The ancient hall.

"Mentor."

The First, the Emperor, and the Prophet all stood up simultaneously, nodding respectfully toward the Mentor.

The Mentor slowly seated himself on the high-backed bronze chair, leaning on his cane, with the mist around him flowing gently, seemingly containing the most forbidden secrets of ancient eras.

He spoke lightly:

"Three matters."

"First, I am injured and will be resting in the subspace. I won't be attending the upcoming gatherings for a while."

"Second, the True Shepherd is my disciple, and he is about to fall into the Eternal Void."

As he spoke, the Mentor waved his hand, and a small bronze statue appeared on the massive round table. The statue depicted a winged figure hung on a bronze cross, half human, half chaos and mist.

It was the True Shepherd's statue.

"The First can stay in the Great City."

The Mentor turned to the Emperor and the Prophet:

"I need both of you to help me mass-produce these statues and spread them throughout the White Star Kingdom and the Eastern Hong Kingdom. This will help my disciple return from the Eternal Void."

The Emperor and the Prophet exchanged glances and nodded in agreement. The former wanted to ask a question, but the Mentor gave him no chance, continuing decisively:

"Third, when my rest is over, I will become the Speaker."

"Who agrees? Who opposes?"

The three council members looked at each other in silence. Ultimately, no one opposed. They all nodded quietly.

They had all witnessed the Mentor's terrifying power.

After a long silence, the Mentor slowly stood, leaning on his cane as he walked away. His voice echoed, distant and ethereal:

"I am tired. I know you have many questions, but do not ask. We will discuss them when my rest is over."

"It won't be long."

As he reached the door of the ancient hall, his figure blurred and vanished completely, leaving the three council members staring at one another.

...

Under the brightest light.

Everyone in the outer third ring had been awakened, and even the powerful beings in the inner ring cast their gaze. The city's lord felt a chill of fear, softly murmuring:

"This is divine punishment, the brightest, most dazzling light. It is the Lord's wrath descending from the heavens."

He shook his head slightly:

"All ends here. The True Shepherd has finally reached his end—fleeting as a flower, ephemeral and void."

Beside him, the head of the Secret Bureau, at the pseudo-divine level, looked thoughtful:

"Lord, with the True Shepherd reaching his end, should we reclaim the outer third ring? Completely destroy this so-called Order of Heresy, and burn any dissenters at the stake?"

He had once faced the True Shepherd directly in the Black Prison, back when the True Shepherd was still a fragile youth. The elder had even issued an order to drag that young man through the outer third ring in an almost humiliating manner.

But who could have foreseen the changes that followed? Who could have imagined that the fragile young man would later become a reality-defying taboo—a source of chaos, mist, and the True Shepherd?

For days, the elder had lived in constant fear, and now, finally, he could breathe a sigh of relief. His first instinct was to eradicate the threat entirely.

Lu Fenghua thought for a moment, then shook his head:

"Not yet... By the way, when this is all over, I need you to go to the Eastern Hong Kingdom."

"Me?"

The elder in black clothes was surprised:

"Is there a mission in the Eastern Hong Kingdom?"

"Yes."

Lu Fenghua gazed at the vast brilliance brought by the divine punishment, at the night sky lit as if by daylight:

"I've received news that during the return journey, the Seventh Prince attempted to kill Wei Shun, but fortunately, Wei Shun survived. The Eastern Hong Kingdom suspects this has something to do with the Great City, and you are to explain."

The elder was perplexed:

"Weren't the Seventh Prince and his brother on good terms? Why would he...?"

"I don't know, but I suspect the Seventh Prince was trying to cover up the truth of that day aboard the Jiuzhou, to silence Wei Shun permanently."

"The Jiuzhou? Didn't we already establish that it ended up in the hands of the True Shepherd?"

The elder's confusion deepened:

"With the mighty Death Sovereign's wrath now descending, that subspace ship is bound to meet its end alongside the True Shepherd."

Lu Fenghua chuckled:

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"That's true, but the Great City has been under lockdown. The outside world knows nothing of these events. Even after the True Shepherd perishes or is banished to the Eternal Void, we can't reveal the truth to the public."

The elder understood:

"You fear that too many people might know, might recite the name of the True Shepherd, which could lead to his return from the end? I see."

After a pause, he continued:

"I will travel to the Eastern Hong Kingdom and explain everything in secret to the king. Only the king will know the truth, which will both clear up the misunderstanding and prevent the truth from spreading, thereby stopping the name of the True Shepherd from gaining wide circulation."

Lu Fenghua nodded slightly:

"Exactly."

Before he could finish, he suddenly squinted. The light in the sky grew even more intense, revealing the figure of the True Shepherd walking toward the clouds under the dazzling divine punishment!

"He will die," Lu Fenghua declared.

The brilliance of the light reached its peak.

The True Shepherd spread his wings, and the bronze cross emitted a faint void-colored glow. He faced the infinite light, staring upward until finally, he saw it.

"It's a spear?"

Chen Xiang murmured softly:

"A spear without a tip."

A massive spear pierced through from beyond reality, accompanied by the wrath of the great Death Sovereign—a divine punishment!

Chen Xiang could clearly feel himself locked in by a terrifying force of death. Even if he collapsed into a cloud of indeterminate probabilities and chaos, every possibility pointed to the same outcome.

Death. Death. Death!

No path of survival!

