Chapter 363: Emperor Rank Bleeds! Cosmic Oddity [Fight], the Source of Martial Combat

Chapter 363: The Emperor Falls in Blood! The Cosmic Artifact [Dou], and the Mystery of the Martial Lord!

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes; within those pitch-black pupils, there was no trace of ecstasy, only a profound and tranquil stillness.

Having battled the final phantom and absorbed the insights gifted by the Martial Lord, his understanding of his own [Way of the Limit] and his mastery of the Imperial-level secret technique [Ultimate Divine Light] had reached an entirely new echelon.

He could perceive the clamor and madness of the outside world.

He could discern, with even greater clarity, the terrifying killing intent laid out by the ten Emperors beyond the mountains—a malice sufficient to extinguish the very stars of the cosmos.

He knew that the moment he stepped out, a siege far more perilous and absolute than the one at the Kurgan Star Abyss would descend upon him.

But what of it?

Today is no longer what it was before.

With a flick of his will, the mechanical avatar "Vanguard" vanished from the final trial space.

In the next instant, he appeared outside the Martial Mountain, in the cold void already locked tight by the auras of the ten Emperors.

He appeared without a word, without a warning.

"Hum—!!!!!"

A massive formation map, spanning several star systems, ignited in an instant!

Ten pillars of light, piercing the heavens and the earth, erupted from ten different directions; within each pillar sat an Emperor-level powerhouse whose aura was as deep as the sea.

Their powers linked through the formation, weaving a net of heaven and earth that turned this expanse of space-time into a cage of despair.

[The Ten Directions Annihilation Array]!

This was a top-tier killing formation notorious among all races in the universe; once activated, all laws within would wither, space-time would freeze, and the Great Dao would collapse—it was enough to refine a true Emperor in a short span of time!

"He is here!"

"He has emerged!"

"Activate the array, refine him! Do not give him any chance!"

The Zerg Queen, presiding over the eye of the formation, let out a sharp, piercing roar of divine sense.

Endless chains of laws, like billions of venomous snakes, coiled toward Qin Feng from all directions, each chain shimmering with the terrifying Dao-rhyme of annihilation and finality.

Yet, faced with this absolute death trap—a snare that would reduce any King-level entity to ash in an instant—Qin Feng’s figure did not sway in the slightest.

He simply hovered quietly in the center of the formation and lifted his eyes.

What kind of eyes were those?

Cold, indifferent, devoid of a single shred of emotion.

It was as if a god from the nine heavens were looking down upon a swarm of ants unaware of their own impending doom.

He did not even look at the encroaching chains of law, but instead cast his gaze directly toward the Demon Emperor presiding over the eastern eye of the formation.

Then, he raised a finger.

At the tip of his finger, a wisp of pure, ultimate darkness quietly condensed.

It was not the "dark" of light and shadow, but the "dark" of "nothingness."

It was an ultimate void, one where even the concept itself would be completely devoured and erased.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, no cataclysmic energy fluctuation.

That wisp of pitch-black divine light simply appeared, quiet and still.

Then, it crossed space, crossed time, bypassed all the barriers of the formation, and appeared directly before the brow of that Demon Emperor.

[Ultimate Divine Light]!

The Ultimate Divine Light, now perfected into an Imperial-level secret technique!

"What... is this?"

That Demon Emperor was the "Heart-Burning Demon Emperor," a figure long-renowned among the Demon race, his cultivation having reached the peak of the intermediate Emperor stage. With the support of the [Ten Directions Annihilation Array], his defenses were sufficient to withstand the full-force strike of a top-tier Emperor.

But in that moment, as the wisp of pitch-black light appeared, he felt a terror from the deepest reaches of his soul—a terror that was incomprehensible and impossible to resist!

He wanted to flee, but space-time was frozen by the very array he helped construct.

He wanted to defend, but his prideful Demon Emperor body and the countless treasures before him seemed like ethereal phantoms before that divine light.

He did not even have time to form a single thought.

"Puff."

A sound so faint it was almost inaudible.

The wisp of pitch-black light touched the Heart-Burning Demon Emperor’s protective demonic flames.

There was no explosion, no combustion.

The demonic flames, said to be capable of burning all things, simply... vanished.

Next, his Imperial-level treasure, the [Ten Thousand Soul Banner], vanished.

Then, his indestructible Demon Emperor body, starting from the brow, silently... vanished.

Finally, his true spirit, his Dao imprint, every trace of his existence in this universe...

All of it, vanished.

A total, conceptual erasure!

