Star City Ruins.
The earth cracked open, and countless black spatial cracks crisscrossed through the sky.
The entire world resembled a shattered mirror, as if it were on the brink of total collapse.
At this moment, thousands of purple streaks of light streaked across the sky, tearing the space apart like a meteor shower, their unstoppable momentum rushing toward the ground.
However, just before these purple streaks hit the ground, they suddenly hovered in midair.
Below, Little Black was surrounded by ancient divine symbols. With one hand raised toward the sky, all the purple streaks of light instantly shattered into nothingness.
Witnessing this scene, Xiao You, who had been hovering in the high sky, decisively turned her gaze toward the west.
She just happened to see Po Jia's figure speeding toward her.
Realizing that she no longer had much time left, Xiao You forcibly suppressed the battle intent rising within her heart.
The purple magic sword in her right hand trembled violently.
It was clear that forcefully terminating the divine ascension challenge had caused the magic sword some damage, as a crack suddenly appeared on its surface.
Xiao You's expression darkened.
She knew that she could no longer continue fighting Little Black.
At this moment, Little Black's combat power had surpassed hers. Though she could hold on for a little while longer, if she didn't leave now, escaping would be impossible later.
As she gazed at Little Black, who stood on the shattered ground, a fleeting shadow of fear flashed in her eyes.
Since she had wielded the magic sword and started the divine ascension challenge, she had encountered many powerful enemies. She had faced many opponents that seemed insurmountable, but it was only in front of Little Black that she felt a sense of helplessness like never before.
Her strength was unleashed against Little Black, yet it felt like hitting cotton—there was no feedback from the strike.
But Little Black's strength grew in tandem with her own, constantly providing her with tangible pressure and feedback.
Such an opponent was terrifying.
The divine ascension challenge, when facing Little Black, didn't bring her any increase in strength.
The feeling of helplessness lingered.
It felt as though she was slashing at thin air, without the satisfying feedback of engaging in a fierce battle.
Just then, Little Black suddenly appeared beside her. His right arm, wrapped in divine symbols, crashed down toward her.
Facing the sudden attack, Xiao You decisively raised her magic sword to defend.
At the moment the magic sword made contact with the divine symbols, the crack on its surface deepened, and Xiao You's body turned into purple streaks of light as she plummeted toward the ground.
But just as she was about to hit the ground, Xiao You's figure suddenly vanished.
When Xiao You reappeared, she was inside a large spatial formation set up by the members of the Blade Demon Group. Po Jia had also entered the formation.
Before Little Black could strike, the spatial formation suddenly lit up, blue light rising into the sky.
In an instant, all the members of the Blade Demon Group vanished within the spatial formation.
Losing track of Xiao You, Little Black did not pursue her but slowly turned his gaze toward the west.
After a brief pause, Little Black raised both hands and forcefully tore forward. The sturdy space, like paper, was torn apart, and Little Black's figure flew into the rift.
Half an hour earlier.
The wind howled in his ears.
Star City rapidly shrank in Feng Qi's vision.
Though there was still a vast amount of knowledge left to be recorded, Little Black's arrival meant there was not much time left for him.
To avoid affecting Star City, his only option was to distance himself as much as possible.
With death approaching, Feng Qi decided to make use of Little Black for one last purpose before his end.
Little Black was the strongest opponent he had encountered in terms of combat power, though the exact extent of his strength remained unknown. Whether Little Black could defeat the Eight Great King Races, such as the Psionic Clan or the Blood Soul Clan, was also uncertain.
Even if the probability of defeating them was high, he couldn't risk drawing Little Black into the Psionic Clan or Blood Soul Clan's territory.
If the plan failed, it could bring a catastrophic blow to Star City.
For example, the Psionic Clan's time-reversal miracle could trace back and uncover the origins of their enemies. If Little Black failed to destroy the Psionic Clan, the Psionic Clan would surely retaliate against Zhang Daowen, who had sent him there.
Thus, he would not consider using Little Black against the Psionic or Blood Soul Clans.
The risks were far too great.
However, there was a force in the barren land that currently posed a threat to Star City. If Little Black could destroy them, it would give Star City more room to develop and breathe.
When the view of Star City faded from Feng Qi's eyes, Zhang Daowen led him further.
At that moment, a magnificent palace appeared in the distance.
The golden hall flickered above the dark clouds, with golden pillars outside the hall carved with numerous fierce beast figures, almost extending into the air. The terrifying pressure radiated in all directions.
Outside the hall, a silver-white carpet embroidered with gold stretched to the entrance, with figures in gorgeous battle armor standing neatly on either side. Their gazes overlooked all beneath the clouds. One could hear the sound of bells and drums coming from the hall, and celestial music swirled around, cleansing the soul.
At the very top of the cloud palace, a golden figure hovered in midair, radiating dazzling golden light.
