Declaration of War

Inside the council hall, the leaders of the four great clans reached a consensus. Though the atmosphere remained heavy, it was now sharpened by a shared spirit of defiance.

"The Soul Clan's influence is deeply entrenched," Gu Yuan mused, his gaze sweeping across the group. "Since we have formed an alliance, we must strike like thunder and strive to shatter their foundations."

Flames rose slightly around Yan Jin as he said in a deep voice, "Agreed! If we are to fight, we must make them bleed! I propose that in one month, we officially declare war on the Soul Clan. During this month, we must familiarize ourselves with our new Spirit Skills and consolidate our internal forces."

Lei Ying's voice rumbled like muffled thunder as he concurred, "One month is enough time to make full preparations! I look forward to using those Soul Clan scumbags to test the power of my new Spirit Skill!"

Lin Hai nodded slightly. "Agreed. When the month is up, I shall be there."

With the matter settled, the clan heads were filled with surging excitement, eager to return and contemplate the Heaven-tier Advanced Spirit Skills they had long dreamed of.

Lin Hai did not linger in the Ancient Realm. After bidding farewell to Gu Yuan, he took the four Spirit Saints of the Magical Beast clan, tore through space, and returned to Wutan City in the Gama Empire.

In the backyard of the Xiao Clan, space rippled slightly, and Lin Hai's figure emerged.

The four seven-star Spirit Saints remained hidden within the void, acting as secret guardians.

He handed over the nine sets of ingredients for Grade 8 medicinal pills he had exchanged from the Myriad Medicine Pavilion in Sky Medicine City, along with three large storage rings containing seven hundred types of Tier 6 Beast Fire, to Yao Chen.

Yao Chen took the rings, swept his divine sense through them, and gasped, his hands trembling.

Nine complete sets of Grade 8 medicinal pill ingredients!

Their value was immeasurable, enough to drive any alchemist to madness!

The seven hundred types of Tier 6 Beast Fire left him even more dumbfounded.

"M... Master, this is..." Yao Chen's voice was dry.

"Refine the materials as soon as possible. The Beast Fire is for Xiao Yan; keep it safe for now," Lin Hai instructed. "In one month, the continent will undergo a massive upheaval."

Yao Chen's expression tightened. Though he did not know the specifics, anything that warranted such a solemn warning from Lin Hai had to be a world-shaking event.

He immediately replied sternly, "Rest assured, Master! This old man will refine them with all my might!"

Having made these arrangements, Lin Hai flashed away and entered the cultivation chamber in the deepest part of the back mountain.

He, too, had to prepare for the battle one month away.

Inside the chamber, Lin Hai sat cross-legged.

With a flip of his palm, the soul jade slip containing the Mysterious Underworld Heaven-Covering Seal appeared in his hand.

As for the Great Thousand Creation Palm, it had been directly bestowed by the system and was already deeply ingrained in his soul memory like an instinct; he could cast it with a mere thought, requiring no deliberate practice.

He immersed his soul power into the jade slip.

In an instant, a vast stream of information, desolate, majestic, and carrying endless nether death energy, flooded his mind.

It was as if he were standing in an endless void of darkness, where a blurred, colossal shadow stood between heaven and earth. As its palm lifted, all laws withered beneath it, space froze, and even light could not escape. It felt as if a domain of absolute death was expanding, intending to swallow and shroud the entire firmament!

It was a power of extreme cold and destruction, the polar opposite of the grand, life-giving creation of the Great Thousand Creation Palm.

Heaven-tier Advanced Spirit Skills contained the fundamental truths of the laws and were extremely difficult to cultivate. Even for a Spirit Saint, it would usually take a long time to comprehend and hone them.

But Lin Hai was no ordinary man.

His soul realm had already reached the Emperor Realm, and his comprehension was peerless.

The obscure and complex energy circulation paths and the profound, deep law imprints were understood, digested, and absorbed at an astonishing speed under the dissection of his powerful soul force.

The vast, star-like Spirit Qi within his body began to circulate according to the unique paths of the Mysterious Underworld Heaven-Covering Seal. It was a bit stiff at first, but it soon became smooth and fluid.

A heart-stopping aura of destruction slowly began to permeate from Lin Hai's body, though it was firmly contained within the chamber.

Behind him, in the void, a blurred black handprint, seemingly condensed from endless nether energy, slowly emerged. Although it was still faint, the intent to cover the sky and freeze all things had already begun to take shape.

Days passed.

Lin Hai was completely immersed in the cultivation of the Mysterious Underworld Heaven-Covering Seal.

His understanding of this Spirit Skill improved rapidly, and the black handprint grew increasingly solid, emitting a more terrifying aura.

Meanwhile, in the outside world, the entire Spirit Continent appeared calm, but dark currents were surging beneath the surface.

The three behemoths—the Ancient Clan, the Flame Clan, and the Thunder Clan—were secretly mobilizing their forces in a race against time. Countless elite experts were recalled, and resources were diverted toward the war effort.

The three clan heads remained in seclusion, frantically practicing their newly acquired Heaven-tier Advanced Spirit Skills, hoping to grasp an extra ounce of power before the great battle.

The mountain wind was rising, signaling the coming storm.

A cataclysmic tempest that would sweep across the entire continent was quietly approaching, ticking down with every second of the final month.