Three months later –

Shua –

Qin Yu’s eyes flashed open, a happy look coming across his face. He lifted his hand and opened his fingers. A different light flashed across each fingertip, in the colors of white, black, blue, red, and yellow.

The five elements coexisted, endlessly revolving…Qin Yu finally realized the power of the Five Element Samsara.

He could clearly feel a hidden resonance in the world. As long as he wanted to, he could erupt with the power of the Five Element Samsara, quickening a counterbalance from the world that would condense into a Glory of the God Mark.

With this, his third path to the God boundary had been opened!

Qin Yu could clearly sense that there was still room left within his soul capacity. Although it wasn’t enough to open his fourth path to the God boundary, the difference wasn’t that big.

He would continue refining soul treasures!

The items that Lei Qianjun gave him were precious to begin with, and after being enhanced by the little blue lamp, their potency was astonishing.

For instance, that heavenly moon fruit Qin Yu had given Wu Daoyuan.

Because of the sun and moon force field within his soul space, Qin Yu did not need to focus his mind in the Soul Casting Array Formation to cultivate. All he needed to do was refine the treasures and perceive the Great Dao.

The Five Element Samsara was successful. As for the fourth path to the God boundary, Qin Yu chose the Great Dao Prospers Forever – to be specific, this was the Dao Monarch’s path. He passed it down to Qin Yu before he died. This was because he didn’t want the Ancient to obtain it as well as to keep a lifeline open for himself.

If Qin Yu cultivated this path, then in the long distant future, there was a chance the Dao Monarch could return from the Great Dao, gaining a new life!

But what a pity, Qin Yu would not give the Dao Monarch such a chance.

A month later, as the Soul Casting Array Formation was undergoing maintenance, Qin Yu was playing chess with Lei Xiaoyu. His complexion changed and he looked into the skies.

Lei Xiaoyu was puzzled. “Big Brother Qin, what is it?”

Qin Yu shook his head, “It’s nothing. Let’s continue.”

A moment ago, he sensed a formidable aura. It crossed space and time to arrive at the City Lord Mansion.

For some unknown reason, this aura was clearly unfamiliar, yet Qin Yu felt a deep sense of loathing towards it.

…

Darkness spread out in Lei Qianjun’s study. It covered the floor, reaching the walls and crawling upwards. Finally, the darkness canvassed every single inch of the room.

And the source of this darkness was a spatial split that opened up in the room. Darkness continuously gushed out.

Behind his desk, Lei Qianjun had a calm expression. He silently watched the scene around him. But, there remained a lingering complexity within his eyes that couldn’t be resolved.

“Jejeje…” A low chuckle came from the spatial split, “Lei Qianjun, you really did not disappoint my expectations of you. This is wonderful.”

Before the voice fell, two stick-like arms reached out. They grabbed the edges of the spatial split and ruthlessly pulled. Xiang Tai emerged, his feet landing on the ground. With a deep hum, the air erupted, as if a mountain had crashed into the earth.

At this time, a faint feeling blew across Xiang Tai’s heart like a breeze against a lake surface. He furrowed his eyebrows and a divine light erupted in his eyes. He turned around, his sweeping gaze piercing through space.

“Humph! It looks like there is another honored guest at the City Lord Mansion today. Lei Qianjun, don’t you plan on introducing me?”

Lei Qianjun was expressionless. “If Mister Xiang is interested, you may go on your own and I would have no opinion about it. But, do not delay the transaction between us.”

Xiang Tai’s eyes darkened and he eerily smiled. “At such a crucial moment, I won’t create any unnecessary problems.” He lifted a hand and reached forward. Pitch black fingernails adorned his fingers. “Lei Qianjun, where is the Skyshard Sword?”

Behind the desk, Lei Qianjun frowned silently.

Xiang Tai curled his lips up. On his thin face, his expression turned sharp and dense. “What? Are you worried that I won’t keep my word? Don’t worry. People like us are most concerned about trust. We won’t ever do things that would destroy our reputation.”

With a sudden change in tone, a cold and gloomy aura suddenly rose, “Or, perhaps something happened to the Skyshard Sword. If that’s true, Lei Qianjun, you are in for a great deal of trouble.”

“I have the Skyshard Sword.” Lei Qianjun took a deep breath. Light surged on his palm as a sword phantom slowly appeared.

Xiang Tai closed his eyes and drew in a deep breath. He had an excited expression, “Jejeje…this is it, this scent is the true Skyshard Sword.”

He reached a hand forward. Darkness gushed out from his fingers, corroding space and forming a black hole. His arm searched inside and after several breaths of time, he drew out his hand to reveal a crimson, fiery red jade stone.

It was only the size of a young child’s fist. At first glance, it was an ordinary stone that seemed a bit clearer than usual.

But upon closer inspection, one would discover that the crimson color within was a flame that was sealed inside the stone. Looking at it, one felt a burning pain, like their soul would burn away.

