"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Yun Che's eyes flew wide open, completely stunned by what he had just heard. For a moment, his breath caught in his throat, unable to respond, unable to process the weight of his father's words.
"Congratulations, Brother Jianyuan!"
Beside him, Meng Jianxi stepped forward with a calm smile, his voice steady and sincere. Clearly, he had already known this was coming, and without hesitation, he expressed his heartfelt congratulations.
"Father... you...!!!"
Yun Che finally found his voice, but the words trembled as they left his lips, filled with disbelief, emotion, and something far deeper than surprise.
"Father... you...!!!"
In another part of the Dreamweaver Divine Kingdom, where the three Hua gathered together, a voice filled with disbelief and shock rang out — it was Hua Caili.
Her beautiful eyes widened as she stared at her father, unable to believe what she just heard.
Opposite of her, Hua Fuchen stood calmly, his expression firm and resolute.
"I and Brother Kongchan have already made up our minds." His deep voice echoed steadily. "It's time for us, the old generation, to let go of our God powers and pass them on… to the next generation. To you… and to Meng Jianyuan."
Hua Caili's heart shook violently.
This was no ordinary decision.
This wasn't just about becoming stronger.
This was the inheritance of a Divine Regent's power… the ascension of a new God.
Hua Fuchen looked at his daughter with a rare seriousness, his sharp eyes locking onto hers without the slightest hesitation.
"With the power of a God… and your Perfect Divine Essence... you will stand shoulder to shoulder with the Eclipse Sovereign Divine Regent, perhaps even surpass him."
His words were calm.
Firm.
Certain.
Beside them, Hua Qingying — who had quietly watched this exchange without interrupting — finally opened her mouth, her expression just as serious.
"Your father has given this a long, long thought. This isn't something decided overnight. And I approve of it. Completely."
She took a step forward, her gaze softening just slightly as she looked at her niece.
"Caili… when you become a God, you won't just have the power to protect yourself..."
Her words slowed, carrying weight far beyond simple advice.
"You will also have the power to protect your beloved. To stand beside him!"
-----
"Let's return, mother and master must have been worried sick already."
In a bustling tavern filled with noise and chatter, a calm voice sounded from beneath a mask — its owner speaking casually, yet with a hint of restraint.
Across from him, another figure in a mask nodded lightly without a word.
Naturally, the two were none other than Dian Xiang and Qianye Ying'er.
For Qianye Ying'er, concealing her face was not a choice — it was a necessity. Her beauty was not merely stunning — it was a disaster waiting to happen in a lawless world like the Abyss. That peerless face of hers could invite greed, danger, and all kinds of unwanted attention at every turn. So wherever she went, that mask remained.
As for Dian Xiang... his reason was entirely different.
His mask was born not from vanity or fear of beauty — but from the shadows of his past.
Because today, in this very city, a Knight Captain from his former home — the Boundless Divine Kingdom — was said to be arriving.
A figure of authority. A remnant from a life Dian Xiang had long left behind.
He didn't want to be recognized.
So he hid his face beneath his mask — not out of fear — but out of caution.
As the pair quietly left the bustling tavern, their steps were calm and unhurried, blending effortlessly into the desolate wilderness of the Abyss, where every direction was nothing but endless gray mist and barren, lifeless earth. For a while, it was nothing more than an ordinary journey — just two masked travelers returning to their quiet corner of the world.
However, without warning, Dian Xiang's steps suddenly sped up, his figure turning into a streak of light as he shot forward without hesitation. His movement was sharp, deliberate, carrying no hesitation or carelessness, and with a subtle hand signal, he motioned for Qianye Ying'er to follow him closely.
Qianye Ying'er's golden eyes narrowed beneath her mask, instantly realizing that something was wrong. Without a word, she followed his lead, her body flashing through the air as the two of them moved swiftly through the twisting, fragmented landscape of the Abyss. They darted through jagged cliffs and winding paths, turning corner after corner, leaving behind the faint traces of their fleeting presence.
After making several rapid turns, seemingly weaving a pattern of movement only known to him, Dian Xiang came to an abrupt stop, his tall figure standing silently amidst the gray fog, as if waiting for something — or someone.
