Demon Race

Gui Yi King's intelligence report was brief, containing only a few sparse lines.

"The Red Scale Race has been exterminated."

"The Black Armor Race has been exterminated."

The territories of both races had been razed by the Demon Race army under the Beast Ancestor. Their Universe Lords had first been crippled by the Beast Ancestor, then met their ends at the hands of Meng Tu Lord and Star Lord working together.

"The strong prey on the weak. That has never changed."

Fang Yan put the Beast God Inheritance Token in his hand into his sleeve and rose to his feet. The plates of the Black Lotus Battle Armor gave off a faint rasp as he moved.

Hei Miaomiao's voice came from within the armor, carrying a trace of unease.

"Fang Yan, are we really going to that Ancestral God Secret Realm or whatever it's called?"

"Don't worry. We have someone backing us there."

Fang Yan stroked the Black Lotus Battle Armor. Among the countless living beings of the Primordial Universe, how many knew that the Wind Beast God was a fat cat?

Three days later, in the Virtual Universe.

By the time Fang Yan stepped through the hall doors, quite a few people were already seated in the banquet hall.

Ice Qiong King sat near the front on the left, dressed in green and wearing an indifferent expression.

Crimson Flame King sat opposite her and did not seem to be in a particularly good mood either.

Flame Ruins Lord gave Fang Yan a slight nod when he entered.

"Ancestor."

Fang Yan stepped forward to pay his respects, then took a seat below Flame Ruins Lord.

"Where is Nine Universes Venerable?"

Fang Yan asked softly.

"He's in the back."

Flame Ruins Lord raised his wine cup, his gaze sweeping over the somewhat subdued atmosphere in the banquet hall.

"He'll be out soon."

Fang Yan nodded and swept his gaze across the hall.

There were not many attendees, but every one of them was a Human Race powerhouse at King level or above.

He noticed several unfamiliar faces. Judging by their auras, they should have been rising talents who had only recently broken through to become Kings.

Yet at this moment, the faces of these newly advanced Kings were all marked by an unconcealable gravity.

The Shadow of the Beast Ancestor weighed upon everyone's heart.

Fang Yan lifted the wine cup before him and took a light sip.

"Nine Universes Venerable has arrived—"

At the attendant's announcement, the doors at the back of the banquet hall slowly opened.

Nine Universes Venerable emerged from behind them.

He still looked as bright and composed as ever, dressed in a silver-white robe with his long hair casually tied behind his head. The aura around him was even more profound than when Fang Yan had last seen him, as though he had merged with the entire void.

Fang Yan raised an eyebrow slightly.

Nine Universes Venerable walked to the seat of honor and sat down. Raising his wine cup, he swept his gaze across the banquet hall.

He smiled, his voice as clear as ever.

"Since everyone's here, drink."

With that, he tipped back his head and drained the wine in his cup.

Nine Universes Venerable's casual opening loosened the atmosphere in the hall somewhat, and everyone raised their cups in turn.

Crimson Flame King emptied his cup in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and asked in a deep, booming voice.

"Nine Universes, this wine is good. Where'd you get it?"

"I snatched it from the Bug Race in a dangerous region of the universe."

Nine Universes Venerable answered casually, pouring himself another cup.

Fang Yan froze for a moment and touched his neck. Did Gu Worm count as bugs?

Nine Universes Venerable continued, "That trip brought in quite a haul. Otherwise, I wouldn't have broken through to Venerable so quickly."

Crimson Flame King's eyes lit up.

"What dangerous region? I'm going too!"

"The Ten Thousand Ice Astral Qi Sea. You can't go there."

Nine Universes Venerable shook his head, a faint smile on his lips.

Crimson Flame King curled his lips and said nothing more.

Holding his wine cup, Fang Yan listened quietly without interrupting.

After several rounds of wine, Nine Universes Venerable set down his cup, his expression growing more serious.

"Everyone, aside from drinking, I invited you here to announce something."

The banquet hall fell silent, and every gaze turned toward Nine Universes Venerable.

Nine Universes Venerable rose to his feet and stood before the seat of honor with his hands behind his back. His silver-white robe glowed faintly beneath the starlight.

"I've decided not to establish a universe country."

The moment he spoke, low murmurs rose throughout the banquet hall.

Fang Yan's heart stirred, but his expression remained unchanged.

He had long known Nine Universes Venerable would make this decision. The future Nine Universe Master had never been someone who would allow power and authority to bind him.

"Nine Universes, being a universe country lord is a pretty good job!"

Crimson Flame King was the first to jump up, his eyes wide.

Nine Universes Venerable shook his head, his gaze calm.

"I don't have the patience for it."

Ice Qiong King set down her teacup and looked up at Nine Universes Venerable, her voice cool.

"So you still intend to venture into dangerous regions of the universe?"

"Yes."

Nine Universes Venerable nodded, a glint flashing through his eyes.

"My talent in the Time Law isn't particularly high. If I don't fight for it in those untouched dangerous regions and desperate lands, Universe Venerable may be the highest achievement I ever reach."

He turned around, his gaze passing over every face in the banquet hall.

"If I don't become a Universe Lord, what I can do for the race will always be limited. Besides, the threat of the Demon Race is right before us."

After a while, seeing that the mood had grown too heavy, Nine Universes Venerable sat down again, picked up his wine cup, and spoke more casually.

"Enough of that. Drink."

The banquet hall gradually became lively again, but Fang Yan noticed that the hint of ease between Nine Universes Venerable's brows never faded.

Sky Pillar Peak, stone hall.

Fang Yan opened his eyes and looked through the stone hall's window at the vast Xingkong outside.

"One hundred and forty-two high-level universe countries..."

He murmured to himself, recalling the remark Nine Universes Venerable had casually made at the banquet.

The Human Race was developing even faster than he had expected.

Yet the Beast Ancestor's Shadow still hung over everyone's hearts like a great mountain.

Fang Yan sat cross-legged within Sky Pillar Peak's stone hall. Before him floated one hundred and forty-four Gu Worms.

The Gu Worms varied in size and appearance, yet each emitted a scorching aura.

They were all rank-five Flame Path Gu Worms.

Fang Yan opened his eyes, and the flickering firelight on the Gu Worms reflected in his silver-white pupils.

He raised his right hand and lightly tapped the air with his index finger.

All one hundred and forty-four Flame Path Gu Worms beat their wings at once, producing a low hum.

They began moving through the void, arranging and combining themselves according to an intricate pattern.

Crimson flames ignited on the first Gu Worm, then the second, the third...

The flames' colors continuously changed as they spread, shifting from crimson to golden orange, from golden orange to brilliant white, and from brilliant white to deep blue.

When the final Gu Worm was ignited, the entire stone hall was enveloped in deep-blue flames.

The flames condensed into three thousand strands of fire as thin as hair. Each strand trembled at a different frequency, producing a different tone.

The three thousand fire strands intertwined, forming a silent symphony.

"Flame Path killing move—Three Thousand Flame Qi Radiance!"

Fang Yan softly spoke its name, released the one hundred and forty-four Gu Worms, and let them return to his sleeve.

"Not bad."

Fang Yan nodded in satisfaction.

He estimated that this killing move was already no weaker than the ninth level of the future Flame Divine Weapon, "Even the Immortal Can Be Opposed."

Fang Yan rose to his feet, took out a World Ring, and sealed the one hundred and forty-four Flame Path Gu Worms inside.

He walked out of the stone hall and arrived at the cliff's edge atop Sky Pillar Peak.