The eastern pillar of light, where the Heart-Burning Demon Emperor had presided, shattered instantly.

The [Ten Directions Annihilation Array] collapsed in response!

Dead silence.

The entire starry sky fell into an unprecedented, suffocating silence.

Every living soul—whether it was the billions of cultivators watching from distant starports, the various powerhouses hiding in the depths of the void waiting to reap the spoils, or even the other nine arrogant Emperors—

At this moment, their minds ground to a halt.

Dead?

An intermediate Emperor, renowned for millions of years...

Inside a top-tier killing array laid out by ten Emperors in unison...

By that "Vanguard" who had just walked out of the Martial Mountain...

In one strike...

Instantly killed?

This... how could this be possible!!!

"No... impossible! Where is the Heart-Burning Demon Emperor? His aura... his aura has completely vanished!"

The first to react was another Demon Emperor of the same race; he let out a roar of sheer horror, his divine sense sweeping frantically across the void, only to encounter an absolute "nothingness."

"That light... that black light... what on earth is it?!"

The Zerg Queen’s voice, for the first time, carried an unconcealable fear.

That single blow had utterly dismantled her perception, as well as the understanding of power held by the myriad races of the universe for eons.

For a Marquis to slay a King was a myth.

For a King to challenge an Emperor was a legend.

Yet, a being who had only recently ascended to the rank of King had, with one strike, conceptually erased an intermediate Emperor?

Was this a monster? No! This was a taboo! An ultimate horror that should never have existed in this world!

Brief shock gave way to a chill that seeped into the marrow, followed by a frenzied bloodlust.

"He... he is ten thousand times more terrifying than we imagined!"

"This child must not be allowed to live! If we do not kill him today, we shall all find no place to be buried in the days to come!"

"Kill him!!!"

The remaining nine Emperors no longer harbored any thoughts of "refining" their prize.

Simultaneously, they unleashed the full might of their lives, nine Imperial-grade secret arts capable of tearing the universe asunder, coalescing into a brilliant, lethal torrent of destruction that poured down upon Qin Feng!

They were afraid.

An unprecedented terror drove them to seek only one thing: to erase this incomprehensible monster from the universe as swiftly as possible.

Yet, facing the combined lethal strike of nine Emperors, Qin Feng’s face remained as indifferent as an eternal glacier.

His figure slowly dissipated where he stood.

In the next instant, he appeared behind another demon Emperor, moving faster than causality, faster than thought.

It was still just one finger.

It was still just a wisp of pure black [Limitless Divine Light].

"No—!"

That demon Emperor sensed the breath of death behind him and let out a desperate roar.

He burned his essence, his Imperial form instantly transforming into a star-devouring beast that blotted out the sky, attempting to resist.

But it was all in vain.

"Puff."

The black light flashed.

The colossal star-beast, along with its true spirit and existence, was erased.

The second Emperor had fallen!

This blow shattered the psychological defenses of every remaining enemy.

"Run! Run for your lives!!"

The seven remaining Emperors were paralyzed with terror, their will to fight extinguished, and they turned to flee in every direction.

The hundreds of thousands of Marquises from various races who had originally encircled the area were already broken, scattering like a school of startled fish into countless streaks of light.

The universe-class hunt, which had been so aggressive and meticulously planned, had devolved within three heartbeats into an ugly, frantic rout.

Qin Feng did not pursue the Marquises.

His gaze, cold and fixed, locked onto the seven fleeing Emperors.

His figure began to flicker through the void.

Each flicker was accompanied by the ignition of a wisp of pure black light.

Each time the light shone, an Emperor was utterly erased from this universe.

"Puff."

The third.

"Puff."

The fourth.

"Puff."

...

The scene was eerie to the extreme.

There was no earth-shattering clash of laws, no cataclysmic ripples of energy.

Only a dead, silent void, and a mechanical figure walking as casually as if in a garden, acting as the reaper.

Every time he raised his hand, it signified the eternal passing of an Emperor who had once dominated the universe and dictated the rise and fall of entire races.

This was a... slaughter.

A one-sided massacre of "Emperors"!

On the distant star-ports, billions of souls had lost their voices. They stood with mouths agape and eyes wide, as if witnessing the most absurd scene in the myth of creation. Their worldview was, in this moment, ruthlessly ground into dust.

"Enough! Stop!"

Just as Qin Feng was about to erase the seventh Emperor, a roar filled with infinite majesty echoed from the depths of the cosmos.

Immediately following, several auras, far more terrifying than the previous ten Emperors combined, descended upon the battlefield!

