"It's the trace of time."
The Moon Lord discovered that within the city of Blazing Fire, some individuals in the Mythical Realm were faintly marked by traces of time.
The薪火 (Xin Huo) organization might possess a powerful treasure related to time.
Was this the reason why 薪火 (Xin Huo) could cultivate one Mythical Realm expert after another in such a short period?
She mused, but without much curiosity to pry.
Mythical Realm experts were merely dust in her eyes. No matter how many more she cultivated, it wouldn't stir a ripple within her.
However, she was somewhat curious about this time-related treasure, but only 'somewhat'.
Time-related treasures were indeed precious, but she had them too.
As one of the most ancient deities in the Strange Realm, her accumulated treasures over countless years were innumerable. If the wealthy individuals of the Strange Realm were listed, she would undoubtedly rank among the top.
It was precisely because she was so affluent, possessing more than one time-related treasure, that she was able to ascend to such great heights in the path of time.
In the eyes of other ancient beings, she was merely a deity who controlled moon essence and cultivated the laws of light. Little did they know, her attainments in the paths of time and space were also considerable, even surpassing some ancient beings who bore titles related to time and space.
She was the Moon Lord, one of the strongest beings in the Strange Realm.
Even when severely injured, she could still wield infinite power.
She meticulously observed the entire city of Blazing Fire. This was driven both by her curiosity to indirectly probe and understand the background of that 薪火 (Xin Huo) mentor, and to gain a deeper understanding of humans – only by understanding humans could she find a more direct way to persuade Yin Yueluxi.
She did not pry into the few important areas shrouded in top-tier secret rituals. With the pervasive effect of 'light,' the Moon Lord swept through nearly the entire city of Blazing Fire with a mere turn of her gaze.
It was a meticulous sweep.
She discovered some Mythical Realm experts bearing faint traces of time.
She also found several demigods living in the Blazing Fire Oasis. One of these demigods even shared a bloodline connection with her; they were her descendants. Years ago, she had used the Tree of Life and her own great power to nurture several life fruits containing her bloodline power.
Several Moon Goddess daughters were thus born, already at the Mythical Realm upon birth.
Her most outstanding child had even pushed open the door to the High Realm, becoming an extremely rare high-level demigod. However, this Jade Moon Princess later died at the hands of an evil god's servant.
The Moon Lord's other daughters had either perished or died of old age.
To this day, a small number of demigods still had her blood flowing within them, though it was considerably diluted. She barely recognized them.
The Moon Lord gazed at this unremarkable descendant a few more times, noting them in her heart.
"Mythical Realm experts, demigods, various races... The city of Blazing Fire is indeed prosperous. Without war and disaster, it could have become the foremost city in the Strange Realm, a place longed for by countless beings."
"A pity. Despite its prosperity, it is also fragile, and could vanish into thin air at any moment."
During her observation, she had vaguely sensed a gaze.
It was the gaze of a High Realm expert, cautiously surveying the city of Blazing Fire from afar. However, the Moon Lord's vantage point was higher, and as a master of the path of 'light,' she was able to detect this gaze.
The city of Blazing Fire was already in a precarious state.
Of course, she didn't care.
The suffering of the city of Blazing Fire might help Yin Yueluxi face reality more quickly.
The Moon Lord thought, then gave a slight exclamation.
Her gaze fell upon the city gates of Blazing Fire, where an unremarkable duo was entering.
To call them unremarkable would be inaccurate.
One of them was three meters tall, with grayish-blue skin, appearing to be of the Jiaoren race. The other was short and plump, spherical in shape, wrapped tightly in black bandages, and floated about a meter off the ground.
Both were clearly not human.
Their appearances were somewhat eye-catching, but only somewhat.
As they walked, many passersby glanced at them before looking away. Weren't they just two foreign visitors? The city of Blazing Fire was home to many strange races, and people were accustomed to them!
The city of Blazing Fire was truly a wondrous place!
The power they outwardly displayed was merely that of the Mythical Realm – a rank that allowed one to travel freely between regions and wouldn't attract much attention even in the city of Blazing Fire.
However, the Moon Lord faintly sensed something amiss about these two.
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she focused her gaze more intently. "Indeed, something is wrong. It's them, the ancient beings from Paradise."
Paradise was a group of ancient beings who had gathered with the aim of establishing a reclusive paradise!
It hadn't been active for long, but its reputation was significant!
This was because 'Paradise' had recruited many ancient beings who were already renowned!
She, the Moon Lord, had also received an invitation from Paradise, but she had outright rejected it. Paradise recruited ancient beings from all walks of life. Even for mere cooperation, she did not wish to associate with certain individuals.
The Moon Lord recalled briefly and recognized the two ancient beings who had entered the Blazing Fire Oasis.
– The Jiaoren God: Ghost Face Jiaozun!
– A special life born from the endless abyss: Lord of Black Smoke!
The Moon Lord could identify them at a glance, not because she had fully seen through them, but because… Ghost Face Jiaozun and Lord of Black Smoke had not concealed their identities at all.
