After dealing with the buzz-cut man, Wen Wen didn’t send him to the containment facility. Instead, he signaled the Association to come and retrieve him.
Then, he turned his gaze toward the volcano, his fingers itching for action.
The sudden severing of the buzz-cut man’s connection to the Qiling Pearl could only mean something had happened to Huang Hun. After all, there was over a 90% chance the Qiling Pearl was in Huang Hun’s possession.
*Should I go take a look? I’m just a sliver of energy away from unlocking the containment facility’s new ability. All I need is to touch Huang Hun once…*
After wrestling with the thought, Wen Wen finally decided to investigate.
Being so close to his goal made it unbearable *not* to seek out Huang Hun.
It was like a video stuck at 99% download, or a game queue with just one person ahead yet refusing to let you in—pure agony.
---
**"Stopping at this moment—should I call you cowardly or wise?"**
A figure draped in a black robe appeared at the cave entrance, sneering at Huang Hun.
Gone was the reverence from before. Now, the robed figure’s tone dripped with mockery.
**"You!"**
Huang Hun turned, his murderous intent flaring.
The moment this person had vanished earlier, he’d sworn to kill them the next time they showed their face.
**"I’m just a weak little woman. You’re scaring me."**
The robed figure shed their cloak, revealing a petite, dark-skinned woman with crimson hair and eyes.
She wore form-fitting leather armor, her most striking feature a pair of long, pointed ears—reminiscent of a dark elf from folklore.
Huang Hun’s eyes flickered with surprise. **"So this is your true form. It seems I’ve been dancing in your palm all along. What is your goal?"**
Her earlier escape had only been due to his carelessness. Now, the space around her was sealed by his power—there’d be no slipping away this time.
Before killing her, he wanted answers.
**"Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Iyeta, a humble servant of the Lord of the Heavens."**
Huang Hun tensed.
He knew the weight of the title **"Lord."**
In the hidden world, anyone with power could call themselves a god—but even Calamity-level beings dared not claim dominion as a **"Lord."**
Yet, to his confusion, he’d never heard of any **"Lord of the Heavens."**
Even with his clearance, the records only confirmed five suspected **Cataclysm-level** entities:
- The **"Creator"** behind the Church of Glory.
- The **"Abyssal Will"** worshipped by demon cultists.
- The **"Great Mother"**, who birthed twisted monstrosities.
- The **"Ancestor of Blasphemy"**, revered by the Blood of Defilement.
- And the **"Omniscient and Omnipotent"** of the Dawn Society.
Other secretive organizations worshipped beings far stronger than average Calamities—but none were confirmed Cataclysms.
Still, when dealing with entities of this magnitude, caution was paramount.
**"The Lord of the Heavens… Why have I never heard this title?"**
**"You’ve never heard?!"**
Iyeta shrieked, her voice laced with outrage.
**"Flames, storms, floods, lightning—day and night, the turning of seasons—all natural forces beneath the heavens fall under my Lord’s dominion!"**
**"Of course you wouldn’t know."**
Her face twisted with humiliation.
**"My Lord’s emissary descended upon this world millennia ago!"**
**"Yet he died protecting you wretched humans, leaving no trace of my Lord’s name in this wondrous new world!"**
**"Died protecting humans… You mean the ‘Beast God’ Qilin?"**
Huang Hun narrowed his eyes.
While investigating the Qiling Pearl, he’d uncovered fragments of the truth behind Qiling Mountain.
If even a being as mighty as the Qilin was merely an emissary of this **"Lord of the Heavens"**, then the latter might truly be a Cataclysm-level existence.
Iyeta nodded. **"Precisely. The Beast God Qilin. I’d hoped you humans could awaken his power and forge a new Beast God."**
**"From planting the idea in your mind to guiding you to obtain the white dragon’s scale as a token—every stroke of luck, every effort, was orchestrated by us."**
**"Yet you failures couldn’t even manage that. Pathetic."**
The more Huang Hun listened, the more his fury burned.
He’d been a puppet all along.
**"And now? What’s your plan?"**
Iyeta smirked. **"If a new Beast God won’t rise, then another of my Lord’s emissaries shall descend. With the Qiling Pearl as a conduit, a new Calamity will arrive."**
Behind Huang Hun, the phantom of an ancient warrior in armor materialized, gripping a battle-axe. Chains slithered from its free hand, coiling around Iyeta’s surroundings.
**"To do any of that, you’ll have to take the Qiling Pearl from me first!"**
**"You’ve got spatial abilities, but I’ve locked down the space around you. What can you do?"**
Iyeta smiled. **"Simple."**
**"Simple?"**
Before Huang Hun could react, the box containing the Qiling Pearl erupted with blinding light—engulfing him entirely.
*Spatial teleportation!*
In an instant, he vanished from the cave.
**"You sealed *me*—but not yourself."**
Iyeta picked up the Qiling Pearl, covering her mouth as she giggled.
**"What a brute, all strength and no wit. Let’s see if your might can match *his*."**
The box had been inscribed with a high-tier teleportation array, ensuring the Pearl’s retrieval if lost.
Iyeta had suppressed it earlier—but now, she’d simply restored the array… with a *twist*.
Only Huang Hun and the box were sent away.
The Pearl remained.
---
Atop the colossal sword, Xun Ying sat cross-legged on the hilt, his senses spanning the entirety of Qiling Mountain.
He was undertaking a monumental task—integrating the entire mountain range into his **Sword Domain**.
Once complete, no blade of grass would escape his notice.
Whether it was Huang Hun or the monsters testing the barrier, none would evade his blade.
But Qiling Mountain’s vastness demanded time.
The domain’s expansion was methodical, shrinking inward—ensuring no escape for his targets.
The outcome had been decided the moment Xun Ying took charge.
Then, his brow twitched.
*Perhaps I needn’t bother.*
Space warped above the sword hilt.
Xun Ying didn’t interfere. Instead, he adjusted his posture slightly.
A dazed Huang Hun materialized before him—still clutching the Qiling Pearl’s box.