A few moments earlier,

At Vrislorin’s Coast.

Cao Lei and his army arrived. He obviously felt his sword as soon as it reappeared within the realm. And he wasted no time. This time, he moved himself and brought along most of his forces.

His aides had been led by the nose by Alexander and Alexia of Greed throughout the past years. He quickly understood that he would not be able to find ‘Jin’ by looking for him. It would not be that easy.

However, the feeling of his weapon could not be faked. There was a remnant of his soul within that weapon.

As soon as he felt the connection, he rushed.

Unexpectedly though, he was stopped before he could reach the lower Continent.

In the middle of the ocean, in front of him, was one of his greatest enemies: Hae-Hyuk.

“What the hell are you doing here, Hae-Hyuk?” coldly asked Cao Lei.

Hae-Hyuk unsheathed his sword and pointed it at Cao Lei: “What do you think?”

Cao Lei snickered: “You have not yet managed to break through the 70th stage, what gave you the balls to stand in front of me and my army alone?”

Hae-Hyuk did not answer.

Cao Lei glare deepened as he asked: “Why are you protecting him after all this time?”

Hae-Hyuk did not ponder before he replied: “This disciple of mine can die but certainly not by your hands”

Cao Lei glared at him in fury: “You goddamn fool!”

Then both attacked.

The heavens and earth were overturned by the crash of their power. All the beings under the 50th stage within a radius of fifty kilometers died from the sole residual impact of their clash.

They both retreated a moment later.

Hae-Hyuk stated: “You won’t be able to go over there”

Cao Lei admitted that Hae-Hyuk was right. Their strength was close to even. Too close. It would be impossible to determine a victor.

As for sending his forces forward first while he distracted Hae-Hyuk…It was likely that Hae-Hyuk would use a technique with a wide area of effect and slaughter them all.

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It was not worth it.

Cao Lei grit his teeth. He was truly stuck this time. He roared: “Hae-Hyuk! If you push me too far, you will regret it!”

Hae-Hyuk smirked: “You bark too much”

Cao Lei ordered his troops: “Go back and guard the territory”

The troops bowed and left without another word. It was not their place to do anything.

Cao Lei kept his gaze on Hae-Hyuk as he stated: “This is your last chance otherwise don’t blame for having to finish this once and for all”

Hae-Hyuk pointed the tip of his sword forward: “Exactly my thoughts”

They disappeared.

The Ocean parted under the might of their clashes.

…

Back at the Capital,

At the time Hae-Hyuk and Cao Lei encountered each other,

In the secret room within the spiritual ancient tree.

Cheng chuckled as he sent a pulse of spiritual energy into a talisman.

At that very moment, powerful explosions rang out and for a single instant, the formation under the Monarch’s throne dimmed.

At that same instant, Cheng threw a dagger.

The Monarch watched it move at him and did not move, trying to activate the formation.

But it did not work.

Under the astonished gaze of the Monarch, the dagger punctured through his chest all the way to his heart.

It was, however, not fatal due to his incredible vitality and link to the Ancient Tree.

But Cheng was not aiming for the kill.

He made a few hand signs as his palms glowed with spiritual energy and his will. Then he called out: “Activate!”

The 魂 character for the soul lit up on the dagger as the Monarch moved his hand to grasp the dagger and take it off.

However, it was too late. Cheng grinned as he called out: “Soul Puppetry – Sixth Technique – Control”

The Monarch stopped moving as his eyes glazed and the character appeared in red on his forehead.

Cheng laughed madly as he continued to make more and more hand signs.

Then, the formation lit up brightly in the red color. And on the opposite wall, a new formation was activated.

From within it emerged an item slowly.

A black chain.

It was so black that looking at it made one feel like they were looking into an abyss. It was the most frightening state of the color to exist.

Yet it made Cheng giddy.

“Finally…finally…”

Cheng stopped with the hand signs as he moved through the immobile branches extending all over the area and reached the item.

The chain was no longer than a meter in appearance yet Cheng was not fooled. This was the item that locked the formation on this part of the Lower Continent. It was not a simple item.

It was a supreme stage item, a grade 7 item.

This item was related to the greatest secret of this world. It was about the reason why there were lower and higher continents. It was about the rules themselves.

It was about the entire formation that spanned throughout the entire world, redirecting the spiritual energy from the lower continents to the higher ones.

The story was one that went back to the beginning of times and one that only the cultivators at the very top of this world were aware of. Such knowledge was beyond reach to most. Even some of the cultivators at the 69th stage did not know.

Cheng did.

He learnt of the story long ago when his Master crossed the 77th stage and ascended. He told him back then.

Unfortunately, his previous self never managed to get to one of those items. They were close to unreachable after all.

Locked within a formation on a lower continent that could only be opened by the present monarch in charge of protecting it.

If it was only that though, they would have long been stolen.

However, there was something else. If the item was merely touched, it would attract all the supreme cultivators of the righteous path hiding at the summit in-between the cracks of space. Those very people he just escaped from.

Being locked back in that room was not his goal…