They had boldly entered the city of Blazing Fire in their most natural forms.
They appeared to be utterly fearless.
And they had the right to be. Although Ghost Face Jiaozun and the other were far from her equal, they were still powerful beings among the ancient ones, with countless astonishing achievements.
Lord of Black Smoke was a naturally born Rank 10 existence.
Ghost Face Jiaozun, as the Jiaoren God, was originally just a third-rate minor deity of Rank 9. However, after the arrival of the Mysterious Era, this ancient being had clearly achieved a breakthrough, likely entering the Rank 10 Origin Realm.
The Moon Lord had heard some of Ghost Face Jiaozun's achievements.
"The group 'Paradise' seems to often pair top-tier ancient beings in teams of two."
"Ghost Face Jiaozun's ability to travel with Lord of Black Smoke clearly indicates they are of the same tier."
"And…"
Not long ago, a major event had occurred.
Two ancient beings from Paradise had breached the Rank 9 oasis of the Shadow Clan and stolen the clan's most treasured artifact.
The Shadow Clan was a relatively powerful race in the Strange Realm, ranking below humans and elementals.
This clan possessed two High Realm experts.
Their numbers were extremely sparse, and they had no vassal races. They were active only in one corner of the Strange Realm, hence their low profile.
However…
"The experts of the Shadow Clan were concentrated in their only oasis. If one were to truly calculate, their homeland's ability to resist external enemies was far stronger than that of humans."
Not to mention the city of Blazing Fire, which was open to anyone.
It would be a hundred times easier to breach.
Of course, in the Moon Lord's opinion, even if the city of Blazing Fire were not open, it would not have been able to stop the two Rank 10 ancient beings, Ghost Face Jiaozun and Lord of Black Smoke.
It seemed to make no difference.
The Moon Lord had no intention of intervening.
She was she, and 薪火 (Xin Huo) was 薪火 (Xin Huo). There was no connection between them. She would simply observe silently, awaiting the development of events.
Would that 薪火 (Xin Huo) mentor appear?
"With the power of that 薪火 (Xin Huo) mentor, perhaps they could fight both of them, one against two."
"But…"
If a battle between Rank 10 beings erupted, the entire city of Blazing Fire would be instantly annihilated. After all, Ghost Face Jiaozun and the other had already entered the oasis.
This was the fatal weakness of the city of Blazing Fire – it was too easy for intruders to infiltrate!
The greater possibility was that before the 薪火 (Xin Huo) mentor could react, Ghost Face Jiaozun and Lord of Black Smoke would have plundered the treasures within the city and made their escape.
This possibility was greater.
Because the 薪火 (Xin Huo) mentor might not be within the city.
Ghost Face Jiaozun and Lord of Black Smoke had come prepared.
...
"Capture the High Realm experts of the city of Blazing Fire, search their souls, and we'll know everything."
Ghost Face Jiaozun grinned.
This was their plan.
In the face of absolute power, they did not need elaborate plans. Simple and direct was enough.
The two ancient beings working together had already seized many powerful treasures.
These treasures would add to their grand Paradise plan.
"Hmm?"
Ghost Face Jiaozun suddenly stopped, his gaze fixed on the end of the street, on a slender, delicate human figure.
"This strong expert from the 薪火 (Xin Huo) organization has appeared on their own."
"She has discovered us. Interesting."
Ghost Face Jiaozun licked his lips.
The human woman in the distance had black hair cascading over her shoulders, her eyes as calm as an abyss, emitting a faint blue glow, and she was quietly observing the two of them.
At some point, the street had become devoid of people.
From afar, Mythical Realm experts stood on rooftops, on high alert.
However, Ghost Face Jiaozun and Lord of Black Smoke paid no mind to these individuals. No matter how numerous ants were, they were still ants. Under their Law Divine Bodies, even if they stood still and let themselves be attacked, these ants could not harm them in the slightest.
Only the black-haired human girl in the distance deserved their slight attention.
This was a High Realm expert. Ghost Face Jiaozun was certain of it; he saw the ripples of law emanating from heaven and earth.
"Who is this High Realm expert?"
"Isn't the protector of the city of Blazing Fire supposed to be Yin Luoxi, the Flame Incinerator, known as the second strongest human?"
"Never mind, it's not important."
He had originally intended to gauge the strength of Yin Luoxi, the Flame Incinerator.
But after all, she was just a High Realm expert. No matter how strong a High Realm expert was, they were still just a High Realm expert.
Ghost Face Jiaozun spoke, "Honestly hand over what treasures your 薪火 (Xin Huo) has, and where they are. Otherwise, without any fight, even a sliver of power I leak will be enough to crush the surroundings."
"Or do you, little girl, intend to stop me?"
He spoke.
He had no intention of being polite first.
The power sealed within his divine body was gradually released.
Ghost Face Jiaozun still maintained his three-meter height, but at this moment, he appeared infinitely majestic. Ripples of law shimmered around him, causing the entire city to be enveloped in a misty vapor.