"It is the Titan God-Emperor!"

"And... the Zerg 'Ten-Thousand-Devouring Empress'! Heavens, even such old monsters who have lived for nearly a hundred million years have been stirred!"

"That is... one of the progenitors of the Abyss Demons, the 'Fallen Heaven Demon Emperor'!"

Top-tier Emperors—even limit-breaking Emperors—who were considered legendary among the myriad races, tore through the void and descended.

Their eyes locked onto Qin Feng, no longer with mere greed, but with a heavy, impenetrable dread and... murderous intent!

"This child has become a threat; he must die today!"

The Titan God-Emperor’s voice resonated like the chorus of a billion stars, causing the entire star sector to tremble.

He extended a hand, which grew as it met the wind, instantly becoming larger than a galaxy. Within his palm, suns and moons were born and died, as if he held a real universe, and he slammed it down toward Qin Feng!

This strike transcended the category of ordinary Emperors, carrying a trace of the power of a "Venerable"!

Facing this world-destroying blow, a flicker of change finally appeared on Qin Feng’s face.

He looked up, a hint of gravity flashing in his pure black eyes.

He could erase ordinary Emperors, but against such ancient monsters standing at the peak of the Imperial rank, there remained a vast disparity.

Yet, he did not retreat.

Just as he prepared to use his stronger trump cards, willing to pay any price to fight,

A change occurred!

"Hum—"

Three wills, equally cold and absolutely rational, descended before Qin Feng.

Three mechanical Emperors, forged from unknown silver divine metal and possessing distinct forms but equally unfathomable auras, stood between Qin Feng and the Titan God-Emperor’s massive palm.

The lead Machine Emperor unfurled twelve wings of pure data streams, his eyes projecting twin crimson beams that met the colossal palm head-on.

"Logical determination: 'Vanguard' is a protected asset of the highest sequence within the Machine Race; any attempt to destroy him shall be deemed... a declaration of war against our kind!"

The voice, cold, emotionless, yet absolute in its resolve, rang out across the stars.

"Machine Race! Do you intend to stand against the myriad races of the universe?!"

The Fallen Heaven Demon Emperor roared.

The scene fell into an instant, suffocating stalemate.

On one side stood the Titan God Emperor, the Myriad Devourer Empress, the Fallen Heaven Demon Emperor, and over a dozen other peak and limit-tier Emperors, representing the supreme will of the All-Race Alliance.

On the other, three inscrutable Machine Emperors of equal standing, and behind them, the taboo existence who had just slaughtered Emperors like stray dogs—Vanguard.

An ultimate imperial war, capable of grinding this star system and dozens of its neighbors into cosmic dust, hung by a single thread!

The void groaned; the Great Dao trembled.

Every observer held their breath, feeling a terrifying pressure that threatened to freeze their very spirits.

It was then that an ancient, tranquil voice resonated within the depths of everyone’s hearts.

The voice was soft, yet it clearly eclipsed all malice and clamor.

"Enough."

Just two words.

Yet they seemed to carry the weight of a supreme cosmic decree.

The Titan God Emperor’s massive palm, capable of shattering a galaxy, dissipated into nothingness, inch by inch.

The terrifying aura of the assembled Emperors, enough to collapse the ages, was smoothed away by an invisible hand, vanishing in an instant.

It was an absolute, higher-dimensional control.

Every Emperor present, from the Titan God Emperor to the Machine sovereigns, wore an expression of profound reverence, even a trace of dread, upon hearing that voice.

In unison, they bowed slightly toward the direction of Martial Combat Mountain.

"Lord of Martial Combat."

Deep within the mountain, a blurred figure, features obscured, slowly emerged.

He stood there, and it was as if he had become the center of the universe.

All laws, all paths, revolved around him in submission.

"My domain is not your battlefield."

The Lord of Martial Combat’s voice remained calm, yet carried unquestionable majesty.

"Today’s affairs end here. All of you, disperse."

"But!"

The Titan God Emperor spoke with lingering resentment.

"Hmm?"

The Lord of Martial Combat uttered a single, soft nasal sound.

The rest of the Titan God Emperor’s words died in his throat.

An invisible pressure surged, causing even this limit-tier Emperor to feel a tremor of heart-stopping fear.

He understood that if he uttered one more syllable, the consequences would be unthinkable.

"...Understood. We obey."

The Titan God Emperor drew a deep breath, cast a wary glance at Qin Feng—now shielded by the Machine Race—and ultimately chose to retreat.