In terms of imposing presence, Feng Qi felt that the Rift Heaven Divine Lord was the most prestigious among all the known powers.
Whether it was Little Black, the Psionic Clan, the Blood Soul Clan, or even the future Old Mist, none of them had the same level of grandeur as the Rift Heaven Divine Lord.
A divine temple, celestial warriors and generals as protectors, and the constant release of thousands of golden rays.
At a glance, this was clearly a superpower.
However, when it came to combat strength, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord was far from a match for the aforementioned powers.
[The "Gossiping God Lord" says, fighting may be lost, but grandeur must be maintained. I may not be as strong as you, but I definitely look stronger than you. This behavior, in fact, isn't entirely unreasonable; for example, many animals in nature use camouflage and bluffing to intimidate potential threats, making enemies reconsider their attacks or even feel fear... So, showing off isn't a mistake; the mistake is when the show-off is seen through.]
Upon hearing the narrator refer to the Rift Heaven Divine Lord as the "Gossiping God Lord," Feng Qi couldn't help but feel embarrassed.
But the title was indeed quite fitting for the Rift Heaven Divine Lord.
The Rift Heaven Divine Lord gave him the impression that he was either eating melon or on his way to eat melon.
As Zhang Daowen approached the cloud palace, the golden figure perched atop it suddenly opened its eyes, instantly locking onto the rapidly approaching Zhang Daowen. Its pupils constricted sharply.
"Zhang Daowen, what brings you here?"
A grand voice echoed throughout the heavens and earth, and a golden talisman slowly rose from the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's head.
Silver-armored soldiers immediately lined up, aiming their long spears at Zhang Daowen.
In response to the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's question, Zhang Daowen hovered about a thousand meters away from the cloud palace, then looked toward the Rift Heaven Divine Lord and spoke:
"Rift Heaven, how about a deal?"
"A deal?" The Rift Heaven Divine Lord asked, his tone indifferent.
"I'll trade something I have for some of your resources."
Upon hearing this, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord appeared very puzzled. His gaze shifted to Feng Qi, scrutinizing him carefully.
Just as the Rift Heaven Divine Lord was about to ask, "What makes this person special?" he suddenly raised his right hand.
At that moment, a small black bead appeared in the palm of his hand, and the bead trembled violently.
Upon sensing the miraculous item within Feng Qi's body, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord immediately understood why Zhang Daowen had chosen him for the trade.
This being had a miraculous item within.
But he couldn't understand why Zhang Daowen would bring someone with a miracle to trade for resources.
It didn't make sense.
Greed surged within him. Despite the suspicion, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord didn't immediately reject the deal.
He knew well how precious miraculous items were.
Without the blessing of a miraculous item, he would never have reached this point. The Rift Heaven Divine Clan would have long been obliterated in the stream of history.
If he could obtain another miraculous item, it would undoubtedly propel his power and the development of his race to new heights.
Greed and reason battled in his mind. The Rift Heaven Divine Lord took a deep breath, his gaze fixed on Zhang Daowen, waiting for his response.
"Recently, the Human race needs a large amount of resources. If you give me 80% of your clan's current resources, I'll give you this being... though I cannot guarantee that you will obtain the miraculous item within him. At least, I can't extract the miraculous item from him."
Hearing about the 80% of the resources, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord wasn't surprised.
Even asking for all the resources of the Rift Heaven Divine Clan would not have been unreasonable, given that the stakes were a miracle, a divine object whose value couldn't be measured by ordinary resources.
Now that the stakes were clear, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord felt a tremendous inner conflict.
Reason told him that something was amiss, and that this could very well be a trap set by Zhang Daowen. But the greed in his heart urged him to consider the possibility... What if?
Seeing that the Rift Heaven Divine Lord was still hesitating, Feng Qi wasn't surprised.
After all, anyone who had made it this far wasn't a fool.
The sudden offer of a trade appeared tempting, but upon careful thought, it made no sense. Zhang Daowen's actions were full of holes.
So, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's response was exactly what Feng Qi had anticipated.
His and Zhang Daowen's thoughts were simple: if they succeeded in deceiving the Rift Heaven Divine Lord, they would profit greatly.
If it failed, there would be no loss.
The current situation was that the Rift Heaven Divine Lord had not taken the bait. Feng Qi could see the desire in his eyes, but he had yet to agree to the deal.
Time passed, and eventually, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord seemed to make a decision. He looked toward Zhang Daowen, his voice cold:
"Our clan's resources are extremely scarce, and I have no intention of trading with you. Leave now."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Daowen's expression remained indifferent, and he softly said:
"Uncle Qi, this guy is not biting."
"As expected," Feng Qi replied, "Take me to him. Little Black should be almost here. Hopefully, it will wipe out the Rift Heaven Divine Clan."
