In a hotel suite on Financial Street.
Qu Huaiwei woke up from the soft, large bed, the silk sheets slipping down to reveal her smooth shoulders.
She yawned and stretched.
When her gaze swept over the nightstand, her movements paused slightly.
There, a shriveled, dried-branch-like severed finger lay quietly on the nightstand.
It had no energy fluctuations, no abnormalities whatsoever.
Qu Huaiwei carefully picked it up; a cold, hard sensation, like some special fossil, came from her fingertips.
"Ancient relic...."
She murmured to herself, her eyes complex.
This was the finger the envoy had just mentioned, capable of sensing ancient relics imbued with True Monarch's power.
However, her heart no longer stirred.
She had gradually grown accustomed, or rather, been forced to accept this existence beyond common sense.
The True Monarch's might had long since overturned her understanding of the world.
From initial terror and resistance to her current awe and acceptance, and even a faint, hidden anticipation.
She carefully put the severed finger away into a specially made lead box.
Outside the window, the city began to awaken.
Qu Huaiwei took a deep breath, suppressing her chaotic thoughts.
There was still much to do today.
First was recruiting new people and integrating the forces the bald man had brought over from the Great Black Buddha Mother.
Moreover, the True Monarch's Domain already covered the entire Financial Street, and she wondered how many people would inadvertently wander into it, making it an opportune time to recruit.
....
Deep within the core of the crimson mist sea.
Xuan Hao's consciousness, like an eternal star, flickered within the mist sea.
After the Fusion with one eyeball, the 'Spirit' brought by the expansion of his mental Domain had far surpassed what it was before.
It was like a trickling stream that had evolved into a surging river.
But this was still far from enough.
His colossal Primordial Spirit, due to the return of the eyeball, had become slightly more solid.
However, its overall state still hovered between illusion and reality.
Like a giant outline composed of a crimson nebula.
This was merely a projection.
It was the concretization of his mental Domain.
There was still a long way to go before true recovery, before condensing a 'Primordial Spirit True Body' capable of bearing his full will and moving independently in reality.
The first step was to solidify his Primordial Spirit.
Through a vast amount of mental energy, continuously nourishing the Primordial Spirit to gradually solidify it.
Only then could he contend against humans or other Outer Gods.
Although he had scared away the Great Black Buddha Mother not long ago, essentially, it had little to do with his actual strength.
It was his True Immortal Qi, a suppression of Rank that made the Great Black Buddha Mother dare not act rashly, so she fled.
In terms of power, the Great Black Buddha Mother was actually stronger than him.
If it came to a fight, he would undoubtedly lose.
The Great Black Buddha Mother was indeed very powerful, having developed for an unknown period of time.
While Xuan Hao was only just beginning his recovery.
His thoughts stirred, and a hum!
The crimson mist sea suddenly churned, and countless 'Spirits' scattered in various corners....
Those faint mental energies originating from human thoughts, emotions, and dream fragments were frantically converging towards the colossal Primordial Spirit.
Time flowed, and three days passed in a blink.
Suddenly!
"Hmm?"
Xuan Hao detected an anomaly.
He opened his blood-red eyes, his gaze piercing through the crimson mist of his mental Domain, through the material barrier of the real world, looking towards the deep underground of the city.
That was.... a colossal energy fluctuation.
Like a live volcano buried deep underground, it was emitting a terrifying pulsation at a slow rhythm.
This fluctuation was not purely about energy intensity.
Rather, it was a powerful Qi of Rank!
This fluctuation was similar to his own, yet distinctly different.
Cold!
Sticky!
Carrying a greedy desire for the material world.
Outer God! Xuan Hao understood; this was the first time he had detected the trace of an existence of the same Rank.
Right under his nose, deep beneath the city.
Xuan Hao showed a hint of surprise.
He, of course, knew that many Outer Gods existed in this Universe.
But he had never imagined that another Outer God would be in the same place as him, at such close proximity, in such a hidden manner.
If it weren't for the Fusion with this eyeball....
He might never have discovered this neighbor deep underground!
"I want to see what kind of monster you truly are."
A cold light burst from Xuan Hao's eyes.
His gaze ignored layers of soil, following the source of that Outer God Qi, all the way down.
The city's sewer System, intricate pipe networks, and abandoned subway tunnels flashed by in his vision.
Soon, swaying human figures entered his sight.
They all seemed to be human.
But they carried high-Rank energy.
Xuan Hao, however, paid them no mind, following their energy fluctuations, probing deeper and deeper into the city's underground.
Finally!
His gaze penetrated the thick rock layers, reaching a colossal, unimaginable cavern deep within the city's crust.
There....
It was a giant egg, too vast to describe.
It floated silently in the scorching geothermic energy, its shell not solid, but composed of countless wriggling green substances.
Moreover, it was pulsating.
Just like a living heart.
Each faint beat emitted energy fluctuations that warped space.
That was a cold, greedy Qi, devouring all material energy.
"It's gestating?"
Xuan Hao narrowed his eyes.
This was definitely an Outer God!
And.... it was in a crucial incubation stage.
At the same stage as himself.
He could clearly sense that the Rank of the Qi emanating from this egg was in no way inferior to his current state.
Even...
In terms of pure energy accumulation, perhaps because it began gestation earlier, it might be even more profound than him.
But the two's modes of existence were completely different!
He was a Corpse Disassembly Immortal, immortal in spirit, relying on devouring mental energy to revive his Primordial Spirit.
While this giant egg, its Law was to devour the energy of matter.
Each faint beat of it was greedily absorbing the energy of the earth's pulse, the essence of rocks, and even the material energy of humans.
....
A cold killing intent arose in Xuan Hao's Primordial Spirit.
Although their Laws were different, seemingly without direct conflict of interest, at their Rank...
Existence itself was a threat to each other.
Xuan Hao had been stuck in the spatial rift for many years; he understood the essence of Outer Gods.
They roamed in the Chaos Universe, just like the infinitely expanding Universe, frantically absorbing everything they touched.
Expansion, consumption....
This was the essence of Outer Gods.
The key was that both he and the existence within this giant egg possessed the Rank and ability to completely kill the other.
Once the Outer God successfully hatched first, it would definitely be him who died!
Xuan Hao's gaze was wary as he continued to investigate.
As the giant egg pulsed, viscous energy fluctuations spread out.
The fluctuations penetrated the ground, seeping upwards.
Some humans working underground, upon contact with this invisible fluctuation, would inexplicably seep an oily, cold, black viscous liquid from their bodies.
These viscous liquids, like living things, adhered to their bodies, silently draining their life force.
This change was silent.
By the time humans reacted, they were already part of the Outer God.
Judging from the energy intensity and gestation progress emanating from the giant egg, the other party was closer to the moment of 'hatching' than he was.
Xuan Hao could not wait any longer.
He must preemptively act and eliminate the opponent!