Qianye Ying'er's expression darkened. She could not sense anything nearby. There was no killing intent, no sound, no disturbance in the Abyssal Dust — nothing but silence so absolute it only fueled her unease even further. Immediately, her divine sense expanded outward, scanning every direction, searching for even the slightest fluctuation.
But there was nothing.
And that… was the most terrifying thing of all.
Just as she was about to question him, Dian Xiang's calm and steady voice echoed into the stillness, carrying a weight that could not be mistaken for arrogance — only certainty.
"I know you're there. Come out."
The moment those words fell, low and chilling laughter slowly echoed through the dead air, reverberating through the gray expanse like the whispers of death itself.
"Hahahaha... Hahahaha..."
It was not just one voice.
It was many.
And then, the suffocating silence shattered completely, replaced by overwhelming auras erupting one after another, tearing open the space itself as terrifying figures began to step out from within the void — each one stronger than the last, their mere presence distorting the world around them.
The oppressive might pressed down from all directions, turning the already harsh Abyss into a prison of unbearable weight.
Qianye Ying'er's heart turned cold.
Her body stiffened.
Underneath her mask, her breathing slowed as horror crept into her eyes.
The level of these auras…
This strength…
Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet it carried the disbelief and horror clawing within her heart.
"Divine… Extinction Realm…"
"It seems my previous lesson wasn't enough... so you've brought more people this time?"
Dian Xiang's calm voice rang out, carrying not the slightest ripple of fear or nervousness. His indifferent gaze slowly swept across the group before finally landing on the two weaker cultivators hiding behind the stronger figures.
Their bodies stiffened instantly.
Their cultivation was only at the half-step Divine Extinction Realm — in this region, that kind of strength was enough to walk proudly, enough to be called overlords among the lesser, but compared to the monsters they had brought along today, they were little more than ants desperately clinging to borrowed power.
Dian Xiang's words were calm, but every word struck like a heavy slap across their faces, their bodies tensing in both embarrassment and rage.
"Hmph! You can act all high and mighty for now! But my big brothers will make you wish you were dead today!"
One of the two men snapped viciously, his eyes burning with hatred and killing intent, his pride clearly still wounded from their last encounter.
How could they forget?
Back then, they had laid eyes on Dian Xiang, thinking him nothing more than a solitary wanderer — easy prey, ripe for the picking. They intended to rob him clean, to strip away any valuables he might possess, as they had done countless times before to unfortunate travelers.
But what happened?
Not only had they failed miserably, but they had been beaten like dogs — humiliated, their dignity trampled beneath Dian Xiang's foot without effort.
And the most insulting part of all...
He had let them go.
He didn't even bother killing them.
As if they weren't even worth it.
That humiliation had burned inside them ever since.
And today, they returned — with vengeance in their hearts and the support of monsters standing at their backs.
"Oh... really?"
Dian Xiang's calm voice carried a faint trace of amusement, and under his mask, a slight smile curled at the corner of his lips.
"Then tell me..."
His eyes, calm yet sharp like an ancient blade, slowly turned toward the space beyond the gathered enemies.
"Do you… wish to do the same as well, Knight Captain Li?"
The moment those words fell, the entire atmosphere seemed to freeze.
The expressions of those present, especially the two weaker cultivators who were gloating arrogantly just moments ago, turned pale in an instant.
"O-Oh…?"
A low voice echoed faintly, neither hurried nor flustered, but carrying undeniable weight.
Far away, not too distant from the group, the void itself trembled — and then, as if being torn apart like fragile paper, space cracked open silently.
From within the newly torn space, a figure stepped out.
Clad in resplendent golden armor, radiating the unmistakable dignity of the Boundless Divine Kingdom, the middle-aged man walked forward slowly. His bearing was calm and imposing, clearly used to standing above others.
The moment he appeared, the group of people who had arrived earlier — the very ones threatening Dian Xiang — immediately bowed respectfully.
This man… was none other than the Knight Captain they had called for help — Knight Captain Li.
He appeared to be in his early forties, his expression composed, neither hostile nor friendly, but his presence alone was enough to cause the surrounding space to tighten.
His golden armor shimmered with profound light, starkly contrasting against the dark and dreary colors of the Abyss, making him stand out like a god descending into a mortal world.
