Chapter 333: The Golden Age! Hidden Secrets of the Gods! Sword Pointing at the Forge Home!

Chapter 333: The Golden Age! Secrets of the Gods! Sword Pointed at the Furnace!

Deep within the heart of the Spirit Deer Kingdom’s imperial palace lies an absolute forbidden zone.

It was not built by human hands; its core is the remnant of a micro-neutron star, long dead and drifting through the cosmos for untold aeons.

The progenitor of the Spirit Deer Kingdom discovered this marvel by chance, and it took the painstaking efforts of countless generations to hollow it out and transform it into this indestructible, ultimate vault.

The density of the neutron star’s matter is beyond comprehension, and its gravitational field is constrained by powerful arrays, forming a natural, perfect "information black hole."

Any form of psychic power, psionic fluctuation, or law-based probing that touches the outer walls of this chamber is instantly absorbed and crushed by its terrifyingly dense structure, reduced to the purest stream of particles, unable to leak even a fraction.

Theoretically, this is a place of absolute safety.

The interior space of the vault is modest, roughly a hundred feet square, with walls of a dull, metallic hue that seems to swallow all light. They are cold to the touch, yet so hard that even the full-force strike of a Marquis-level powerhouse could not leave a single mark.

In the center of the space, bound by dozens of restrictive runes woven by Qin Feng himself—glowing with a pure, black psychic light—lay Marquis Zhu Wu, limp as a pile of boneless sludge.

His Dao Seal had been thoroughly shattered by Qin Feng’s brutal force, his origin severely damaged, yet his eyes still burned with a fire of mixed resentment and fanaticism, staring fixedly at the two men before him.

Qin Feng and Master Sanruo sat opposite each other, a simple stone table manifested from energy resting between them, a pot of tea upon it emitting wisps of steam.

The atmosphere, however, was heavier and more silent than the star core itself.

"Master Sanruo, is there a way to make this wretch speak?"

Qin Feng broke the silence first, his voice steady and low, devoid of any emotion.

He knew well that for a fanatic like Marquis Zhu Wu, deeply brainwashed by the will of the gods, conventional soul-searching techniques and mental torture were often of little use.

Their souls had long since constructed a barrier of fanatical faith; any external intrusion could trigger a soul-suicide, leaving one with nothing.

He could kill Marquis Zhu Wu ten thousand times, but to pry valuable intelligence from his lips required more specialized means.

"No rush."

Master Sanruo picked up his teacup and took a gentle sip, a mysterious smile appearing on his face—a smile that seemed to soothe all the restlessness in the world. "Benefactor Qin Feng, the Heavenly Mystery Sect to which I belong may not excel in direct combat, and our disciples may not be outstanding in terms of raw power among their peers.

But when it comes to investigating causality, tracing origins, and peering into the secrets of the soul sea, we have our own unique methods upon which we stand."

He paused, placed the teacup steadily back on the table, and cast his gentle gaze upon Marquis Zhu Wu. His eyes held no trace of killing intent, yet he looked as if he were examining an ancient artifact laden with countless threads of karma.

"I possess a secret technique called the [Great Evolution Heart-Questioning Sutra], created by imitating the operating principles of the legendary cosmic wonder, the [Heavenly Mystery Disk].

Once activated, this technique can bypass the subject's surface consciousness, reaching directly to the origin of their soul to read their most deeply inscribed memory imprints.

Never mind a living person; even a corpse that has just fallen, as long as its true spirit has not completely dissipated, I can make it 'speak' and recount the events of its life."

Before the words had faded, Master Sanruo slowly closed his eyes, and his aura underwent a cataclysmic change in an instant.

A moment ago, he was a gentle, refined, and peaceful man of the Dao;

The next, he seemed to have withdrawn from this "reality," establishing a profound and mysterious connection with the entire chamber, the planet beneath their feet, and even the vast cosmic star sea.

His presence became ethereal, as if he had transformed into a wisp of wind, a ray of light, an invisible rhythm, merging into the breathing of the entire universe.

Qin Feng sat to the side, his "pure black" quality psychic power keenly sensing this change.

In his perception, Master Sanruo’s life form seemed to be sublimating, temporarily shifting from an "individual" into a "phenomenon," a "port" for probing the causality of all things on behalf of Heaven.

This realm far exceeded the category of mere power, touching upon the level of the "Dao."

