Then… from the depths of the enormous rift tearing through the earth!
A profound black coffin! Slowly ascended!
The coffin was entirely cast from a peculiar material, neither gold nor jade, yet shimmering with a cold, metallic luster! Nine profound black chains! Like the tentacles of a giant dragon! Were wrapped around the coffin! At this moment… they were… breaking… inch by inch!
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Each time the crisp sound of chains breaking echoed! The earth trembled more violently!
“Roar—!!!”
Another, even more ferocious roar! Exploded from… the coffin!
Rumble—!!!
The coffin lid shot into the sky! Transforming into a black streak of light! Disappearing into the swirling blood mist!
Inside the coffin, a viscous liquid, flowing like mercury and emitting a pungent, bloody stench, violently churned! And rose!
The mercury river was one of the methods Ying Zheng left for his revival.
Above that boiling “mercury”! A… figure… slowly… condensed!
It was the figure of a… man!
Nearly two meters tall! His physique was as robust as a mountain! Covered in a layer of… grotesque armor… like flowing, dark red mercury!
The armor’s surface was covered with sharp bone spurs and twisted dragon scale patterns! His helmet was like a dragon’s head! Covering his entire head!
In his hand, he held an enormous, profound black greatsword! Entwined with dark red lightning!
The Zu Long Avatar! The First Emperor's incarnation! It appeared to be at the peak of the Limit-Breaking Stage!
“I… have returned!”
Wherever his voice passed! Space twisted! The earth cracked! Ruins collapsed! The surviving ghoul corpses instantly prostrated themselves on the ground! Trembling with fear! Even Zhuang Han couldn't help but lower his monstrous head!
“I am the First Emperor! Ying Zheng!”
“This… world! These… mountains and rivers! These… myriad spirits! All are my blood food!”
“You ants! Why do you not kneel before me?!”
Terrifying pressure, like a physical heavy hammer! Struck hard into the depths of every living being’s soul!
Ling Chen’s body suddenly sank! The ruins beneath his feet instantly collapsed! He grunted! A trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth! The cold will of the Soul Jade Physique frantically circulated! Only then could he barely resist this terrifying pressure and… mental shock!
But in his crimson pupils, there was a hidden, inexplicable excitement?!
Peak of the Limit-Breaking Stage! The Zu Long Avatar!
If he could devour him…
“Roar—!!!” The Zu Long Avatar’s crimson vertical pupils swept across this desolate ruin! His gaze finally landed on Ling Chen!
To be precise, it landed on the Time-Gap Silver Foil in his hand and the reverse scale pendant around his neck!
“Space Shard? reverse scale pendant?” The Zu Long Avatar’s voice carried a hint of greed and ferocity!
“Ant! Hand over the shard! Offer your flesh and blood! I grant you a swift death!”
He slowly raised the profound black greatsword in his hand! Its tip pointed directly at Ling Chen!
“Otherwise… I… will extract your soul and refine your spirit! You will… never… be reborn… for all eternity!”
Terrifying killing intent! Like a physical ice pick! Instantly locked onto Ling Chen! The air… instantly… solidified!
Ling Chen inwardly thought, 'This is bad,' but there was nothing he could do. He didn't have any storage-type spiritual artifacts, so he could only carry them with him.
Peak of the Limit-Breaking Stage, a leap of more than half a stage, and this was only a clone of Ying Zheng, less than one-thousandth of his true power.
However, he also had full confidence, and he still had the reverse scale pendant!
If he couldn't win, he could still run.
Ling Chen slowly tightened his grip on the Time-Gap Silver Foil! Cold battle intent, like raging flames, burned fiercely in his crimson pupils! Thunder Wings… slowly… unfolded… behind him!
Just at this critical moment!
Buzz—!!!
A completely different kind of coldness! Stillness! Yet carrying an absolute orderly will that seemed capable of freezing time and space, perceiving all things, and controlling everything! Suddenly descended!
“Hmm?!” The Zu Long Avatar’s crimson vertical pupils suddenly narrowed! Slowly… turning… towards… the sky!
Ling Chen’s pupils also contracted sharply! He fiercely looked up!
Only to see above the blood moon-shrouded sky!
The heavy, lead-gray radiation clouds seemed to be slowly pulled apart by an invisible giant hand!
A massive, silver-gray battleship! Slowly emerged as if from thin air!
The battleship’s design was filled with cold technological aesthetics and an indescribable sense of regulated beauty! Its streamlined hull was covered by an energy shield shimmering with a faint blue glow!
Shengjing Great District! Central Special Operations Bureau! Section Nine! Flagship—【Rushu】!
Buzz—!!!
The battleship’s bottom hatch slid open silently!
Twelve… figures… wearing pure white, unmarked tight combat suits, their faces covered by pure white masks with no facial features… like specters… slowly… floated down!
Their movements were perfectly coordinated! Like precise machines! Silently hovering in mid-air! Forming a perfect circular array!
Sealing off the entire core area of the Ling Hui ruins!
There was no energy fluctuation on their bodies! No life aura! Only a cold stillness! And an absolute “blankness” that seemed immune to all spiritual pollution and rule distortion!
【The Silent Ones】!
Central Special Operations Bureau Section Nine! The most mysterious! The most powerful… Rule Guardians!
“Sigh, after all, I’ve attracted these ghostly things,” Ling Chen sighed softly, feeling immense regret.
At the same time, he quickly retracted his Thunder Wings, preparing to watch the show.
A figure appeared in front of the 【Silent Ones】 formation!
He wore a lead-gray Zhongshan suit. His figure was tall and straight, his face clear and refined, making his age indiscernible.
His complexion was pale from long exposure to sunlight, and a pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on his nose bridge. The eyes behind the lenses… were calm and unperturbed!
In his hand… he held… an ancient… compass… radiating a faint bronze luster!
On the compass, countless intricate, star-like runes slowly revolved.
Emitting an arcane aura that seemed capable of suppressing earth veins and stabilizing the cosmos!
Head of Shengjing Central Special Operations Bureau Section Nine! Codename—【Xuan Niao】!
SS-rank ability—【Heavenly Evolution Disc】!
Xuan Niao’s gaze fell upon that… Zu Long Avatar… standing like a demon god, exuding a monstrously violent aura!
His gaze… was devoid of any fluctuation! Devoid of any emotion! As if… looking at… an… item… that needed to be dealt with!
“Source of Li Mountain Dragon Vein anomaly confirmed.”
“Energy level: Peak of Limit-Breaking Stage.”
“Threat level: World-ending.”
“Execution plan: Dragon Lock.”
Xuan Niao’s voice was calm and unperturbed, like a cold machine-synthesized sound, clearly reaching everyone’s ears. There was no emotional fluctuation, yet it carried an… unquestionable… absolute authority!
“Ying Zheng.” Xuan Niao’s gaze, like a physical probe, pierced through the swirling blood mist, locking onto the Zu Long Avatar’s crimson vertical pupils burning with ferocity, “Your era… has long since ended. The Dragon Vein… shall return to… order.”
“Presumptuous—!!!”
The Zu Long Avatar let out a roar that shattered the firmament! The terrifying sound waves, mixed with tangible dragon might! Struck fiercely at Xuan Niao like a destructive storm!
“I… am… the First Emperor! Destined by Heaven! To reign for ten thousand generations! You… ants! How dare you… speak… of… ending?!”