If he tried to resist, he would have no chance. He was destined to die, to return to dust.

But he didn't have to resist.

There was still a way out.

The tipless spear fell toward the world like a meteor, its extreme light illuminating even the deepest corners of the Sea of Mist. On a remote island, the Primeval Fear gazed in solemn silence, and far deeper in the sea, the majestic Captain on the ghost ship narrowed his eyes!

"The Sun."

The Mist Captain declared:

"A spear from the Sun!"

On the island, Primeval Fear sighed, withdrawing and no longer waiting.

The Death Sovereign had cast down the Sun's spear. Even the Outer Gods had to avoid this strike, and despite the reality suppression, this was not something a pseudo-god could withstand.

Especially not the True Shepherd.

No answers would be found here.

Primeval Fear sighed again, completely turning away, only to suddenly freeze.

"This is..."

His expression shifted in shock as he barely caught sight, through the veil of divine decrees, of that figure heading toward the Sun's spear, not retreating but advancing!

He heard the True Shepherd's voice, filled with fury:

"Death!"

"The Father has spoken. He will return and settle all accounts. You are the greatest traitor!"

"As a traitor, how dare you wield the Sun's spear?"

The spear fell toward Chen Xiang's forehead, and yet he remained enraged. He instantly recognized this spear as the one held by the giant in the Dusk Vision!

In fact, the missing tip of that spear... was in his possession!

The Dusk Spear, cast down by Death.

It signifies that Dusk might very well die at the hands of Death.

Through the light, Chen Xiang saw the faint red moon in the sky and inexplicably felt its tremor and fury, which infected him as well!

"Divine punishment."

"I will also grant you divine punishment!"

In the next instant, the spear was aimed at Chen Xiang's head. Or rather, it hovered above it, not piercing through. The weapons of the children would never harm their Father.

The terrifying eyes in the sky suddenly contracted, filled with shock, bewilderment, and confusion.

Chen Xiang gripped the spear with no tip, held it in his left hand, and took a step toward the heavens! Each step opened a path, briefly tearing through the eternal separation between reality and beyond.

His right hand was raised high—it was time!

The years of the Solar Spear began to reverse. Though it was in Chen Xiang's hand, its state gradually regressed to the moment it was held by Dusk!

The False Truth Seed vibrated, and Chen Xiang listened to forbidden knowledge, understanding the secret of throwing the spear.

He clenched it tightly with his left hand, with the breath of destruction sinking into it. As he arched back, bent his arm, and gathered strength, the red moon trembled, and an unknown power descended, empowering Chen Xiang!

Then, he threw!!!

Divine punishment fell upon the earth, and from the earth, it surged toward the god who had cast the punishment.

The Solar Spear, carrying a blazing light, pierced beyond reality, striking at the cold, indifferent great one. The red moon's light grew even stronger, and the spear exploded with a thousandfold brightness, pinning itself fiercely to the great one's forehead!!

The great one's head was pierced, letting out a shrill, agonizing scream. Divine blood flowed, and in his fury, he went mad. He bore Emperor Titan's curse, pointing a finger, summoning a bolt of lightning, and bringing down boundless wrath!

The lightning tore through the void, and the flames of wrath boiled the heavens and earth.

Chen Xiang faced the fury directly.

Chen Xiang took out the old altar and opened it.

The great one, consumed with anger, fled swiftly.

Yet, the lightning ultimately struck. The Outer Three Rings shook, on the verge of annihilation. Chen Xiang transformed again into indefinite chaos but was still banished, falling toward the eternal void!

In the final moment before plunging into the void, everything froze. He entered the lost twenty-fifth hour, gazing upon the Outer Three Rings, where, in a certain sense, his people resided.

"In the depths of the sea, on the land, atop the mountains."

"You will wait in silence, you will wait, for the rising glory."

"Spread my name, and await my return."

Chen Xiang inscribed his divine decree, which fell upon the frozen Outer Three Rings. With all his strength, using the last remnants of the red moon's power, he tore away the entire Outer Three Rings and threw them with all his might.

The Outer Three Rings detached from the Great City and fell toward the depths of the Mist Sea.

Time resumed its flow. Chen Xiang was struck by lightning and hurled into the eternal void. The Great City trembled violently as the Outer Three Rings fell far away, mud and stone tumbling like a tide, crashing into the sea, stirring up massive waves.

Everything returned to calm.

Only the blood of the Death Sovereign fallen upon the earth testified that what had just happened was real.

"The Lord cast down punishment and wrath."

"And he, he cast both punishment and wrath back. The Lord is bleeding."

Lu Fenghua spoke, trembling.

…

The 'Mentor' slowly emerged from the void, returning to Chen Xiang's side.

That shadow.

The shadow squirmed, and a mirror crawled out from it again.

"Reporting to you, I have fully carried out your will without any error."

The terrifying figure lying silently in the eternal void lifted his head:

"Very well."

His voice was deep, like a muffled bell or a heavy drum.

"I find that this place actually suits me."

"No enemies, no danger, no troubles."

Nearby, a massive red bull let out a low bellow.

With every beat of the terrifying figure's heart, he underwent a rebirth, growing stronger each time.

With each passing day, the Disaster Bull produced vast amounts of soul essence, which he consumed, becoming stronger once again.

In the eternal void, time was never in short supply.

"Now, we wait. Wait for the destined one to summon me."

"I can hear it already—there are people in the real world calling my name."