For a long time, Master Sanruo began to chant, reciting a scripture that was ancient, obscure, and belonged to no linguistic system of any known race in the universe.

The sound was not loud, yet it carried a strange Dao resonance that pointed directly to the origin; with every syllable uttered, the space within the chamber rippled imperceptibly.

The microscopic particles that constituted matter seemed to undergo orderly, harmonious resonance under the guidance of this scripture.

Hum—

Master Sanruo opened his eyes abruptly.

Those eyes, once gentle and wise, had completely changed.

They were no longer flesh and blood, but had evolved into two slowly rotating, profoundly deep miniature nebulae!

The core of the nebulae was of extreme darkness, while the edges radiated a brilliant golden light.

Countless golden runes so profound they made even Qin Feng’s heart tremble, mysterious imprints representing ancient contracts, and complex array patterns symbolizing the ultimate truths of heaven and earth, constantly emerged, flowed, collided, and rearranged within these two nebulae...

These eyes no longer seemed to be organs for "seeing," but had become two super-divine arrays operating at high speed to resolve the ultimate mysteries of the universe!

"Command!"

Master Sanruo uttered the true word.

Two golden beams, compressed from countless torrents of information and nearly solidified, erupted from the depths of his pupils, shooting with pinpoint accuracy into the eyes of Marquis Zhu Wu.

"Ah..."

Marquis Zhu Wu let out a short, guttural roar that hovered between pain and confusion.

The moment the golden light struck his eyes, which had been burning with fanaticism and resentment, the fire within them was extinguished as if doused by a basin of ice water.

His gaze became dull, unfocused, and hollow at a speed visible to the naked eye, losing all spirit and will, as if his soul had been forcibly extracted from its shell by this golden light, leaving behind only a thoughtless biological container.

For the next three days and three nights, the chamber fell into absolute, deathly silence.

Master Sanruo sat quietly, locked in a gaze with Marquis Zhu Wu, the nebulae in his eyes rotating at a constant speed. Countless streams of invisible information were being continuously extracted from the depths of Marquis Zhu Wu’s soul sea with unimaginable efficiency, then rapidly read, categorized, and analyzed by those two nebulae.

Qin Feng stood guard to the side, witnessing this miracle from start to finish, his estimation of the mysterious "Heavenly Mystery Sect" elevated to an infinite degree.

He could clearly feel how vast and majestic the amount of information Master Sanruo was processing; the way his psychic power operated—exquisite, subtle, yet as grand as an abyss—gave him immense inspiration.

This was a power system entirely different from the "Path of Extremes" he walked; it did not pursue ultimate destruction or speed, but rather the ultimate mastery of "information" and "causality."

Time flowed slowly in this silent exchange of information.

Three days later, a sudden change occurred.

Marquis Zhu Wu, slumped on the ground, shuddered violently, and dark red blood spilled from his seven orifices simultaneously.

His life force faded at an alarming rate, and his soul fire, in Qin Feng’s perception, was like a candle in the wind, rapidly dimming until it finally extinguished completely.

His soul could not withstand this root-pulling style of memory extraction and collapsed entirely.

At the same time, Master Sanruo slowly closed his eyes, the two rotating nebulae receding into the depths of his pupils.

His long eyelashes trembled slightly, fine beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his brows were knit into a deep furrow, as if he were digesting that massive, chaotic, and highly toxic information within his own consciousness space.

Another three full days passed before Master Sanruo’s brow slowly smoothed out.

He exhaled a long, turbid breath tainted with a faint, fishy odor, as if trying to purge the filth he had contracted from Marquis Zhu Wu’s memories.

When he opened his eyes again, the gentleness and ethereal quality were gone, replaced by an unprecedented gravity and anxiety.

"Master, how is it?!"

Seeing that Master Sanruo had finally finished his spell, Qin Feng, who had been guarding for six days and six nights, asked immediately, his tone carrying an unconcealable urgency.

Master Sanruo rubbed his still-throbbing temples and said slowly, his voice tinged with exhaustion: "Benefactor Qin Feng, this matter... is far more complex and thorny than we imagined.

The water behind Marquis Zhu Wu is bottomless."

He gathered his thoughts and continued: "First, regarding Marquis Zhu Wu’s betrayal.

