying traits naturally make it rare.

128 main vines is the lowest grade, while 999 is the top tier. Chen Beixun's Demon Island Vine had grown to 431 main vines by the time it reached the World Lord level.

Most users of the Demon Island Vine are Immortals, and the price is calculated by the vine. Each vine costs 100 Hunyuan units. Like the Cloud-Touching Vine, the Demon Island Vine only recognizes one master; if the master dies, it dies as well.

Early-stage Demon Island Vines possess simple intelligence and can communicate briefly with their masters. By the time they reach the Universe level, they can generally communicate without barriers, but this also makes the conditions for the vine to recognize a master extremely harsh.

Swish!

Chen Beixun retracted the Demon Island Vine.

"Time to collect the spoils." He turned his head to look at the ground...

"Not bad! This longsword is quite good." Chen Beixun was busy gathering his loot.

"No wonder she could discover me; I've never even seen such a high-end detector before," Chen Beixun remarked.

"Four maps, a mysterious and extremely hard token, and a few pieces of E-grade metal. The rest is just trash."

"With these maps, the distribution of power on Tianwen Planet is much clearer. This person was the Palace Master of the Suanling Divine Palace and also the leader of the Longbai Race. Their race possesses a supreme treasure called 'All-Object Holy Water.' I reckon Ancient Emperor Longzun relied on this item to break through to the sixth rank of the Universe level."

"However, why is this map so strange?" Chen Beixun held a yellowed map, staring at it.

"Central Island? What the hell is that?" He was very puzzled.

"Forget it, let's head back to the ship first!"

Inside the spaceship's control cabin...

Chen Beixun sat on the sofa, feeling frustrated.

"I was too confident in my soul-searching ability at the time and failed to obtain key intelligence. As it stands now, my exposure is only a matter of time," Chen Beixun said.

"Perhaps I can let the Demon Island Vine devour this entire region, then use all my trump cards to help it break through to the Domain Lord level!"

"That should be feasible." As Chen Beixun pondered, his mind suddenly went 'buzz' with a realization. "Right! The radiation on this Tianwen Planet is extremely high. The radiation at the core of the source is enough to kill a Planet-level being! Doesn't the Demon Island Vine devour everything? I should let it absorb the radiation!"

His gaze suddenly sharpened, and he muttered to himself, "Before that, I need to use some special methods to make the Suanling Divine Palace submit."

"If I reason with them and they don't listen, I'll just have to use 'physical' persuasion."

"The Longbai Race has a large population, and most of their high-end combat power is in the Suanling Divine Palace... Hmm... that makes things easier."

The Suanling Divine Palace consists of one Universe-level (now dead), 254 Star-level beings—all at the ninth rank—and 5,000 Planet-level beings—all at the ninth rank.

The entire Longbai Race, with over 80 million people plus 10 million from other races, makes up the Longbai Empire. The Emperor is merely a puppet. After Chen Beixun's extensive investigation, he realized the information he got from the Holy Envoy regarding the number of powerhouses was from tens of thousands of years ago; the actual number of powerhouses on Tianwen Planet might be much higher.

Controlling the Suanling Divine Palace is essentially equivalent to controlling the Longbai Empire.

Chen Beixun used some 'physical' methods to make the Suanling Divine Palace submit and hosted a banquet...

"Everyone here is someone who understands the situation. Those who didn't like listening to my reasoning are now resting very peacefully. I hereby declare myself Ancient Emperor Suanjiang," Chen Beixun said, holding a wine glass in the great hall.

"I hope we can put aside our differences and develop together. Let us revitalize Suanling and strive for Great Harmony!"

Hundreds of Star-level and over three thousand Planet-level beings knelt before the hall and spoke in unison: "Put aside our differences, develop together. Revitalize Suanling, strive for Great Harmony!"

Chen Beixun smiled faintly and let the banquet continue.

After the banquet ended, Chen Beixun strolled through the massive palace, contemplating his next move.

"Let's sort out the current situation. The Suanling Divine Palace is under forced control; the next step is to go to the Longbai Race. Controlling them is equivalent to controlling the Longbai Empire."

"And that high-end detector—Ancient Emperor Longzun had one, so perhaps other Ancient Emperors have them too. The Demon Island Vine is already absorbing radiation, and with my many treasures, it reaching the ninth rank of the Universe level is only a matter of five or six days. Evolving to a Domain Lord is just a matter of time."