Following his departure, the Myriad Devourer Empress, the Fallen Heaven Demon Emperor, and the others tore through space, vanishing in frustration.

They knew that with the Lord of Martial Combat present, no one would dare touch a hair on Vanguard’s head today.

The three Machine Emperors nodded slightly to the Lord of Martial Combat, as if conveying a silent message, before dissolving into streams of light and fading into the void.

In the blink of an eye, the battlefield, once poised on the brink of cosmic apocalypse, was left with only Qin Feng.

And that blurred figure, standing at the summit of the universe.

Just as Qin Feng thought this legendary entity would also depart, the Lord of Martial Combat turned his gaze toward him.

That look seemed to pierce through his mechanical avatar, through his twin masks, and gaze directly into his primordial spirit.

Qin Feng felt a chill, yet he sensed no malice.

"You, come with me."

The Lord of Martial Combat’s voice echoed directly within the depths of Qin Feng’s soul.

As he spoke, the figure turned and drifted toward the deepest reaches of Martial Combat Mountain.

Qin Feng did not hesitate.

He knew this might be the greatest opportunity he had encountered since his debut.

He retracted all his aura, moved, and transformed into a streak of light, following the blurred figure into the core of Martial Combat Mountain—a place where no outsider had set foot for billions of years.

After they vanished, the ravaged battlefield finally regained a hint of "life."

The silent starport, like a thawing glacier, erupted into a clamor a hundred times more intense than before!

"Heavens... Heavens! What... what did I just see?!"

"Emperor-slaying! That was... Emperor-slaying! Is that really something a King-tier can do?!"

"Vanguard... from this day on, that name will be the nightmare of every Emperor in the universe!"

"Too strong... unreasonably strong! Despairingly strong!"

Countless shocks and exclamations merged into an information storm that swept across the cosmic network.

Amidst this storm, some old monsters who had lived through long ages, witnessing the rise and fall of countless prodigies, fell into deep contemplation.

On an ancient starship, an elderly human was replaying the footage of Vanguard’s strike over and over.

He stared fixedly at that streak of pure black divine light, his clouded eyes flickering with uncertainty.

"This light... this Dao-rhyme that 'erases' everything..."

He muttered to himself.

"I... I feel as though I have seen something similar before..."

His memory began to trace back.

Back to hundreds of thousands of years ago, to the Battle of the Kurgan Star Abyss, which had also shaken the universe.

At the end of that bloodbath, the peerless human prodigy who had stood alone against dozens of Emperors before detonating himself in death... Qin Feng!

"Yes... it is Qin Feng!"

The old man slapped his thigh. "His final self-created King-tier technique was also a beam of light! Although the form differs, that... that indomitable, world-shattering 'limit' intent is simply... identical!"

The young man beside him laughed dismissively: "Teacher, have you lost your mind? While Senior Qin Feng was brilliant, he walked the path of human martial arts, whereas this Vanguard is clearly on the path of the Machine Race. The two are completely unrelated."

"Besides, Senior Qin Feng has long since fallen; that is a fact acknowledged by the entire universe. How could it be possible?"

"Indeed... how could it be possible?"

The old man shook his head as well, offering a self-deprecating smile.

True, one was the path of the human physical body, the other the path of mechanical ascension. One was a legend long departed, the other a myth just born.

No one would ever link the two together.

Yet...

As the old man gazed at the pure black divine light in the image, the inexplicable sense of familiarity in his heart refused to fade, no matter how he tried to suppress it.

...

Time and space lost their original meaning as Qin Feng followed the footsteps of that blurred figure.

He felt no sensation of teleportation, nor did he perceive any fluctuations in the laws of space.

It was as if they had merely taken a single step in place, yet had crossed billions of aeons to arrive at the origin point before the birth of the universe.

Everything around them vanished.

There were no stars, no light or shadow, no matter; even the very concept of "void" seemed superfluous here.

This was absolute "nothingness."

Yet, at the center of this "nothingness," there permeated a... will.

A will that was pure, ancient, and grand to the extreme.

"Conflict."

Battle, struggle, duel—every concept related to "contention" in the universe seemed to originate here and return here in the end.

Qin Feng felt his [Path of Limits] find an unprecedented resonance here, like a wanderer returning home, a confluence of origins.

He even had the illusion that if he wished, he could instantly merge into this ocean of will, becoming a part of "Conflict" and attaining an eternal, indestructible essence.

But he did not; he held fast to his true self. His pure black spiritual power stood like an immovable reef, remaining steadfast no matter how the vast will surged against it.