Its root is identical to the 'blessing' we saw on the newlyweds, Lei and Ling Yao; one could even say that Marquis Zhu Wu and the battle group he belongs to were earlier 'test subjects'."

"According to the core memories I read, about eighty thousand years ago, the 'Shadow Moon Gray Wolf' battle group to which Marquis Zhu Wu belonged encountered an irresistible crisis while exploring a cosmic forbidden zone known as the 'Tomb of the Ancient Gods,' falling into a desperate situation where the entire group faced annihilation."

In the depths of his most desperate and unwilling prayer, a presence calling itself the "Demon God" answered him.

Qin Feng’s gaze sharpened, and he listened in silence.

"That Demon God did not use its will to directly corrupt or twist their souls, but instead bestowed upon them a 'blessing.'

The effect of this blessing was pure: it amplified their battle intent, bloodlust, and combat instincts a hundredfold.

The more fervent their battle spirit, the greater the power they drew from the blessing, and afterward, their bodies and souls showed no signs of being eroded or corrupted by chaotic energy."

"It was precisely through this sudden 'miracle' that the entire 'Shadow Moon Wolf' warband survived, and upon their return, they discovered their strength had made significant strides.

This experience completely overturned their understanding of Chaos.

In their eyes, Chaos was no longer a synonym for the chaotic evil that must be eradicated, but had transformed into a great existence that could be harnessed, one capable of granting miracles, and thus worthy of reverence—or even... longing."

Master Sanruo looked at Qin Feng, his eyes growing profoundly deep, and he offered a subtle analogy:

"It is much like a gambler in the mortal world.

For a gambler, the most terrifying thing is never losing one's entire fortune, but winning enough money on the first bet to change one's destiny.

'Winning' is the true beginning of one's descent into an abyss from which there is no return."

"These 'harmless blessings,' which appear to have no side effects and seem perfect, are the 'lures' that the gods, in this new era, have cast out toward all living beings in the universe."

"'Lures'..."

Qin Feng chewed on the word, a flash of realization crossing his eyes.

"Indeed."

Master Sanruo nodded. "It will not corrupt you immediately, nor will it demand any price from you.

It merely generously allows you to taste the sweetness of 'gains without labor' and the thrill of an overnight ascent.

Once you accept this gift, the defenses against Chaos deep within your heart will collapse entirely.

When you face an unsolvable difficulty, an unconquerable enemy, or an insurmountable bottleneck in the future, the first thing you will think of will no longer be the day-to-day grind of arduous cultivation, nor the life-and-death tempering of bloody battles, but... offering your loyalty and sacrifices to that omnipotent god who once helped you."

"This is a 'conspiracy in the light' that shakes the very foundations of our civilization's values.

It exploits the common weaknesses of all living things—desire and the hope for a stroke of luck.

Compared to the crude and brutal corruption of the past, this method is more insidious, more contagious, and far more... lethal."

Qin Feng’s mind raced, instantly grasping the core of the issue: "I understand.

But the problem is, as far as I know, the behavior patterns of the Chaos Evil Gods have remained relatively fixed for countless epochs, focusing primarily on direct corruption, slaughter, the spread of plagues, and conspiracies.

Why, now, have they begun to unanimously employ this more covert 'conspiracy' that requires long-term planning? What has caused them to change their strategy?"

"A good question."

A trace of approval appeared on Master Sanruo’s face, but it was immediately replaced by that same gravity. "Because... they, too, have felt an unprecedented sense of crisis.

A storm capable of threatening their immortal status is sweeping across the entire universe, and it is fast approaching."

He spoke word by word, uttering a term that felt utterly alien to Qin Feng:

"This is the primary reason for my visit.

Benefactor Qin Feng, I have been sent by my Sect Master to tell you one thing—"

"The 'Golden Age' of the universe is about to begin."

"The Golden Age?"

It was the first time Qin Feng had heard the term, and a look of confusion involuntarily crossed his face.

He had never read this word in any of the archives of the Holy Academy.

"Indeed, the Golden Age."

Master Sanruo took a deep breath and began to explain the concept, which concerned the ultimate secret of the universe.

"First, you must understand a fundamental law.

The reality we inhabit and the chaotic Warp appear to be two separate dimensions, but they are in fact two sides of the same coin, following a degree of energy conservation.

Though the Warp is vast and boundless, the total amount of its source energy is, on a macroscopic level, finite.

