The floating continent sped through the dark void dotted with stars.

The Ripper Behemoth’s howls created heaven-destroying, earth-extinguishing sound waves that swept over large areas.

BANG! BOOM!

Meteors that flew past it would explode violently.

Any broken pieces from shattered realms would be blasted into dust as it came near.

Some reckless living beings that came to observe the Ripper Behemoth from thousands of kilometers away were engulfed in the sound waves of its mad howls. Their flesh auras were reversed, and they died instantly.

Even the probing soul will sent by some Phantasm grand patriarchs was wiped out.

The frenzied Ripper Behemoth controlled the floating continent with its bloodline power from the depths of the gray mist that surrounded it. From time to time, large rocks would be separated from the upper continent and shot aimlessly into its surroundings like huge hammers.

The aura that spread from the floating continent was mighty enough to severely injure any outsider grand patriarch.

Grand Monarch Unholy Wind’s soul quietly observed from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away. “Simply terrifying!”

Then, he let out a sigh of relief as he realized that the Ripper Behemoth was distracted by an aura, and had stopped chasing after the outsiders with rich flesh power.

“That aura leading it away seems to belong to a human.”

Grand Monarch Unholy Wind frowned, finding it strange. “Where is that human taking it? Is it leading it out of the Domain of Heaven Span so that the Heaven Span Pavilion’s foundation will be preserved?”

He backed away as he pondered the matter.

FIZZ!

Moments later, wisps of cyan lightning burst out from the Bloodline Crystal Chains in his heart.

An unintentional moan escaped Grand Monarch Unholy Wind’s mouth as his slightly skinny body shuddered violently. Immediately afterwards, he focused his soul awareness on his bloodline.

“The Nether River! The Nether River is calling upon me!”

He had been waiting for the Nether River’s acknowledgement from the day he had advanced to the tenth grade, joined the ranks of the grand monarchs, and gained the privilege of deriving enlightenment from the Nether River in the north of the Nether Realm.

After all, according to the Phantasms, only those who won the Nether River’s acknowledgment could understand the profound truths of the Nether River, seek to advance to the late tenth grade, and qualify to be the Phantasms’ high chieftain.

Their current high chieftain, Grand Monarch Nether River, was the only one of his generation to have won the Nether River’s acknowledgement.

Grand Monarch Nether River’s original name was Grand Monarch Soul Ferry. Only after he had understood the profound truths of the Nether River, won its acknowledgment, and advanced to the late tenth grade had he received the respect of all Phantasms, and changed his name from Grand Monarch Soul Ferry to Grand Monarch Nether River.

There was a Phantasm saying that those who won the Nether River’s acknowledgment would become high chieftains.

Furthermore, only one Phantasm could have the Nether River’s acknowledgement at the same time.

This had been an unbroken rule.

But now...

Grand Monarch Unholy Wind was still far from being ready to advance to the late tenth grade, and currently in the human world. However, he distinctly sensed that the Nether River was calling upon him.

“Those who win the Nether River’s acknowledgment will become high chieftains! And there can only be one chosen at the same time!” Grand Monarch Unholy Wind took a deep breath, various expressions flashing across his face. He seemed ecstatic in one moment, but deeply worried in the next. “If the Nether River is calling upon me now, does that mean something has happened to Grand Monarch Nether River?”

Having reached this point in his train of thought, Grand Monarch Unholy Wind felt somewhat uneasy.

He and Grand Monarch Nether River were sworn friends. He was well-aware of how powerful he was, and the fact that he was surpassed by him in cultivation talent, strength, and wisdom.

Therefore, he had never expected to replace him as the high chieftain of this generation.

But now, an opportunity had presented itself.

After pondering for a long while, Grand Monarch Unholy Wind made up his mind. “I’ve got to return to the Nether Realm now. Whatever it is, I’ve got to receive the Nether Realm’s acknowledgement first!

“It doesn’t matter what has happened to Soul Ferry, the Nether River guides our people! Now that it’s calling upon me, it’ll be my duty to take the position of the new high chieftain, and bring hope to my people at this time, as the Spirit World is in an unprecedented crisis!”

With these thoughts, he forgot about the crushing defeat in the Domain of Heaven Span and focused on returning to the Nether Realm as quickly as possible.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

He sped through the starry river towards a hidden portal through which he could return to the Spirit World.

As soon as he arrived at the place where the portal stood, many Phantasms that were gathered there exclaimed, “Grand monarch!”

“Froste!” Upon arriving, he discovered that Froste was covered in blood, and the Soul Ferry Battle Armor he was wearing seemed to be melting somehow.