"This planet must hold a great treasure! With such high radiation levels, the underground cities couldn't possibly be unaffected."

"I have no intention of enslaving these two planets. Having suffered through the hardships of slavery myself, I certainly won't stoop to the level of those scoundrels, but that doesn't mean I'm kind-hearted."

At the same time...

Bingling Temple, Danluo King Palace.

"The High Priest says that Her Highness the Goddess was killed by an unknown force while en route to the Sound-Direction Clan," the man in the black robe said to the tightly shut doors of the great hall.

"Very well, envoy. This Emperor Jing has heard you. The journey was long; it has caused you, Great Envoy Leng, much toil and fatigue. I have already ordered rooms to be prepared for you to rest," a calm voice drifted from behind the sealed doors.

"This Humble One thanks Emperor Jing for his kindness." After saying this, the black-robed man departed with haste.

Emperor Jing remained very calm—terrifyingly calm.

"The path of cultivation is inherently cruel; you know this as well as I, as does everything in this ethereal void," Emperor Jing murmured, sitting upon his throne.

That throne, which symbolized supreme power, had always made it hard for him to breathe, and today, receiving such tragic news, he felt the weight even more. His clan relied on him, and the temple relied on him; he could not shed tears, nor could he afford the luxury of rage.

The word 'loneliness' had accompanied Emperor Jing from the start. When his clan faced disaster, he had stepped forward, carving out this temple and fighting his way to the top.

Emperor Jing possessed no heaven-defying fortune; he had only the resolve to defy fate itself.

Time flowed on.

Five months had already passed since arriving at Tianwen Planet...

Suanling Divine Palace.

"Ancient Emperor Suanjiang, this is Emperor Mu. May I come in for a visit?" A resonant voice echoed throughout the Suanling Divine Palace.

"Emperor Mu has arrived; I have failed to welcome you properly." Chen Beixun naturally knew of Emperor Mu's arrival. Emperor Mu had first notified the elders of the Suanling Divine Palace before coming directly to the main hall. This made one thing clear: Emperor Mu harbored no ill intent.

The two walked side by side through the palace, conversing happily about everything from cultivation insights to personal experiences.

"Indeed, when the secret realm opens, Ancient Emperor Suanjiang must be sure to come," Emperor Mu laughed.

"Very well. When I set out to leave this place, I will certainly bring Brother Mu along," Chen Beixun said cheerfully.

"The hour is late; I shall take my leave," Emperor Mu said.

Chen Beixun replied, "Until we meet again."

Watching the other depart, his gaze gradually turned somber.

Terrifying. Emperor Mu is only a hair's breadth away from becoming a Domain Lord. I must plan ahead. Chen Beixun's brows were locked in a tight frown, his expression that of one facing a formidable enemy.

I must have the Demon Island Vine evolve to the Domain Lord level as soon as possible.

To facilitate the evolution of the Demon Island Vine, Chen Beixun poured in a massive amount of resources, and finally...

The Demon Island Vine was growing frantically. After months of absorbing various substances and treasures, it had finally reached the threshold for breaking through to the Domain Lord level.

The space required for the Demon Island Vine to evolve was not actually very large, as it would condense itself into a sphere.

However, once the evolution was complete, the Demon Island Vine would need to stretch out, and it was only then that it required a significant amount of space.

Such an evolution, of course, had to be completed within Chen Beixun's World Ring.

He possessed two tools for storage: a Space Ring and a World Ring.

The World Ring was something he had obtained by sheer luck, used for storing more precious items or living creatures.

Among these items were the treasures needed for the Demon Island Vine's evolution.

Chen Beixun stroked the Demon Island Vine and took out an agate-like gemstone from the World Ring. The gem radiated pure life force from the inside out.

Chen Beixun placed the gemstone onto the vines of the Demon Island Vine, then immediately deposited the plant into the World Ring.

This would make the evolution more convenient.

The longer the Demon Island Vine evolved, the more its strength would naturally rise with the tide.

That gemstone was known as 'River-Reversing Ore'; it was of immense help to plant-based and rock-based life forms during their breakthroughs.

This brings us back to the world of the Ghostly World Lord, who possessed countless treasures. That World Lord was truly pitiful; rumor had it that he had spent over 9 million years in that state. Because his foundation was too solid, the shackles were too rigid to break, and he eventually died in regret.