To those high and mighty gods, the Warp is their garden and pasture; the souls of believers and the emotions of the universe are the food upon which they rely to survive and grow."

"The more gods there are, the smaller the 'cake' each one receives.

And gods are not perpetual motion machines without desires; they, too, are cultivating, pursuing that supreme realm beyond 'immortality'—transcendence.

To achieve transcendence, one requires vast, unimaginable resources.

Therefore, the competition between gods is a hundred times more brutal than you can imagine."

"And the reality we inhabit is not immutable.

It follows a periodic, tide-like law.

Every span of time so long that it cannot be measured by years, the universe transitions from a relatively stable 'low tide' to an extremely active 'high tide.'

This 'high tide' is what we of the Heavenly Secret Sect call—the 'Golden Age'."

"Simply put, during the Golden Age, the fundamental laws of the entire universe become extremely active, as if awakening from a deep slumber.

Countless ancient ruins that have been silent for past epochs and supreme opportunities buried by the river of history will emerge like bamboo shoots after a spring rain;

'Cosmic Wonders,' treasures that exist only in legends, will appear with far greater frequency;

Most importantly, the frequency with which the 'Universal Will' issues tasks and the richness of the rewards will increase exponentially!"

Master Sanruo’s tone carried a hint of longing, mixed with a touch of awe.

"What does this mean?

It means that in the years to come, countless living beings will obtain opportunities they never dared to dream of, and their strength will see explosive growth!

In every epoch, a multitude of brilliant and talented beings will use this tidal wave of the era to break their shackles, ignite their divine fires, and ultimately ascend to the heavens to become gods!"

"The birth of new gods will inevitably challenge the status of the old.

To compete for limited Warp resources and the elusive opportunity for transcendence, a brutal 'War of the Gods' that will engulf the entire universe is inevitable.

At that time, mad god-slayers, cunning opportunists, ancient gods awakening from the past, and ambitious new deities...

Countless monsters and demons will all take the stage in this cosmic-level feast known as the 'Golden Age'!"

Qin Feng listened in silence, a monstrous storm raging within his heart.

He finally understood why the Evil Gods had changed their strategy and why the actions of the All-Race Cult were so cryptic.

They were all laying the groundwork in advance for this impending, god-level "involution"!

"The war of the gods may still seem distant to you for now."

Master Sanruo shifted his tone, becoming incredibly serious, his eyes sharp as blades, piercing into Qin Feng’s soul. "However, the direct impact of the Golden Age on you is imminent, and... lethal!"

"Because there is an iron law in the universe—'One cannot cultivate the same path'!"

"'One cannot cultivate the same path'?"

"Yes."

Master Sanruo nodded heavily. "You may understand it this way: any 'path' that points directly to the origin of the universe and ultimately leads to godhood is unique and singular.

It is like a throne that can only seat one person.

When a second person desires to occupy that same throne, there is no possibility of coexistence between them."

"Patron Qin Feng, the 'Path of Extremity' you walk, which fuses thirty billion secret arts to forge a legendary foundation like the [Primordial Singularity], is in its essence a true 'Divine Path of Proving the Way through Force' that points directly to the source!

This path is unimaginably arduous, requiring one to face calamities and challenges beyond comprehension, yet its ceiling is equally immense—so high that even the gods themselves must cast a sidelong glance."

"In the long, untraceable river of cosmic history, you are by no means the only prodigy to attempt this 'Divine Path' of proving the way through force.

The vast majority failed, turning into the dust of history due to a lack of resources.

But there are a rare few who perhaps did not perish entirely, but merely fell into a deep slumber because the time was not yet ripe;

Or perhaps they reached a certain stage and were forced to halt due to exhausted resources, waiting silently in some forgotten corner."

"And in the coming Golden Age, aided by the generous gifts of the cosmic will and the explosive emergence of countless opportunities, there will inevitably be more peerless prodigies like you who will forge their supreme foundations, glimpse the mysteries of the origin, and step onto this 'Divine Path' of force!"

"And when you, these travelers walking a 'unique' path, meet one day in the future, there will be only one outcome."

Master Sanruo’s voice turned cold and cruel. "Only the one who survives is qualified to continue.

The other will become a stepping stone for the victor’s ascent to the divine throne, with his path, his laws, and his very essence completely devoured and absorbed by the winner!"

Boom!

These words struck Qin Feng’s heart like a heavy hammer imbued with the laws of the universe.