The sky near the city of Blazing Fire even revealed a terrifying sight.
Great waves surged, and countless Jiaoren walked on the waves, as if to crush everything in their path.
"Authority of the Tide!"
The Moon Lord murmured, a hint of seriousness in her eyes.
An Jianyou was serious.
Ghost Face Jiaozun was right. They were already inside the city. Any significant battle would cause incalculable damage to the entire oasis city.
Therefore, after Xing Jinglei, who was on duty and continuously scanning the city, discovered the intruders, the organization immediately notified her.
She arrived quickly.
She stood before the two powerful ancient beings.
She clenched her fists.
"After so many years of cultivation, facing powerful enemies, I can finally contribute a bit."
Endless darkness spread, engulfing the entire street in an instant.
Ghost Face Jiaozun paused.
He looked at the pitch-black space before him, and the faintly discernible great blue river and towering city gates in the distance, and became vigilant.
He felt a sense of unease.
"Secret Realm? World?"
"But even a world is just a larger glass bead in front of an Origin Realm expert."
Ghost Face Jiaozun raised his divine-demonic weapon and tore through space.
RUMBLE——
Space cracked.
The earth continued to shatter.
But the darkness within the world grew deeper and more terrifying.
In the dark mist, figure after figure silently appeared. Each of these figures gave him a chilling premonition.
"You are not a High Realm expert! You are a Rank 10 Origin Realm expert?!"
"Could it be that you are the legendary strongest human, the 薪火 (Xin Huo) mentor?"
"No, wait. Humans actually have a second Origin Realm expert?"
At this moment, Lord of Black Smoke also realized something was wrong.
From the beginning, they seemed to have underestimated this 薪火 (Xin Huo) organization.
"Attack together."
He said. Otherwise, not only would delaying further attract more 薪火 (Xin Huo) experts, but he feared they might not even be able to contend with the one before them.
After the dark world opened, the originally delicate human girl seemed to reveal her true form.
Her appearance remained the same, but in Lord of Black Smoke's eyes, it gradually became terrifying.
It was as if great ill fortune was spreading.
Ghost Face Jiaozun became increasingly uneasy. This time, he no longer thought it was an illusion. Perhaps this human girl was the true strongest human behind 薪火 (Xin Huo)!
She had hidden herself so deeply!
He manifested his authority.
33.45% of the Tide Authority!
Lord of Black Smoke also manifested his authority: 42.36% of the Black Smoke Authority!
Manifesting authority meant unleashing their full power. They were serious, possibly even fighting for their lives.
An Jianyou was also very serious and solemn. This was the strongest enemy she had faced since her debut. She manifested her primary authority.
A complete hemisphere.
50% of the Underworld Authority!
Ghost Face Jiaozun and the other were shocked.
"Her authority power is stronger than ours, but she is still at the same tier."
"Yes, unleash full power. First, tear open the world's blockade, then we'll plan further!"
A terrifying battle erupted within the Underworld world.
Laws were in chaos, and space was broken.
Outside, the darkness covering the land gradually receded, leaving no ripple.
Mythical Realm experts were maintaining order at the scene.
The Moon Lord's gaze also lingered above this area.
Her eyebrows furrowed. "World-type ability?" But she could not see the scene within the darkness. To her surprise, her gaze could not penetrate it.
She pondered.
Before she could think further.
The darkness spread again, spitting out two incomplete corpses.
One was grayish-blue, the other grayish-black.
Both corpses contained great power. The moment they appeared, they stirred the laws of heaven and earth. Laws glowed, and the sounds of heaven and earth hummed.
These were the corpses of great powerhouses!
Moon Lord: "(?◎△◎?)〃"
...
In the Holy Court, two figures dressed somewhat strangely were stepping from Luoxia Province and heading straight for the First Province.
They suddenly braked.
"Urgent message from the leader."
"Abandon the mission and immediately withdraw from the Holy Court continent."
A ring on the hands of the two ancient beings flickered with urgent light.
They were bewildered.
"What happened?"
"Has the leader gone mad?"
"Ahem, be careful with your words... but could it be that the other team encountered some trouble?"
"Are we still going ahead?"
They hesitated. After all, they had come this far. The Yin Duola Tree of Life was not far away, and ancient supreme treasures seemed within reach.
For them, dignified Rank 10 great powerhouses, to leave just like that would be quite shameful.
How would they continue in the future?
But the leader's message was so urgent, it didn't seem like a minor matter?
While they were conflicted, a man wearing a black trench coat and a black mask walked over from a distance.
Along with this man came tens, hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of heroic souls.
They were surrounded.
They had fallen into a battlefield-like world.
Black Blade spoke little, only issuing military orders.
"Hundred thousand heroic souls, follow me, kill!"
The heroic souls arrayed themselves and charged, shaking the heavens and shattering the earth, gradually engulfing the two majestic figures.
In the darkness, a few ancient beings who had been observing and hesitating to act scattered in a frenzy.
This 薪火 (Xin Huo) was too full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!