A hidden void sanctuary.
Flames imbued with searing heat and rebirth power surged, gradually forming the figure of Nine Phoenix Great Saint.
âWhy did Great Saint Milky Way only act against me and Shadowfiend?â Nine Phoenixâs thoughts couldnât calm down.
As a wondrous lifeform born from the Chaos Void, she was naturally born with two true bodies. The one she used to roam the world was her main combat body.
The one currently hiding in this void sanctuary was her other true body.
In addition, Nine Phoenix had scattered various life-saving methods across the Chaos Void. Even if both true bodies were destroyed, she could still "revive" using those hidden means.
âWas it because my battle with Shadowfiend caused multiple universes to collapse prematurely?â Nine Phoenix pondered. Losing her main body was indeed a major loss, but not an unbearable one.
When she clashed with Shadowfiend with all her strength, she had already prepared for the possibility of that body being destroyed.
Now that it had fallenâand so had Shadowfiendâsâfor Nine Phoenix, this was not the worst outcome.
In fact, she was quite satisfied. Sacrificing a body to take down one of Shadowfiendâs was already more than she had hoped for.
Her path of Chaos evolution was centered on survival. Under normal circumstances, she could at most restrain Shadowfiend, and even achieving mutual destruction was extremely difficult.
What she couldnât understand now was why Great Saint Milky Way treated her and Shadowfiend so differently from the other Chaos Great Saints.
âNo matter. Since he harbors killing intent toward us, if I keep fighting Shadowfiend, I might draw Great Saint Milky Way's attention againâŠâ
A trace of madness flickered in Nine Phoenixâs eyes. Her karmic connection with Shadowfiend ran deep; through it, she could sense his approximate location.
âThere.â
She looked toward a direction. With her karmic sense, she located the origin of Shadowfiendâs karma.
Swish!
Her figure vanished as she flew toward the region where Shadowfiend was.
âDid Great Saint Milky Way strike because he sympathized with the lives destroyed in the universes we affected?â Shadowfiend Great Saint looked grim. From Lin Yuanâs final words, he inferred as much.
And it made him even more incredulous.
Such a powerful figure⊠could still be that merciful?
âHm?â
Suddenly, Shadowfiendâs expression changed. He looked sharply toward a certain direction.
The karmic connection between him and Nine Phoenix was mutual. Just as she could sense him, he could also sense her.
And right now, he clearly felt Nine Phoenixâs true body rapidly approaching him.
âMadwoman. Nine Phoenix, you lunatic.â
Shadowfiendâs scalp tingled. Normally, after losing oneâs primary combat form, the smart move was to retreat and slowly rebuild.
But to recklessly mobilize her final true body? It was madness.
âSheâs trying to draw Milky Wayâs attention and drag me down with her?â
The intent behind Nine Phoenixâs actions quickly became clear.
Even with her last body, she couldnât defeat him. But if they continued fighting, and Milky Way came out of the Mysterious Emperor Universe, he would surely notice.
Given how much Milky Way loathed them, he might just come to finish the job.
Nine Phoenix couldnât kill himâbut Milky Way could.
She was clearly aiming to take them both down together.
âI'm out of here.â
Without hesitation, Shadowfiend began teleporting to an even more distant region of the void.
There was no way he would continue this feud now.
Far away in another void domain, before a vast secret realmâ
A tall figure coalesced: a projection of Savage Great Saint.
He gazed at the distant secret realm.
The realmâs master was a Chaos Great Saint whose strength surpassed even Savageâs.
Soonâ
Savageâs projection stepped inside.
âBrother Shiguang,â he greeted a three-eyed man.
This three-eyed man, Shiguang Great Saint, had rampaged through numerous void domains hundreds of cosmic eras ago. His battle power had reached the peak of the Chaos Great Saint realm.
But for the last hundred cosmic eras, he had rarely shown himself, focusing on cultivation to challenge the thirteenth rank.
âYouâre here, Savage.â
Shiguang glanced at him calmly.
âMm.â Savage nodded.
Out in the world, he acted wildly, but in front of Shiguang, he was quite obedient.
âBrother Shiguang, your strength has become ever more unfathomable. I think your chances of breaking through to the thirteenth rank are quite high. If you become a time lifeform in the future, I hope youâll remember meââ
He immediately began to flatter.
âThirteenth rank?â Shiguang smiled. No Chaos Great Saint disliked hearing that. Even Supreme Saints were pleased by such words.