The blurred figure stopped.

He remained with his back to Qin Feng, his voice calm, yet he seemed the sole master of this ocean of will.

"You are good."

The Lord of Martial Conflict spoke slowly, as if praising a junior, or perhaps evaluating a perfect work of art.

"Your 'path' is very pure, and it... suits this place well."

Qin Feng did not speak, only listened quietly.

He knew that in the presence of such an existence, any words were redundant.

What the other party wanted him to know, he would naturally know. What the other party did not want him to know, he could never glimpse, no matter how hard he tried.

The Lord of Martial Conflict seemed very satisfied with his composure.

He slowly raised his hand and gestured gently toward the "nothingness" ahead.

"Hum..."

The ocean of will began to boil violently.

Countless threads of laws symbolizing "battle" were born from the void, intertwining, winding, compressing, and condensing.

Ancient runes flickered in and out of existence within them, each representing a fundamental rule of slaughter and confrontation.

Finally, all the laws and runes condensed into a physical object.

It was a... formation disk.

About the size of a palm, the primitive disk possessed a chaotic hue.

Its material was neither metal nor stone, its name unknown, and it was inscribed with billions of intricate patterns so complex that even a Sovereign-level powerhouse would suffer a collapse of their true spirit upon a single glance.

These patterns were not carved by hand but were innate, a concrete manifestation of the Great Dao of "Conflict" itself.

At the center of the disk was only one primitive, vigorous divine character, seemingly formed from the ripples of the very first battle at the dawn of the universe—

"Conflict."

Merely looking at this character, Qin Feng felt his fighting spirit soar infinitely, a deep-seated urge rising within his soul to challenge all things in heaven and earth.

"This object is named [Conflict]."

The voice of the Lord of Martial Conflict drifted over, unveiling the mystery of the item for Qin Feng.

"It is a 'World Wonder'."

Qin Feng’s pupils contracted slightly.

Universal Wonders—he had possessed them and seen them before.

Whether it was the [Twin Masks] or the [Scales of Desire], they all possessed inconceivable powers of law.

But a "World Wonder" was an existence one level higher than a Universal Wonder!

These were supreme treasures capable of influencing the operating rules of a great universe, each born at the dawn of time, possessing unique, non-replicable power. Their value was enough to drive even a Universal Venerable to madness!

"Its function is simple."

The Lord of Martial Conflict did not keep him in suspense, explaining directly: "By activating it, your will can lock onto any living being within your range of spiritual power, regardless of their cultivation level."

"You may initiate a... mandatory life-or-death duel against them."

"The arena for the duel is the 'Universal Martial Arena' opened by this object—an independent space-time that is absolutely fair and free from any external interference."

Qin Feng’s heart gave a violent jolt.

A mandatory life-or-death duel? What a tyrannical rule!

"What happens if the opponent refuses?"

He asked the crucial question.

"The will of [Conflict] shall mete out punishment."

The voice of the Lord of Martial Conflict remained devoid of ripples. "For those who refuse, their 'path' will shatter on the spot, their true spirit will be severely damaged, and their foundations permanently impaired. If they retain even thirty percent of their combat power, it would be a stroke of luck."

Qin Feng gasped.

This punishment was more vicious than simply killing them! For any seeker of the path, having one's path shattered and foundations destroyed was a torment worse than death.

"And if... they accept?"

"If they accept, they enter the Martial Arena."

The Lord of Martial Conflict said slowly, "Until... one side has completely perished."

"Only one can walk out alive."

As the words fell, the entire space of will fell into silence.

Qin Feng looked at the formation disk hovering quietly, a storm raging in his heart.

This World Wonder, [Conflict], was quite literally the ultimate weapon tailored specifically for him!

He walked the Path of Extremity, a pursuit of the purest power imaginable.

He feared nothing more than a one-on-one, head-on collision, stripped of all external interference.

Possessing this object granted him the right to challenge any titan in the cosmos.

Regardless of status or lineage, he could drag any foe into a ring of absolute, impartial life-and-death.

This was more than a mere treasure; it was a blood-soaked shortcut to the pinnacle of supreme strength.

"Eight million consecutive victories—you are the first."

The voice of the Martial Sovereign resonated once more. "Therefore, it is yours."

"This is your reward."

The array disk, inscribed with the character for "Combat," drifted slowly toward Qin Feng.

Where it passed, even the Void rippled; the supreme law of Combat emitted a pressure so absolute that Qin Feng’s mechanical frame groaned under the strain.