Knight Captain Li glanced calmly at Dian Xiang.
"This humble Li is surprised…"
His voice was even, neither overbearing nor arrogant.
"May I ask… who might you be?"
But deep within his calm exterior… his heart was far from peaceful.
Shock quietly surged beneath his composed expression.
His cultivation — Seventh Level of the Divine Extinction Realm.
Yet the man standing before him, whose displayed cultivation was clearly only at the First Level of the Divine Extinction Realm…
Had detected him.
Had called him out even while he was perfectly concealed within the void.
This wasn't luck.
This wasn't coincidence.
There was only one explanation.
This man…
Either his perception was terrifying beyond reason...
Or his true strength… was equal to, if not greater than his own.
Of course, how could the Knight Captain possibly know that the man standing before him was, on the surface, far weaker than himself? With the man's aura only at the First Level of the Divine Extinction Realm, there should have been no need for caution. However, as a former prince of the Boundless Divine Kingdom, how could Dian Xiang not recognize the faint aura clinging to the group before him—an aura unmistakably tied to the Divine Kingdom?
Their strength, despite appearing at only the First Level of the Divine Extinction Realm, already surpassed what most nearby regions could produce. For a place like this, where the Abyss was dense and cultivation harsh, such uniform power in numbers was an anomaly. Tens of individuals gathered here with identical divine fluctuation—it was too coordinated, too refined.
There was only one explanation.
They were not from this region.
And if they weren't from this area, yet carried the scent of the Divine Kingdom so clearly, then they could only be soldiers of the Boundless Divine Kingdom—its enforcers, its shadowed hand.
And where soldiers marched, a Knight Captain would never be far behind.
This simple deduction was all Dian Xiang needed, and it was exactly why he had called out to Knight Captain Li so casually.
And just as he suspected—his guess had been right.
Now, standing before him, the Knight Captain had instinctively raised his guard. His body was tense. His gaze sharpened. He hadn't confirmed anything yet, but his instincts screamed that the man before him was not ordinary.
Seeing the shift in the Captain's stance, Dian Xiang's lips curled slightly beneath his mask. Without a word, he reached up and lifted the mask from his face—only for a brief second—before lowering it back again.
The effect was instant.
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A-Ah... ah..."
The Knight Captain stumbled back half a step, eyes wide with horror, as though he had just seen a ghost rise from the depths of the Abyss itself. His mouth opened but no words came out.
"Captain Li?"
The soldiers looked at him in confusion, noticing the sudden change in his expression and the fear etched across his face.
They had never seen their commanding officer—their Seventh Level Divine Extinction Realm leader—look like this.
"You never saw me here. Understood?"
Dian Xiang's voice was calm, without the slightest hint of threat or malice, yet those words carried a terrifying weight that pressed directly onto Knight Captain Li's heart.
Already drenched in cold sweat, Knight Captain Li nodded rapidly, his hands trembling uncontrollably.
To him — a Knight Captain at the Seventh Level of the Divine Extinction Realm, someone who could command fear and respect anywhere in this region — this moment felt like a nightmare born from absurdity.
The rumor of Prince Xiang's cultivation being crippled had never spread beyond the deepest levels of the Boundless Divine Kingdom. Even with his status and strength, he was not qualified to know the true details of those who stood at the very top of the Kingdom he served.
And now, standing here in this remote, barren land of the Abyss, seeing the face of that very prince — someone he should never encounter outside of the Divine Kingdom, much less like this — was like watching the impossible unfold before his eyes.
This wasn't just shocking.
It was terrifying.
The gap between their statuses was so vast, so untouchable, that even in his wildest dreams, Knight Captain Li would never dare think of speaking casually to such a person… let alone standing against him.
He could only lower his head… and pray that this nightmare would pass.
Beside Dian Xiang, Qianye Ying'er stood silently, but within her heart, countless thoughts were surging like a storm.
The Knight Captain before her… the very moment he appeared, the pressure from his aura alone had made her soul tremble uncontrollably. In her lifetime, in all her journeys across the Abyss Realm, never had she come across anyone like this — anyone who could make her instincts scream with danger so fiercely.