âJust get to the point.â
Shiguang looked at him directly.
âYouâve probably heard what happened to me recently.â Savage spoke at once. âA postnatal universe appeared. I used the Eye of Ten Thousand Laws to rush there at top speed, only to be suppressed inside by an ancient Great Saint named âMilky Way.ââ
âYes, Iâve heard.â
Shiguang nodded.
âThat Milky Way Great Saint wants 1 billion Chaos Stones before heâll release my main combat body. Brother Shiguang, you know Iâm always broke. Where would I get 1 billion Chaos Stones?â
Savage sighed.
âTrue.â
Shiguang nodded again.
âHuh?â
Savage staredâjust a nod?
âBrother Shiguang, I came to ask you to step in and negotiate with Milky Way on my behalf. With your strength, heâll surely give you face.â
âIâm not asking to pay nothing, but 1 billion is too much. If he could drop it to 500M, Iâd be willing to give you 100M as thanks.â
âYou want me to negotiate?â Shiguang stared at him. âWhat if I get suppressed too?â
âYou? Suppressed?â Savage was stunned. âWith your power? No way, right?â
âSavage, think again,â Shiguang smiled.
âThis Milky Way Great Saint suppressed eight of youâand even Dual-Source barely escaped. You think I can do what he did?â
He shook his head. âSavage, I canât help you.â
âBrother Shiguang!â Savage grew anxious. âIâll raise it to 200M⊠no, 300M!â
âI said no.â
Shiguang waved his hand. Savageâs projection was instantly ejected from the secret realm.
Rumbleâ
The realmâs entrance rapidly closed.
âShiguang Great SaintâŠâ
Savage frowned but had no choice but to seek help from another Chaos Great Saint.
Elsewhere, in a mysterious and misty landâ
A faintly visible man sat on a throne, overlooking Heiyao Great Saintâs projection.
âYou want my help?â
âYes.â
âYou and I roamed together in the past. I saved your life once, and you said you owed me.â
Heiyao gazed up at the man. This Chaos Great Saintâs strength was nearly that of a Supreme Saint. If not for an incompatible Chaos evolution path, he would have broken through already.
âTrue. I do owe you.â
The man nodded. âBut not for this.â
âYou wonât help?â
âWhy donât you ask a Supreme Saint instead?â
âAsk a Supreme Saint?â
Heiyao shook his head. âThatâd be more expensive than just paying 1 billion.â
Hiring a Supreme Saint would cost far more. He wasnât stupid enough to make that kind of loss.
âPick something else,â said the man from the throne. âSomething I can trade for.â
âWhat could I offer now?â Heiyao frowned. âMy projection is still in Milky Wayâs hands.â
âYou can still trade.â The manâs voice was calm. âFor exampleâlet me borrow you a few hundred million Chaos Stones.â
Then he added, âJust borrow. Youâll pay me back.â
ââŠâ
Heiyao fell silent.
Back in the Mysterious Emperor Universeâ
Lin Yuan studied the Heart of Dark Heaven in his hand.
A Supreme Saint-level treasure, once fully refined, it could form a Dark Heaven Domain.
Its power surpassed Heiyaoâs domain by a significant margin. Even an ordinary Chaos Great Saint could rise to the peak with it. And if a Supreme Saint refined it, it could manifest a Dark Heaven Worldâone whose might might not be far from Lin Yuanâs external universe.
Note: Lin Yuanâs external universe originated from his inner one, which had fused with the Sunborn Genesis and reached the second stage of Infinite Void. It was already on par with the inner universes of Supreme Saints.
The Dark Heaven World was especially valuable for Supreme Saints who lacked domain suppression techniques.
However, compared to Lin Yuanâs universe, the Dark Heaven World had a fixed ceilingâits power was locked from the moment of formation.
Whereas Lin Yuanâs inner universe still had vast room to grow.
âNow, all thatâs left in this Mysterious Emperor Universe are the Chaos Venerables.â
Lin Yuan moved his thoughts. Countless projections split off and scattered toward different regions of the universe.
Since he had already dealt with the Chaos Great Saints, he naturally wouldnât leave the many treasures in this place untouched. At the very least, every treasure noted on the beast hide map had to be secured.
Hundreds of projections headed to collect scattered treasures.
Meanwhile, Lin Yuanâs true body headed straight for the deepest part of the Mysterious Emperor Universeâ
Toward the tomb.
...
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