For the first time, he truly felt the immense, trans-temporal pressure exerted by his "fellow travelers."

He had always believed himself to be a solitary wanderer on this "Path of Extremity," a pioneer with no predecessor.

He had not expected that far ahead on this road, countless forerunners and competitors were already lurking and waiting in the darkness. His opponents were no longer merely the visible enemies, but rather those invisible "selves" chosen by the era, walking at the same height as he!

"Now, it is merely the prelude to the Golden Age, the final calm before the storm."

Master Sanruo watched the contemplative Qin Feng and delivered his final summary, his voice heavy with urgency.

"Prodigies in the universe are as numerous as carp crossing a river, but in this current era, according to the observations of my Heavenly Secret Sect, you are the only one who has truly set foot upon this 'Divine Path.'

Patron Qin Feng, you possess a precious 'first-mover advantage'!"

"Therefore, you must take action! Spare no cost to seize this final and most critical window of opportunity. Before the masses rise, before those future competitors grow, you must scramble for resources, snatch up opportunities, and complete those high-reward tasks of the cosmic will to establish a lead so insurmountable that they can never hope to catch up!"

"This is no longer just your personal cultivation. This is a war concerning the ownership of the 'Way.' You must win!"

"I understand, Master. I need to look at this thing first."

Qin Feng looked at his slender, powerful palm and slowly opened it.

There, a simple, unremarkable space ring lay quietly.

It was the storage ring of Marquis Zhu Wu.

The reason Qin Feng had interrupted Master Sanruo at the end of their conversation to demand this ring stemmed precisely from this shift in his mindset.

Once he fully understood the essence of the "Golden Age"—a war for resources on an unprecedented scale—his mode of thinking shifted accordingly.

He could not afford to overlook any potential resource point, no matter how small.

Marquis Zhu Wu, a genuine intermediate-level Marquis and a member of the mysterious "Ten Thousand Races Sect," surely possessed vast wealth.

More importantly, since he had betrayed Marquis Yunfu and stolen the clues to the map of the "Primordial Fire," this item, crucial to Qin Feng, was highly likely to be inside this ring.

To Master Sanruo, Qin Feng’s action might have seemed like meticulous attention to detail, but to Qin Feng, it was a logical necessity under the new rules.

He did not hesitate. A wisp of his "pure black" quality mental energy, sharp as a surgeon’s scalpel, easily probed into the inner space of the ring, precisely locating the soul imprint left by Marquis Zhu Wu.

That imprint, already weakened by its master’s grievous injuries, could offer no resistance against Qin Feng’s overwhelming mental force and dissolved quietly like snow under a scorching sun.

Hum—

The space ring emitted a faint hum, opening its embrace completely to its new master.

Qin Feng’s divine sense sank into it.

In an instant, a storage space of unimaginable vastness unfolded before his consciousness.

The space was nearly as large as a small star, filled with massive amounts of categorized supplies, dazzling and radiant with treasures.

However, Qin Feng’s divine sense merely swept past these dazzling riches without a ripple in his heart.

While valuable, these things were merely icing on the cake for his current realm and status.

His [Primordial Singularity] foundation did not require these conventional resources, but rather rare treasures capable of touching the origin of the universe.

Soon, Qin Feng discovered a solitary wooden box crafted from "Soul-Nurturing Wood."

Qin Feng’s divine sense probed it cautiously.

The moment his sense touched the box, a faint yet incredibly scorching and ancient aura seeped out.

This aura felt like the very first flame born at the dawn of the universe, containing the primordial power of creation and destruction.

The moment it appeared, it resonated with the [Primordial Singularity] deep within Qin Feng’s sea of consciousness—the one evolved from the [Terminal Singularity]—with a connection as intimate as blood.

Found it!

Qin Feng’s heart jolted; he suppressed his inner excitement.

As he took the box, a warm yet scorching sensation greeted him.

Qin Feng opened the lid.

A simple scroll of beast hide lay quietly inside.

The scroll, tanned from the hide of some unknown divine beast, remained as tough as ever despite the passage of endless ages.

On it, incomplete mountain ranges, geography, and star trajectories were drawn in an ancient and mysterious vermilion dye.

Most striking was the center of the scroll, which depicted a flame.