Zhang Daowen nodded seriously and then suddenly threw Feng Qi toward the Rift Heaven Divine Lord:
"Good neighbor, since that's the case, I'll send you this one."
With a snap of his left hand, Zhang Daowen struck behind him, and instantly, ice crystals spread out, tearing open a spatial rift. He retreated into it, disappearing along with the rift.
At this moment, Feng Qi, enveloped in ice crystals, sped towards the Rift Heaven Divine Lord.
Faced with this unexpected gift, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's heart tightened with intense nervousness, a strong sense of danger rising from the depths of his being.
He decisively stretched out his hand to grab forward, and a surge of golden light burst from his body, enveloping Feng Qi's form.
Seemingly still not reassured, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord layered another shield of golden energy around Feng Qi's body.
With a wave of his hand, Feng Qi was pulled in front of him.
The Rift Heaven Divine Lord's gaze pierced through the golden energy barrier as he observed Feng Qi, then slowly raised his right hand.
The still-trembling miraculous locator bead proved that Feng Qi indeed possessed a miraculous item.
While greed stirred in his heart, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord also felt a rising fear of the unknown.
Clearly, Zhang Daowen wouldn't kindly offer him a miraculous item. There was something strange about the being in front of him.
As the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's mind wavered, his consciousness roamed over Feng Qi's body, attempting to detect the miraculous item within.
But at that moment, a black spatial rift suddenly appeared above the cloud palace.
The Rift Heaven Divine Lord immediately looked up.
His gaze met that of Little Black, whose body was now surrounded by intertwining ancient symbols. He involuntarily shuddered.
Little Black was no longer in a restrained state. The ancient characters on his body pulsed, exuding an ancient, primal aura that didn't belong to this era. It seemed as though he was a deity from the distant past, with every character around him a mark of the laws of heaven and earth.
At the moment of their gaze meeting, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord instantly knew he was no match for Little Black.
Without hesitation, he summoned a sealing talisman.
Under the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's mental command, the sealing talisman erupted with brilliant golden light, flying directly towards Little Black.
However, Little Black made no move in response to the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's assault.
As the sealing talisman was about to make contact with Little Black, it instantly exploded, transforming into countless golden liquid characters that adhered to Little Black's body, rapidly shrinking.
At once, the divine patterns on Little Black's surface disappeared.
But this state only lasted a brief moment. In the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's horrified expression, the divine patterns reappeared, gradually becoming clearer.
Seeing this, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord didn't hesitate for even a second and decisively slapped his hand downward.
The cloud palace began to move.
At the same time, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord pushed Feng Qi, bound in golden light, toward Little Black.
At this moment, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord's heart was filled with fear.
He had realized why this mysterious powerhouse had come.
Who else could it be but the being with a miraculous item?
This was clearly the reason why Zhang Daowen didn't want to keep him around, willingly using the mysterious being to trade for resources.
It was obvious that Zhang Daowen intended to trick him into giving up some resources first, only to then trap him in an inescapable predicament.
Taking advantage of the sealing talisman's effects still not fading, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord had only one thought in his mind.
Run… no, escape! I must flee quickly!
At that moment, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord activated the temple's grand formation. The cloud palace was immediately surrounded by an energy barrier and collided with the space, slowly squeezing into the spatial rift.
Looking at the mysterious powerhouse, bound in mid-air, about to escape, the Rift Heaven Divine Lord was still filled with fear.
He wasn't afraid of the sealing talisman being lost.
The original power of the sealing talisman had fused with his body and remained inside, so even if he left, the sealing talisman would follow.
What he feared was being hunted down.
If he became the target of the mysterious powerhouse, he felt he had no hope of escaping.
Especially now that this powerhouse knew he had the sealing talisman.
After all, no matter how strong a lifeform was, it would never complain about carrying more miraculous items.
With the fear of carrying a priceless treasure, the cloud palace disappeared into the spatial passage.
The sealing talisman that had bound Little Black also fell off at that moment, trembling as it reformed into a golden talisman, which then sliced through the space, following the Rift Heaven Divine Lord away.
With the sealing chains lost, the divine patterns on Little Black's body became even clearer than before, and his strength had visibly increased.
He slowly turned his head and looked toward Feng Qi, who was enveloped by a golden light sphere.
At this moment, Feng Qi felt deeply embarrassed.
He had intended to trick the Rift Heaven Divine Lord, but the plan didn't go as smoothly as he had imagined. They had only driven the Rift Heaven Divine Lord away, without causing him any substantial harm.
Watching the direction in which the Rift Heaven Divine Lord had left, Feng Qi spat inwardly.
"What a joke, he didn't even dare fight Little Black, yet he calls himself a God Lord!"
As soon as he spoke, darkness enveloped his vision.
This time, Feng Qi didn't even feel any pain before losing all sensation of his body…