A hidden void sanctuary.
Flames imbued with searing heat and rebirth power surged, gradually forming the figure of Nine Phoenix Great Saint.
“Why did Great Saint Milky Way only act against me and Shadowfiend?” Nine Phoenix’s thoughts couldn’t 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.
“Was it because my battle with Shadowfiend caused multiple universes to collapse prematurely?” 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 fallen—and so had Shadowfiend’s—for Nine Phoenix, this was not the worst outcome.
In fact, she was quite satisfied. Sacrificing a body to take down one of Shadowfiend’s 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 couldn’t understand now was why Great Saint Milky Way treated her and Shadowfiend so differently from the other Chaos Great Saints.
“No matter. Since he harbors killing intent toward us, if I keep fighting Shadowfiend, I might draw Great Saint Milky Way's attention again…”
A trace of madness flickered in Nine Phoenix’s eyes. Her karmic connection with Shadowfiend ran deep; through it, she could sense his approximate location.
“There.”
She looked toward a direction. With her karmic sense, she located the origin of Shadowfiend’s karma.
Swish!
Her figure vanished as she flew toward the region where Shadowfiend was.
“Did Great Saint Milky Way strike because he sympathized with the lives destroyed in the universes we affected?” Shadowfiend Great Saint looked grim. From Lin Yuan’s final words, he inferred as much.
And it made him even more incredulous.
Such a powerful figure… could still be that merciful?
“Hm?”
Suddenly, Shadowfiend’s 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 Phoenix’s true body rapidly approaching him.
“Madwoman. Nine Phoenix, you lunatic.”
Shadowfiend’s scalp tingled. Normally, after losing one’s primary combat form, the smart move was to retreat and slowly rebuild.
But to recklessly mobilize her final true body? It was madness.
“She’s trying to draw Milky Way’s attention and drag me down with her?”
The intent behind Nine Phoenix’s actions quickly became clear.
Even with her last body, she couldn’t 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 couldn’t kill him—but Milky Way could.
She was clearly aiming to take them both down together.
“I'm out of here.”
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 realm—
A tall figure coalesced: a projection of Savage Great Saint.
He gazed at the distant secret realm.
The realm’s master was a Chaos Great Saint whose strength surpassed even Savage’s.
Soon—
Savage’s projection stepped inside.
“Brother Shiguang,” 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.
“You’re here, Savage.”
Shiguang glanced at him calmly.
“Mm.” Savage nodded.
Out in the world, he acted wildly, but in front of Shiguang, he was quite obedient.
“Brother 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 you’ll remember me—”
He immediately began to flatter.
“Thirteenth rank?” Shiguang smiled. No Chaos Great Saint disliked hearing that. Even Supreme Saints were pleased by such words.
“Just get to the point.”
Shiguang looked at him directly.
“You’ve probably heard what happened to me recently.” Savage spoke at once. “A 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 ‘Milky Way.’”
“Yes, I’ve heard.”
Shiguang nodded.
“That Milky Way Great Saint wants 1 billion Chaos Stones before he’ll release my main combat body. Brother Shiguang, you know I’m always broke. Where would I get 1 billion Chaos Stones?”
Savage sighed.
“True.”
Shiguang nodded again.
“Huh?”
Savage stared—just a nod?
“Brother Shiguang, I came to ask you to step in and negotiate with Milky Way on my behalf. With your strength, he’ll surely give you face.”
“I’m not asking to pay nothing, but 1 billion is too much. If he could drop it to 500M, I’d be willing to give you 100M as thanks.”
“You want me to negotiate?” Shiguang stared at him. “What if I get suppressed too?”
“You? Suppressed?” Savage was stunned. “With your power? No way, right?”
“Savage, think again,” Shiguang smiled.
“This Milky Way Great Saint suppressed eight of you—and even Dual-Source barely escaped. You think I can do what he did?”
He shook his head. “Savage, I can’t help you.”
“Brother Shiguang!” Savage grew anxious. “I’ll raise it to 200M… no, 300M!”
“I said no.”
Shiguang waved his hand. Savage’s projection was instantly ejected from the secret realm.
Rumble—
The realm’s entrance rapidly closed.
“Shiguang Great Saint…”
Savage frowned but had no choice but to seek help from another Chaos Great Saint.
Elsewhere, in a mysterious and misty land—
A faintly visible man sat on a throne, overlooking Heiyao Great Saint’s projection.
“You want my help?”
“Yes.”
“You and I roamed together in the past. I saved your life once, and you said you owed me.”
Heiyao gazed up at the man. This Chaos Great Saint’s strength was nearly that of a Supreme Saint. If not for an incompatible Chaos evolution path, he would have broken through already.
“True. I do owe you.”
The man nodded. “But not for this.”
“You won’t help?”
“Why don’t you ask a Supreme Saint instead?”
“Ask a Supreme Saint?”
Heiyao shook his head. “That’d be more expensive than just paying 1 billion.”
Hiring a Supreme Saint would cost far more. He wasn’t stupid enough to make that kind of loss.
“Pick something else,” said the man from the throne. “Something I can trade for.”
“What could I offer now?” Heiyao frowned. “My projection is still in Milky Way’s hands.”
“You can still trade.” The man’s voice was calm. “For example—let me borrow you a few hundred million Chaos Stones.”
Then he added, “Just borrow. You’ll pay me back.”
“…”
Heiyao fell silent.
Back in the Mysterious Emperor Universe—
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 Heiyao’s 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 World—one whose might might not be far from Lin Yuan’s external universe.
Note: Lin Yuan’s 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 Yuan’s universe, the Dark Heaven World had a fixed ceiling—its power was locked from the moment of formation.
Whereas Lin Yuan’s inner universe still had vast room to grow.
“Now, all that’s left in this Mysterious Emperor Universe are the Chaos Venerables.”
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 wouldn’t 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 Yuan’s true body headed straight for the deepest part of the Mysterious Emperor Universe—
Toward the tomb.
...
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