Aside from the monstrous Master Chen, this man before her… was without doubt the second strongest existence she had ever encountered.
And yet…
This terrifying Knight Captain, a man whose power seemed to stand atop this cruel Abyss, turned pale in fear at the mere sight of Dian Xiang's face.
Without a fight.
Without a word of resistance.
Without a single attempt to posture.
It was then that a chilling realization began to solidify in Qianye Ying'er's heart.
During this short trip, she had learned many things — things that slowly pieced together a terrifying truth.
The people she had stumbled across… the ones she was living with so casually…
Were not ordinary.
Not in the slightest.
These people — this seemingly quiet, simple family — might very well be connected to, or even standing directly atop, the true summit of the Abyss itself.
"Leave. Now."
Dian Xiang's voice was calm, indifferent, and absolute — not loud, not threatening, but carrying a weight that made it impossible to refuse.
"Y-Yes... yes...!"
Knight Captain Li nodded rapidly, like a chicken pecking at rice, sweat still dripping down his face as he hurriedly turned around. His expression darkened as his sharp gaze swept toward the two half-step Divine Extinction Realm practitioners — his so-called relatives. Useless fools they may be, but blood ties were blood ties.
Yet, in this moment, all he felt was murderous rage toward them.
Useless trash!
Not only did they drag him out here to handle their petty grudge, but they had almost caused him to offend someone he absolutely should never have crossed paths with!
When this is over… when they made it out of here… he swore, he would skin them alive!
Without wasting another breath, Knight Captain Li turned sharply and with a single wave of his hand, led his entire group away, disappearing into the distance, leaving behind only the silent wilderness and the two masked figures standing amidst the gray mist.
Soon after, with the area returning to peace, Dian Xiang turned casually, as if the earlier scene had been nothing more than a brief interruption.
"Let's return."
Without another word, without explanation or concern, Dian Xiang flew ahead leisurely, his posture completely relaxed, like someone taking a casual stroll after scaring away a pack of dogs.
Behind him, Qianye Ying'er followed silently, her mind far from calm.
Her sharp golden eyes, hidden beneath the mask, glinted with dangerous light.
This man…
She realized — if she played her cards right, if she handled this carefully — she might have just found herself the greatest shortcut she could ever hope for in this unfamiliar world.
However…
They had barely flown for five minutes when suddenly, the entire world behind them seemed to explode with pressure.
Terrifying auras surged like a tidal wave — the same soldiers and Knight Captain who had left moments ago… were now returning with full force!
"?????"
Dian Xiang's calm eyes narrowed slightly in confusion as he halted mid-air, turning around as Knight Captain Li and his group once again appeared before him, their figures descending like a wall in front of his path.
This time… their expressions were completely different.
"Hahahahahahah!!!!!!"
A wild, almost deranged laughter erupted from Knight Captain Li, his voice booming across the empty wasteland like the roar of a madman pushed beyond reason.
His eyes, once filled with caution and fear, now burned with unrestrained madness and ecstasy.
"Crippled! You're crippled!!"
His words echoed like thunder, filled with disbelief, mockery, and pure, unfiltered excitement.
"!!!!!!!!!!!"
Dian Xiang's brows furrowed sharply, his calm expression twisting slightly as an ominous feeling surged within his heart. This was bad — very bad.
Something had changed.
Something had gone terribly wrong.
Knight Captain Li's laughter grew louder, more maniacal, as if he had just uncovered the greatest truth of his life.
"Not only are you crippled... but you're discarded as well! A prince thrown away like trash!!"
The Captain roared hysterically, his eyes bloodshot, overflowing with joy and venomous hatred.
"Hehehehe… Hahahahahaha!!!!"
Madness twisted his face as he pointed a trembling finger directly at Dian Xiang and Qianye Ying'er.
"Kill them all! Not a single one of them leaves alive!"
He roared the order with insane delight, as if this moment was the greatest blessing the Abyss had ever given him.
"Yes, Sir!!"
Without hesitation, the ten soldiers standing behind him, all at the First Level of the Divine Extinction Realm, answered in unison, their voices cold and sharp as blades.
Their auras exploded outward like crashing waves, merging together into a terrifying wall of pressure that surged forward with overwhelming force.