Even as a mere drawing, the flame seemed to be burning in reality, and the faint, scorching light it emitted resonated with the information about the "Primordial Fire" in his mind with an intensity he had never felt before!

This is it!

The "Primordial Fire" fragment!

In that instant, Qin Feng clearly felt his internal [Primordial Singularity] cheering, as if it had found a long-lost kin. A desire born from the very source urged him to collect the remaining fragments, find the true "Primordial Fire," and devour it to complete his supreme foundation.

He looked up at Master Sanruo, a smile on his face, and shook the map in his hand: "Master, this is a fragment of the 'Primordial Fire,' a key item for completing my path.

This item was originally stolen by him from my human comrades; now that I am taking it back, there is no issue, is there?"

Master Sanruo was stunned for a moment, then saw the beast-hide scroll in Qin Feng’s hand and felt that unique, primordial aura. A flash of surprise crossed his eyes.

As a member of the Heavenly Secret Sect, he was well-informed and naturally recognized this treasure related to the origin of the universe.

He looked deeply at Qin Feng and gave a dry laugh: "Of course there is no issue. The spoils of war belong to you, and furthermore, this item is inextricably linked to your path.

However, according to the rules, I must report this to the Holy Academy and have it recorded."

"That is only right."

Qin Feng nodded candidly.

Brother Qin...

Master Sanruo shook his head, his tone carrying a trace of indescribable emotion. "Your fortune is truly staggering. No sooner had you learned of the urgency of the Golden Age and the need to exhaust every effort to seek opportunity, than the very key to perfecting your divine path delivered itself to your doorstep. It is as if a pillow were brought to one who is already drowsy."

His words were filled with admiration for Qin Feng’s almost unreasonable luck.

As a divine prodigy of the Heavenly Secret Sect, he understood better than anyone the weight of the word "fortune" on the path of cultivation.

Opportunities that some spend a lifetime failing to encounter seemed, for others, to be within easy reach.

Qin Feng was clearly the latter.

"Haha, just a stroke of luck."

Qin Feng smiled, not wishing to dwell on the matter.

He carefully and solemnly stowed the tattered beast-hide map away, placing it into his sub-spatial storage unit.

This subtle gesture signified the extreme importance he placed upon the item.

"Very well, the matter is settled, and I must be off."

Seeing this, Master Sanruo did not linger and nodded at Qin Feng. "The Golden Age is imminent; take care of yourself. Should you have need of the Holy Academy, you may contact us at any time through your authorized access."

With that, he spoke no more. Dragging the limp, dog-like form of Marquis Zhuwu, he drew a light stroke in the air before him.

Rip!

The void tore open in response, revealing a pitch-black fissure. Within, turbulent spatial currents surged, yet they were gently pushed aside by an invisible force, forming a stable and profound passage leading to some unknown, distant destination.

Master Sanruo stepped into it, his figure vanishing along with the spatial rift.

The ripples in space slowly smoothed over, and the last trace of the mysterious aura belonging to the Heavenly Secret Sect’s arts dissipated into nothingness.

Silence—an unprecedented silence—enveloped the secret chamber, which had been meticulously prepared by the Second Elder of the Spirit Deer Kingdom.

Qin Feng took a deep breath.

The Golden Age!

These four words seemed to possess infinite magic and weight, stirring up mountainous waves in his heart.

Before this, although Qin Feng already stood at the pinnacle of his generation and possessed the terrifying combat power to slay a Marquis,

his plans for the future had followed a relatively clear and predictable trajectory: digest his gains, improve his strength, seek the "Primordial Fire" to perfect his own path, settle his grievances with the "Ten Thousand Races Cult," and finally climb the "Path of Extremity" until he reached the end of the martial way.

That path was lonely and long, yet the goal was clear.

However, the arrival of the "Golden Age" had instantly transformed this clear, solitary road into a crowded, bloody, and cruel Shura field.

Master Sanruo’s words were like a key, unlocking the many confusions that had long accumulated in Qin Feng’s heart.

He finally understood why the higher-ups of the Human Holy Academy, especially the Lord of Extremity and his master, the Heaven-Swallowing King, had poured so much—even cost-prohibitive—resources and attention upon a mere Domain Lord-level junior who had yet to be enfeoffed as a Marquis.

Those seven or eight hundred vast territories of the cosmic nations were not merely rewards; they were the foundation for him to build his own base and integrate resources in advance.