As Grand Monarch Nether River’s son, Froste was referred to as the young lord.

The Soul Ferry Battle Armor he wore was a powerful tool Grand Monarch Nether River had used in his early years. With Grand Monarch Nether River’s original name in its name, it had been vested with his bloodline power.

At this moment, Froste was clearly not fighting anyone, yet he was bleeding nonstop. Even the Soul Ferry Battle Armor was melting. Grand Monarch Unholy Wind stood aghast.

Because of his relationship with Grand Monarch Nether River, he had always considered Froste his nephew.

“What’s going on?!" Grand Monarch Unholy Wind roared, glaring at the Phantasm experts around him. “You’re all here. Why is this happening to him?!”

“I... I won’t be able to make it, Uncle.” Froste couldn’t even get out complete sentences anymore. “Something has happened to my bloodline origin. I don’t know why, but I can tell that my power is leaving me. Even the Soul Ferry Battle Armor father gave me is melting away.”

Wisps of smoke rose from the prismatic crystal between his eyebrows as he spoke.

Meanwhile, the crystal was shrinking rapidly, like a melting candle.

“Froste!”

“Young lord!”

In the midst of Grand Monarch Unholy Wind’s and the Phantasms’ shouts, this young lord they had placed high hopes on actually died.

“Something must have happened to the high chieftain!” One of the ninth grade grand patriarchs said. “Not just Froste, but many others that had bloodline connections to him are also dying. The root of the problem must lie with the high chieftain!”

Grand Monarch Unholy Wind’s expression flickered. “The high chieftain... I sensed the Nether River’s call upon me.”

“What?! The Nether River called upon you?” Another grand patriarch exclaimed in shock. “Only one can have the Nether River’s favor at a time. If the Nether River actually called upon you, does that mean Grand Monarch Nether River has died? Otherwise, Froste and those who have bloodline connections with him shouldn’t have died.”

“But when our high chieftains died of old age or in battle before, their descendants didn’t die with them!” Someone retorted.

“Well, I don’t know about that.”

“Grand Monarch Unholy Wind! If the high chieftain actually died, you’d better return to our ancestral realm right away!”

“That’s what I thought!”

…

In the Realm of Heaven Span.

Surrounding the realm, countless sword lights wove into a vast glorious net that glittered with divine light.

All of the sword lights were transparent and sparkling like strings made from crystal. They clearly had their own awareness as they flew around following the set sword formation, giving rise to fizzing sounds.

Each and every of them had been condensed and left there by extremely talented cultivators in the Heaven Span Pavilion’s history.

This grand spell formation was known as the Godspan Sword Formation, a grand ancient formation that had been protecting the headquarters of the Heaven Span Pavilion, which was one of the four great sects.

It was as wondrous as the Ancient Fragmentary Star Palace’s Nine Star Heavens.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

Sword lights flew across, giving rise to sharp whooshes, as if this was how they communicated with each other.

The entire Godspan Sword Formation consisted of hundreds of thousands of fierce sword lights that could condense as one to eliminate even God domain experts and tenth grade grand monarchs.

Once this spell formation was activated, people could only access the Realm of Heaven Span through teleportation portals. Any ancient starships and living beings would be kept out.

If they entered a ten thousand meter radius of the realm, the defensive mechanism of the sword formation would be triggered, until they were annihilated.

Any flesh auras or soul wills of living being that approached the sword formation would also attract their destructive bombardment.

WHOOSH!

You Qimiao, who stood on the Yin Yang Chaos Mirror, sped through the dark void, and rapidly approached the Realm of Heaven Span.

His breakthrough seemed to have caused changes in even his appearance. At this moment, with a hair bun, his gray hair and beard fluttered in the wind like an immortal.

The Immortal grade divine tool Yin Yang Chaos Mirror was under his feet like a clear plaque that hung over the gate of a palace.

Inside the Yin Yang Chaos Mirror, two powers of different attributes seemed to have fused as one, allowing the speed at which You Qimiao flew to improve severalfold.

Due to You Qimiao’s breakthrough in his cultivation and the infusion of his divine power, the Yin Yang Chaos Mirror, which was originally at level four Immortal grade, seemed to have risen to level five.

Plus, its compatibility with his soul seemed to have further improved as well.

“Evil creature!”

You Qimiao turned around to let out a peculiar soul cry towards the vast empty area of the starry river behind him. The strange fluctuations reached all the way to the depths of the floating continent.

HOWL!

The Ripper Behemoth on the floating continent responded with a furious howl.