In the void,
Along the way, the cities below had all been emptied out. Not only had the fifteen mighty cities of the Nether Domain been abandoned, but even the wilderness was completely deserted. The many tribes of cave dwellers, dark elves, giant-tailed people, stone demons, and others that had once gathered there were nowhere to be found, as though a devastating war had swept through.
"All fifteen cities of the Nether Domain are empty. Master must have run into trouble." Nie Li was startled, a faint unease welling up in his heart. His divine consciousness surged outward like a storm, probing straight toward the location of the Nine-Fold Deathlands in the Nether Domain.
Though the Nether Domain was shrouded in powerful laws, they were completely unable to block Nie Li's divine consciousness. He saw that the Nine-Fold Deathlands had likewise been reduced to ruins—the first six levels were utterly deserted.
Above the sixth level, however, an invisible barrier from a great formation shielded the area. Upon that barrier, streams of black flame flickered and surged, flashing in and out of existence.
"Black Flame power? It seems Master hasn't fallen yet!"
Seeing that black flame power, Nie Li let out a breath of relief and hurried with Goddess Yu Yan toward the upper reaches of the Nine-Fold Deathlands.
The Eighth Level of the Nine-Fold Deathlands.
This was the Blazing Wasteland. The surroundings were a vast expanse of cracked, barren earth. Firelight erupted from every fissure, and scorching waves of heat surged outward in all directions. Anyone below the Black Gold tier who set foot here would be incinerated by those blistering heat waves.
This had always been a place nearly impossible to survive in, yet at this moment, a great number of cultivators had gathered across the wasteland. They sat cross-legged upon the Blazing Wasteland, channeling their power into the Black Flame Tower at the center of the plain.
Boom!
From the top of the Black Flame Tower, terrifying black flame fire erupted in continuous torrents. These flames spread across the sky, coalescing into an ancient great formation that shielded the Nine-Fold Deathlands.
Above the Nine-Fold Deathlands, masses of demon beasts hovered in the air, radiating horrifying auras. Their bodies were immensely powerful—some were as massive as small hills—and they hammered relentlessly against the black flame barrier below.
The devastating attacks crashed into the majestic formation, producing terrifying shockwaves. The entire formation shuddered violently, teetering on the brink of collapse at any moment, like a candle flickering in the wind—yet it clung stubbornly on, refusing to be extinguished.
Before these demon beasts, two figures hovered in midair. One was a handsome man who stood suspended in the sky, a faint white glow radiating from his body, like a single crimson candle in the darkness.
The other wore a black robe and bowed obsequiously to the side, his features sharp and eagle-like, his gaze dark and sinister. His expression sent chills down one's spine, as though one were being stared at by a venomous snake, every hair on one's body standing on end.
If Nie Li had been here, he would have recognized this eagle-eyed figure immediately—it was
Years ago, after Ye Han had fallen into the abyss of the Nine-Fold Deathlands gravely wounded, everyone had assumed he was dead. Yet somehow he was still alive, and the aura he emanated now far surpassed that of any cultivator present, having reached a truly terrifying level.
"Ming, what's the use of holding on so stubbornly? I don't know how you came to possess such a treasure, but under the relentless assault of my demon race, your Nether Domain will inevitably fall. When that happens, your fate will be far worse." The handsome man's expression was as cold as eternal ice that could never melt, his brows sharp as if carved by a blade, and he spoke with a cold sneer.
"Zhulong, so what? Not a single person of my Nether Domain is a coward." The Lord of the Nether Domain hovered above the Black Flame Tower, his face stern and unyielding.
"Why bother? For the sake of the many years we've clashed, if you simply surrender the Nether Domain and submit to me, I'll spare your life. The demon race and the human race may be ancient enemies, but this one"—Zhulong glanced at Ye Han beside him—"willingly chose to serve as my dog, and I, Zhulong, still keep him at my side. I have always admired your talent, Ming. You are more than worthy of serving as my right hand."
"Having the honor of being a dog for the great Lord Zhulong is a blessing that I, Ye Han, cultivated over three lifetimes," Ye Han said fawningly, his head bowed low—truly like a dog.
"Despicable scoundrel. You'll meet a miserable end!" the Lord of the Nether Domain roared in fury.
"Ha ha ha! What is a despicable scoundrel? This world has always been survival of the fittest—the strong reign supreme. Back then, I was hunted down by that brat Nie Li and fell into the abyss of the Nine-Fold Deathlands. As the Lord of the Nether Domain, you could have saved my life, yet you chose to stand by and do nothing."
A savage glint flashed through Ye Han's eyes as he laughed wildly, almost hysterically. "But fate works in mysterious ways. Who would have thought that after falling into the abyss, not only did I not die—I obtained a divine fragment from the Primordial Chaos Spirit God. That old fool, seeing that I was of the human race, willingly passed the fragment and his legacy on to me. What he didn't know was that I used his divine fragment to tear open the human race's dimensional world, slaughter the entire Hunyuan Family he had bequeathed, and obtain supreme divine power."
Boom!
A terrifying wave of primordial chaos aura erupted from Ye Han's body and slammed into the Black Flame Great Formation below, causing the entire formation to contort violently.
Pfft!
Under the massive backlash, the numerous cultivators powering the Black Flame Great Formation below were all shaken to their very souls. One after another, they coughed up mouthfuls of fresh blood, their expressions haggard and their eyes filled with shock and fury.
"Treacherous ingrate—worse than a beast!"
After years of cultivation, Luo Jian had also advanced to the Demigod tier, becoming a core member of the Jade Seal Family.
"Oh? I recognize you. You're Luo Jian of the Jade Seal Family—the one who helped Nie Li back then!" A cold smile curled at the corner of Ye Han's lips, and a frigid light flashed in his eyes. "Once this turtle shell is broken, every last member of your Jade Seal Family will die."
"What of it? My Jade Seal Family does not fear death!" Luo Jian bellowed. Beside him,