That supreme knighting ceremony, broadcast across the entire human territory, was not just for glory; it was the fastest and broadest way to establish his prestige, allowing his banner to attract and unite more human strength.

Even his title, "God of Slaughter," had never been suppressed or guided by the Academy’s higher-ups; instead, they let it ferment and spread throughout the universe.

Because they knew that in the coming "Golden Age," a gentle "genius" was far less effective at deterring the wicked and seizing the massive resources necessary for survival and advancement than a "God of Slaughter" who struck fear into the hearts of all.

Every arrangement, every favor, every honor—the ultimate goal was to cope with this epoch-spanning upheaval that occurred only once in countless eons.

And he, Qin Feng, was the heaviest chip the human leadership had placed first in this high-stakes gamble!

Because he was, as far as was known, the only pioneer among the younger generation of humanity to have embarked upon the "Divine Path."

"So that is how it is..."

Qin Feng slowly exhaled a breath of stale air, a long and drawn-out sigh that seemed to expel all the accumulated doubts and pressures from his chest.

An unprecedented sense of enlightenment welled up within him.

The heavy pressure he had felt from bearing the future of humanity was, at this moment, replaced by a more intense, more pure emotion—the will to fight!

Yes, the will to fight!

It was the supreme fighting spirit that arises once the chessboard is set and the rules are known—a longing to engage in a hearty, soul-stirring duel against opponents who were his equals or even far beyond him!

"One law cannot be cultivated by two..."

Qin Feng whispered this cruel law of the universe, his eyes not showing a shred of fear, but instead flashing with excitement.

He had walked out from the Morning Star, and along the way, he had traversed mountains of corpses and seas of blood. He had been defeated, he had been on the verge of death, but his Dao heart had never truly been broken.

His "Path of Extremity" was, by nature, a path opened in desperation and perfected in battle.

The so-called contention for the same path, the life-or-death struggle—to him, this was not a threat, but the best whetstone to temper his path and verify his own strength.

"For countless eons, there have been no shortage of prodigies who have walked this path..."

The corners of his mouth curled upward, tracing a curve of confidence and arrogance. "Then let me see exactly what these so-called 'prodigies' hidden in the river of time are truly worth!"

Having thought all this through, Qin Feng’s state of mind became clear and open, his Dao heart growing more transparent and lucid.

He no longer passively pondered how to "cope" with the Golden Age, but began to actively consider how to "seize" the greatest benefits from this impending feast.

His gaze finally shifted from the grand cosmic landscape back to the present.

Qin Feng stood in place for a moment, then slowly opened his palm.

He sank his consciousness back into his sea of knowledge, presenting the beast-hide map of the "Primordial Fire" before him in the form of a mental projection.

This time, with no outsiders present, he could study this map—which concerned his future path—carefully and without reservation.

The lines on the scroll were ancient and weathered; they were not simple depictions, as every stroke seemed to contain some profound truth of heaven and earth.

The flow of the mountains, the veins of the rivers, the arrangement of the stars—all secretly corresponded to some mysterious formation rules.

However, the map was severely damaged; at least two-thirds was missing, leaving only a chaotic void.

Relying only on the existing portion to find the location of the "Primordial Fire" would be like looking for a needle in an ocean.

Qin Feng frowned, pondering.

Following conventional logic, he should next find a way to locate the other fragments of the map.

But the universe was so vast; finding the remaining fragments would be no less difficult than walking the path of cultivation all over again.

"No..."

Qin Feng stared at the familiar yet somewhat strange stellar trajectories on the scroll, and a strange thought flashed through the depths of his mind like lightning.

"This star field... I feel like I have seen it somewhere before..."

He began to exert his memory to the fullest.

After becoming a Black Hole-level powerhouse, his memory had long reached the level of photographic perfection.

Every event he had experienced over countless years, every patch of starry sky he had seen, was stored in his memory palace like a brand.

He searched rapidly.

Canaan Starry Sky Martial University? No.

The trial star cluster of the Cosmic Genius Tournament? Also no.

The various star fields of the Ten Thousand Races Battlefield?

It seemed... there was a faint resemblance, yet the details refused to align.

Where exactly did the discrepancy lie?

That intense sense of familiarity, like a veil drawn between him and the truth, left him unbearably restless.

Suddenly, his consciousness brushed against the deepest reaches of his memory palace, a corner he had deliberately sealed away, filled with reverence and regret.

