Demon Race

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

"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 been crippled by the Beast Ancestor before meeting their end at the hands of Meng Tu Lord and Star Lord.

"The weak are prey to the strong. That has never changed."

Fang Yan tucked the Beast God Inheritance Token into his sleeve and rose to his feet. The plates of the Black Lotus Battle Armor gave off faint scraping sounds 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?"

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

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

Three days later, in the Virtual Universe.

When 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 a cold expression.

Crimson Flame King sat opposite her, and he 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 Universe Venerable?"

Fang Yan asked quietly.

"In the back."

Flame Ruins Lord lifted his wine cup and swept his gaze over the somewhat stifling atmosphere in the banquet hall.

"He'll be out soon."

Fang Yan nodded and glanced around the banquet 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 were rising talents who had only recently broken through to King-level.

Yet at this moment, the faces of these newly advanced King-level powerhouses all bore an unmistakable gravity.

The Beast Ancestor's shadow hung over everyone's heart.

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

"Nine Universe Venerable has arrived—"

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

Nine Universe Venerable emerged from behind them.

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

Fang Yan raised his brows slightly.

Nine Universe Venerable walked to the seat of honor, sat down, and swept his gaze across the banquet hall.

He smiled, his voice as bright as ever.

"Good, everyone is here. Drink."

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

The atmosphere in the banquet hall eased somewhat at Nine Universe Venerable's casual opening. Everyone raised their cups in turn.

Crimson Flame King emptied his cup in one gulp, wiped his mouth, and said in a muffled voice.

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

"I stole it from the Insect Race in a dangerous region of the universe."

Nine Universe Venerable answered casually, pouring himself another cup.

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

Nine Universe Venerable continued, "I gained quite a lot from that trip. Otherwise, I wouldn't have broken through to Venerable so quickly."

Crimson Flame King's eyes lit up.

"What dangerous region? I'll go too!"

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

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

Crimson Flame King curled his lip and said nothing more.

Fang Yan held his wine cup and listened quietly without interrupting.

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

"Everyone, I invited you here not only to drink, but also to announce something."

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

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

"I have decided not to establish a Universe Country."

The moment those words were spoken, low murmurs rose throughout the banquet hall.

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

He had long known Nine Universe 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 great job!"

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

Nine Universe Venerable shook his head, his gaze calm.

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

Ice Qiong King set down her teacup and glanced at Nine Universe Venerable, her voice cool.

"So you're still going to explore dangerous regions of the universe?"

"Yes."

Nine Universe Venerable nodded, a sharp gleam flashing through his eyes.

"My talent in the Time Law is not high. If I don't risk everything in those uncharted perilous lands and desperate regions, becoming a Universe Venerable may be the pinnacle of my achievements."

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

"If I do not become a Universe Lord, there will always be limits to what I can do for the race. Besides, the threat of the Demon Race is right before us."

After a while, seeing that the mood had become too heavy, Nine Universe Venerable sat back down, raised his cup, and spoke more casually.

"Enough of that. Drink."

The atmosphere in the banquet hall became lively again, but Fang Yan noticed that the faint ease between Nine Universe Venerable's brows had never faded.

Sky Pillar Peak, stone hall.

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

"One hundred and forty-two Advanced Universe Countries..."

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

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

But the Beast Ancestor's shadow still weighed on everyone's heart like a mountain.

Fang Yan sat cross-legged in the stone hall atop Sky Pillar Peak. Before him floated one hundred and forty-four Gu Worms.

The Gu Worms varied in size and form, yet every one of them radiated 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 humming sound.

They began to drift through the void, arranging and combining themselves along some profound trajectory.

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

The flames changed continuously as they spread, from crimson to golden orange, from golden orange to bright white, from bright white to deep blue.

At the instant the final Gu Worm ignited, the entire stone hall was engulfed in deep-blue flames.

The flames condensed into three thousand hair-thin lines of fire. Each line trembled at a different frequency and gave off a different tone.

The three thousand fire lines intertwined, forming a silent melody.

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

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

"The power isn't bad."

Fang Yan nodded in satisfaction.

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

Fang Yan stood and took out a World Ring, sealing the one hundred and forty-four Flame Path Gu Worms within it.

He walked out of the stone hall and came to the cliff summit of Sky Pillar Peak.