Chen Beixun had obtained a total of 48 Hunyuan Units of treasure from the World Lord's world (excluding cosmic crystals), and that was merely the tip of the iceberg.

Some of those treasures were so significant that they would have stirred even Immortal-level powerhouses to fight for them.

This World Lord, known as the Ghostly World Lord, had reached a level of mastery in the Laws of Space that made many Immortals shrink back in hesitation; even with his vast hoard of treasures, no one dared to touch them.

It was strange that someone so powerful had never taken on a disciple, nor been granted a title of King or Marquis.

These past few days have been quite relaxed.

With the help of Chen Beixun, Luoduo has reached the first level of the Star-Level. Once he hit the Star-Level, Luoduo began to stand out; his terrifying comprehension allowed him to grasp the Origin Law of Wood. He is now on the verge of crossing the threshold of the laws.

Chen Beixun has not slacked off either, training in a place within the Suanling Divine Palace known as the Qinggan Palace.

The Qinggan Palace was built for the cultivation of the ancient emperors of each generation of the Suanling Divine Palace.

Inside the Qinggan Palace.

"Universe-Level three, eight crystals in the sea of consciousness, and a mental power amplitude of forty." Chen Beixun sat cross-legged on the stone bed, frowning.

"This is the highest I can reach for now. My own potential seems to have been developed to its limit; it looks like I am about to enter a long period of stagnation."

Universe-Level three is the limit of the body, the eight crystal stones are the limit of the will, and a mental power amplitude of forty is the limit of the mind; this mental power amplitude has had Chen Beixun stuck for nearly a hundred years.

"No amount of treasure is useful if my own comprehension cannot keep up. I am truly unwilling to accept this!" Having drifted until now, Chen Beixun has endured much mockery and has grown indifferent to fame and fortune.

At this, he could not help but fall into memories... more than 280 years ago...

On an earthy-yellow planet...

"It is all fleeting clouds. My goal is to become a powerhouse even stronger than those slave traders," Chen Beixun said.

"Haha, the little fellow has ambition. I have a ring here; use your mental power to take a good look," an old man with white hair said.

The old man was gaunt and bony, the tail behind him covered in scars, his cyan face lined with wrinkles. The cracked earth under the solar radiation cast the old man's shadow, and if one looked at the shadow, one could see the heroic spirit of his youth.

The wind, intensified by the heat waves, whipped up gusts of fine dust, slapping against the old man's face as if telling him it was time to go.

Chen Beixun took the ring, and as he looked up, the old man was flying in the sky, holding a long halberd. His divine might was fully displayed, causing the sun and moon to shift and day and night to alternate. This heaven and earth seemed as small as a speck of dust, and the mere waving of the long halberd was enough to make space ripple.

"Little fellow, watch this move well!" The old man seemed to transform into a meteorite, streaking across the night sky; then he turned into streaks of brilliant, seven-colored light, within which flickered wisps of the power of laws. The light then withered as rapidly as an epiphyllum, vanishing into the silent night sky.

"Listen well, you must become even stronger than those high and mighty Universe Lords! Your ambition must be great!" The old man's voice echoed in Chen Beixun's ears.

Memory ends...

"Universe Lords? Heh." Chen Beixun gripped the Gold Soul Stone. "For now, this is all I can do. I will condense the ninth crystal and see if it can improve my comprehension! If nine crystals aren't enough, then ten, eleven—until it works!"

The Gold Soul Stone emitted golden light. Through Chen Beixun's day and night of tireless research and usage, the light emitted by the Gold Soul Stone had long since engulfed Chen Beixun's body.

Chen Beixun sat cross-legged on the ground, forcibly tearing a piece off his soul. At this moment, Chen Beixun's face was ferocious, blood flowing from his seven orifices. The intense pain made it impossible for Chen Beixun to control himself, and the overflowing mental power caused cracks to appear on the surrounding stone walls.

Within his sea of consciousness, the white sphere was being carved by a blade forged from his will; at this moment, his entire body could not stop trembling, and blood seeped from the pores of his skin.

An indescribable, strange mist floated around Chen Beixun. At this moment, Chen Beixun seemed to be undergoing some kind of change.

His soul was undergoing a metamorphosis, and the benefits brought about by this soul transformation were immense.