There, a final legacy of inheritance lay dormant.

The memory unfolded within the shattered, crumbling main hall of the ancient King Guluo’s ruins.

A towering, ethereal remnant of the King, on the verge of dissipation, had poured his core inheritance and a final testament into a torrent of information, driving it deep into the depths of his soul.

Qin Feng’s mind instantly submerged into that memory.

The ancient, majestic voice of King Guluo echoed across time and space once more within his sea of consciousness:

"My inheritance lies entirely within the 'Hearthland'..."

"This is the celestial coordinate of the 'Hearthland'; commit it to memory. When your strength suffices, you shall follow the trail."

As the memory resurfaced, a flawlessly clear, complete three-dimensional star map, woven from the pure laws of the universe, manifested in Qin Feng’s mind.

This coordinate was no mere map; it was a direct, unerring guide.

It was an absolute "anchor point," forged by King Guluo through his own profound understanding of the Great Dao of Space.

Qin Feng’s eyes snapped open, the shock within them nearly tangible.

He immediately superimposed the complete, crystalline coordinate of the "Hearthland" left by King Guluo onto the fragmented, blurred map of the "Primordial Fire" he held in his hand, comparing them within his mind.

Hum—!!!

It was as if two perfectly cut puzzle pieces had finally been joined.

Or like the most precise key sliding into the matching lock.

The incomplete star field depicted on the scrap matched the peripheral environment of the "Hearthland" coordinate perfectly, down to the last detail.

The vague topography on the scrap sharpened under the complete coordinate system, pointing straight to the core!

The crucial destination on the scrap, marked with a flame emblem, was none other than the "Hearthland" spoken of by King Guluo.

In that moment, a world-shaking, yet entirely logical conclusion exploded in Qin Feng’s mind.

The "Primordial Fire" map, which Marquis Zhu Wu had betrayed his comrades to obtain, led to the very same "Hearthland" where King Guluo had left his complete legacy!

"So that is it!"

Qin Feng clenched his fists so tightly his knuckles turned white with sheer excitement.

He had been fretting over how to find the remaining fragments, never imagining that he had held the complete "treasure map" all along.

"It makes sense... it is perfectly logical!"

Qin Feng’s thoughts raced, instantly connecting every point.

"King Guluo was a grandmaster of artifact forging, renowned throughout the entire universe!"

"And what is the core of forging? Fire!"

"Ordinary flames cannot smelt the universe’s supreme divine metals. To become a master of his caliber, one must possess the most elite flames in existence!"

"What are the most elite flames? They are the thirty-six 'Primordial Fires' born at the dawn of creation, containing the essence of the universe’s genesis!"

"Therefore, King Guluo must have possessed one of the thirty-six Primordial Fires!"

With this deduction, all the clues linked into a clear chain of logic.

King Guluo possessed a "Primordial Fire" and used it as the foundation to build a vast sanctuary of forging and inheritance in his homeland, the "Hearthland."

Upon his fall, he left it all as a legacy to his chosen successor—Qin Feng himself.

The "Ten Thousand Races Sect," having somehow obtained clues about this "Primordial Fire"—the map fragment—had dispatched Marquis Zhu Wu to retrieve it.

Two seemingly unrelated threads had unexpectedly converged on Qin Feng due to the conflict at this "Hongmen Banquet."

Qin Feng no longer needed to toil in search of the remaining fragments.

Because he, from the very beginning, held the most precise navigation leading straight to the destination!

"Hearthland..."

Qin Feng tasted the name, his eyes burning with a resolve that had hardened into action.

Though currently only a Domain Lord, he possessed three supreme foundations: the [Primordial Singularity], the [Limitless Body], and [Pure Black Quality Spiritual Power]. His true combat strength defied conventional logic; he could slay top-tier intermediate Marquises in a single breath.

More importantly, the "Golden Age" was imminent, and time had become the most precious resource.

He had no time to cultivate step-by-step to the rank of King. He had to seize every opportunity for a qualitative leap, staying ahead of everyone else.

The "Primordial Fire" would be the crucial "accelerator" that allowed him to outpace the other prodigies in this race toward godhood.

"It seems the affairs of this territory must be settled quickly."

Qin Feng made his decision in an instant.

His next stop was clear, his path illuminated.

His sword was pointed—toward the Hearthland!