Sitting Mountain Guest's Scheme

Both of these ruins were left behind by Void God King? Or had Sitting Mountain Guest laid them both out in Void God King's name?

"Let me try." Lord Peng Gong stepped forward, his purple-gold armor bursting with dazzling light.

"Peng Gong secret technique-Star-Shattering Fist!"

He unleashed a punch, its force condensing into a purple-gold meteor. Carrying a force that could crush dry weeds and smash rotten wood, it slammed toward the gray figure.

The gray figure merely raised one hand and gave a casual wave.

The purple-gold meteor struck what seemed to be an invisible wall and exploded, scattering into countless points of light. The gray figure did not budge; even the hem of his robe remained still.

Lord Peng Gong's expression turned extremely ugly. He had put eighty percent of his strength into that punch, yet he could not even make his opponent move a single step?

"I'll do it." Qin Yuan stepped forward.

His divine power had not fully recovered, and he could only draw on about half his strength at his peak. But he had no choice. He had to pass this trial to learn the ruins' true secret.

Qin Yuan took a deep breath and loosely curled his right hand.

The Time Law and Space Law intertwined in his palm, and the hazy gray palm imprint took shape once more.

"Time-Space-Return to the Ruins."

He struck with his palm.

This time, the gray figure finally reacted. Instead of responding as casually as he had to Lord Peng Gong, he thrust out both palms and condensed a translucent barrier before him.

The hazy gray palm imprint landed on the barrier without a sound. But countless fine cracks appeared on its surface, spreading in every direction like a spiderweb.

The gray figure glanced down at the ground beneath his feet and fell silent for a moment.

"Passed."

As the word faded, the gray figure turned back into mist and drifted into the crystal ball. At the same time, the beast-hide scroll on the stone platform rose of its own accord and landed in Qin Yuan's hand.

"This..." Lord Peng Gong stared, dumbfounded. "My full-strength punch couldn't even make him move, and you passed with one palm strike, kid? And you're still half-crippled right now?"

Qin Yuan did not answer. Instead, he unrolled the beast-hide scroll.

A stream of information surged into his mind.

"Void God King Inheritance: Advanced Chapter-Congratulations on passing the first trial. The core of the Void Dao lies in 'nothingness.' Something is born from nothing, and something returns to nothing. This is the advanced chapter. Comprehend its mysteries, and you may enter the second realm of the Void Dao."

"The Void Dao has nine realms in all. Each trial passed grants one level of the inheritance. Complete all nine, and you may become the Void God King."

"The next trial lies in the deepest part of the Primal Star's central region-the Void Hall."

The Void Hall!

Qin Yuan put away the scroll, a plan already forming in his mind. This Void God King inheritance was very likely one of the ultimate opportunities Sitting Mountain Guest had left on the Primal Star. The Void Hall might hold clues to Sitting Mountain Guest's true identity, perhaps even an opportunity to break through to the True God realm.

"Let's go find the Lord of Darkness and Lord Huang Jian," Qin Yuan said.

The two continued deeper into the ruins.

After he had passed the trial, the oppressive effect of the chaos mist on Qin Yuan seemed to lessen considerably. He could clearly sense the patterns of space folding within the mist, and soon found a hidden passage behind the side hall.

At the end of the passage was an enormous underground palace.

At its very center, the Lord of Darkness and Lord Huang Jian were trapped inside a dome of light. Both sat cross-legged with their eyes tightly shut and faces pale. Clearly, their souls had suffered considerable erosion.

Outside the dome, Chaos City Lord was locked in fierce battle with a gray figure.

That gray figure was countless times stronger than the trial figure in the side hall. Every movement carried the power to destroy heaven and earth. Although Chaos City Lord was a peak seventh-tier Universe Master, he could barely protect himself against the gray figure's assault and could not get anywhere near the dome.

"City Lord!" Qin Yuan and Lord Peng Gong rushed into the underground palace.

A flash of joy appeared in Chaos City Lord's eyes when he saw them, but his expression quickly grew grave again. "Careful! That's the guardian of the ruins. His strength rivals a True God's! Don't fight him head-on. Find a way to break the dome and rescue Darkness and Huang Jian!"

A True God-level guardian of the ruins?

Qin Yuan sucked in a breath of cold air. Though only one major realm separated a True God from a Universe Master, the difference in strength was as vast as that between clouds and mud. Even the weakest True God could easily crush a group of peak Universe Masters.

The fact that Chaos City Lord had held out this long against such a being was proof enough of his strength.

"System, analyze how to break the dome."

[Analyzing...]

[Target: Soul sealing dome (True God level)]

[Method: Attacks must be launched simultaneously from inside and outside. Those trapped inside must burn their soul power to strike the dome, while a powerful expert proficient in the Soul Law or Time Law must assist from outside. Only by combining their efforts can the dome be broken.]

[System notice: The Lord of Darkness and Lord Huang Jian have suffered severe soul damage and can no longer attack from within. Use of Soul Awakening Potions is recommended to temporarily restore their soul power.]

"How many points does a Soul Awakening Potion cost?"

[Soul Awakening Potion (effective below the True God level): 3,000 points per bottle.]

[Current points: 8,400.]

"Exchange for two bottles."

[6,000 points deducted. Points remaining: 2,400.]

[Soul Awakening Potion ×2 delivered to System Space.]

Without hesitation, Qin Yuan took out the two potions and charged toward the dome.

"Qin Yuan! Careful!" Chaos City Lord shouted.

The gray figure seemed to sense Qin Yuan's intention and struck at him with a palm. The blow contained the terrifying power of a True God, shattering space inch by inch in its path and leaving a pitch-black spatial rift.

"Star River Domain-Starlight Shield!"

"Time Stop!"

Qin Yuan unleashed every defensive measure he had, but did not slow down, continuing to charge toward the dome.

The gray figure's palm shattered the Starlight Shield, pierced through the domain of Time Stop, and finally struck Qin Yuan.

Pfft-

Qin Yuan spat out a mouthful of golden divine blood and flew backward like a kite with its string cut.

But at that same moment, the two bottles of potion in his hand landed precisely on the dome.

The bottles shattered, and the emerald-green liquid seeped through the dome, turning into two rays of light that entered the space between the Lord of Darkness's and Lord Huang Jian's brows.

Both opened their eyes at once!

"Attack from inside and out! Break the dome!" Qin Yuan roared.

The Lord of Darkness and Lord Huang Jian immediately understood the situation. Both burned their soul power and struck the dome from within. Qin Yuan forced his grievously wounded body to keep going, using the Time Law to assist from outside.

The dome shuddered violently, and countless cracks appeared on its surface.

At last, with a crisp shattering sound, the dome broke apart completely!

The Lord of Darkness and Lord Huang Jian escaped.

"Go!" Chaos City Lord shouted. Sweeping up the four of them, he immediately used spatial teleportation, and they vanished from where they stood.

The gray figure did not give chase. It stood quietly where it was, watching the five depart, a glimmer of satisfaction seeming to flash in its eyes.

"An interesting little fellow... Master Yuan, this prospect you chose isn't bad."