Xiang Tai licked his lips, revealing an unconcealed greed as he looked at the stone. “Lei Qianjun, your luck is truly enviable. After you obtain this source fragment, you will have a considerable chance to break past your current boundary…now, it is yours.”

Pa –

Lei Qianjun grabbed the source fragment. As soon as he touched it, the strength in his body became active, as if it had become attracted to something.

This alone was proof that Xiang Tai hadn’t tampered with this object.

Although these people were an incomparably terrifying group of demons, as Xiang Tai said before, they had never compromised their credibility.

He loosened his hand. The Skyshard Sword cried out on its own. As if sensing something, it flew to Xiang Tai’s side.

“Jejeje…what a superb treasure sword, to have such intelligence…” Xiang Tai laughed. He flicked his sleeves and put the Skyshard Sword away. “Lei Qianjun, the transaction between us has been completed. If you have need of anything in the future, you may contact me again.”

He took a step back, about to leave through the spatial slit.

Lei Qianjun shouted out, “Mister Xiang, wait a moment!”

Xiang Tai paused. He glanced at the source fragment in Lei Qianjun’s hand and licked his lips, “Lei Qianjun, you want to make a transaction with me?”

“Yes.” Lei Qianjun calmly said, “I hope you can cure my daughter.”

Xiang Tai cackled. “Daughter? Lei Qianjun, for this reason alone, you want to barter with me?”

Lei Qianjun nodded, “I’m sure.”

“Very well. I accept your offer. Then, tell me what her problem is.”

Lei Qianjun flicked his sleeves. One of Lei Xiaoyu’s hairs floated in midair, wrapped up in an invisible strength.

Xiang Tai opened his mouth and a tongue snaked out, clinging around the hair and dragging it back into his mouth. He chewed on it several times before his complexion paled and he spat it back out. His voice became ice cold, “Lei Qianjun, this is really your daughter's hair?”

Lei Qianjun said in a low voice, “My daughter Lei Xiaoyu is at the mansion. If Mister Xiang does not believe me, then I can call her here for you to verify.”

Xiang Tai coldly coughed, “I’ll forgive you since I believe you wouldn’t dare to lie! Your daughter’s problem is too serious. Even if you give me the source fragment, that still isn’t enough to exchange for her life. The transaction is invalid!”

“Mister Xiang, I don’t expect you to be able to save Xiaoyu. I only need a way to cure her.”

Xiang Tai cackled. “That’s more reasonable. But this information will need to be exchanged for half the source fragment!”

Lei Qianjun took a deep breath, “Very well!” He slashed down with his hand, cutting the source fragment in half. With a flick of his sleeve, one part flew out.

Xiang Tai looked at him, “Lei Qianjun, it’s only been a thousand years since I’ve last seen you and yet you’ve changed so much. This is just a daughter. Is it worth giving up so much to save her?”

Lei Qianjun lightly said, “I have satisfied Mister Xiang’s request. Then, please tell me the answer.”

“Jehehe…” Xiang Tai swallowed the source fragment and laughed, “Of course. As long as you can find the corpse of an Origin God and refine its blood essence to feed to the witchcraft bug inside her, you may revive her.

“In addition, for the sake of the source fragment piece you gave me, I will give you another piece of news for free. The God Mark Holy Stone will soon arrive at the imperial capital. There might be more information you desire there.”

Then, Xiang Tai withdrew into the spatial split. The darkness in the study withdrew like a falling tide, sinking into the slit and vanishing.

Lei Qianjun had a dignified expression. “Origin God corpse…” His eyes shook as countless thoughts appeared in his mind. Finally, he came to a decision.

If it wasn’t for that brief moment of greed in the past, how could he have implicated Xiaoyu, causing her to lose her mother when she was young and endure endless suffering ever since?

If he could save her, then no matter how dangerous it was, he would still try!

News soon spread out from the City Lord Mansion. Lei Qianjun intended to let Lei Xiaoyu and Qin Yu go to the human race’s imperial city and participate in the grand ceremony of the arrival of the God Mark Holy Stone.

Because of the banquet, Lei Jinyun had nearly been abandoned by everyone. He hid in his dark and quiet resting hall. When he heard this news, his face distorted.

“Why? Why!? Father, what have I done wrong? You actually plan on giving up on me!?”

The imperial city’s God Mark Holy Stone. It would descend every other millennium and was a grand occasion of the human race. Not everyone had the qualifications to participate.

Even the Roc City Lord had to expend a considerable price to recommend two people to go.

Now, Lei Qianjun chose Lei Xiaoyu and Qin Yu…to every faction, it appeared that the struggle for Roc City’s future had been decided.

“No, I am the eldest son of the Lei Family, everything should be mine! Father, I am unwilling! You were wrong! I will have you understand that you were completely mistaken!”

Lei Jinyun roared like an injured wild animal. His screams were cruel and vicious, causing a cold chill to crawl down one’s back.