Qin Feng drew a deep breath, suppressing every stray thought.

He offered no coy refusal, nor did he ask why such a priceless artifact was bestowed upon him.

He simply reached out and received the disk with solemn reverence.

As his fingers touched it, a cold, fanatical will surged into his spirit, as if to reshape his very soul into a weapon that knew nothing but war.

Yet, how could the Dao heart of Qin Feng be shaken?

The will of his Path of Extremity surged, his pitch-black spiritual energy forming an impenetrable dam that held the violent force at bay.

He bowed slightly toward the figure of the Martial Sovereign.

"My thanks, Senior."

His gratitude was sincere; he offered this salute of his own volition.

"No need for thanks; it is what you have earned."

The Martial Sovereign seemed to chuckle. "Since you have accepted it, then refine it."

With a casual wave of his hand toward Qin Feng, a gentle light flickered from his fingertip and sank into the center of Qin Feng’s brow.

The light contained no secret arts or hidden marks; it was merely the purest of keys.

In an instant, Qin Feng understood how to refine the world-wonder known as "Combat."

It was not a matter of conventional energy sacrifice or soul-branding, but rather the merging of Dao with Dao.

He had to force his Path of Extremity into a profound resonance with the Great Dao of Combat contained within the artifact.

Only when the two were mutually recognized, becoming one, would the refinement be complete.

For any other cultivator, this would be a trial of nine deaths and one life—or perhaps certain doom.

If one’s own Dao were not sufficiently pure or powerful, the will of "Combat" would consume them, turning them into a mere puppet.

But for Qin Feng, this was the perfect path.

His Path of Extremity was already of the same origin as "Combat," and in some respects, it was even purer—even more extreme.

Qin Feng hesitated no longer; he sat cross-legged, the array disk resting flat upon his knees.

He closed his eyes, his spirit sinking deep within, his Path of Extremity stretching out without reservation toward that vast ocean of "Combat."

...

Refinement knows no passage of time.

In this realm of will, transcending space and time, the clock loses its meaning.

Qin Feng’s consciousness was entirely submerged in the fusion with "Combat."

The first ten thousand years.

His Path of Extremity, like a newborn, cautiously explored the vast world of "Combat."

He sensed the primal laws of battle since the dawn of the universe, contemplating the core of "strife" that ran through everything, from the mutual consumption of amoebas to the wars of gods.

His Dao was verified and perfected through observation and study.

The second ten thousand years.

His Path of Extremity began to reveal its domineering and extreme nature.

It no longer merely learned or adapted; it began to exert influence in return. He branded the concept of "pushing all things to the limit" deep into the origin of "Combat." This world-wonder began to carry a hint of Qin Feng’s unique, frantic, yet rational essence.

The third ten thousand years.

The fusion entered its final stage.

Qin Feng’s Dao and the Dao of "Combat" began to interweave completely, becoming indistinguishable. Every breath he took seemed to stir the battle-will of all living things in the universe; every pulse of the "Combat" disk contained his ultimate philosophy of "Extremity as One."

Finally, on the last day of the thirty-thousandth year.

"Hum—"

The ancient array disk emitted a faint chime that seemed to echo from the dawn of time.

It transformed into a streak of light, merging into Qin Feng’s brow of its own accord, settling deep within the origin of his soul as an eternal, indestructible seal.

It was done.

The world-wonder "Combat" had a new master.

Qin Feng slowly opened his eyes; within those pitch-black pupils, the phantoms of billions of life-and-death duels flickered in and out of existence.

His aura remained unchanged in rank, yet the sharpness he now contained was a hundred times more lethal than it had been thirty thousand years ago.

He could feel a bond, like that of blood, established between him and the artifact.

With a single thought, he could command reality, forcing a spiritual lock upon any enemy he wished to challenge, dragging them into a duel to the death.

He stood up and bowed once more to the blurred figure.

"Senior, I have completed the refinement."

The figure of the Martial Sovereign seemed even more translucent than before, as if he might dissipate at any moment.

He did not turn back, merely nodding slightly, his voice carrying a note of relief.

"Very good."

"My mission, then, is complete."

With that, he waved his hand gently toward Qin Feng and the realm of will.

It was as casual and effortless as when he had first appeared.

Yet, this wave brought only an end.

The entire world before Qin Feng began to vanish.

The vast ocean of the will of "Combat" receded like a tide.

The strange space of absolute "Void" shattered like a bubble, fragment by fragment.

Even the figure of the Lord of Martial Combat, who had exuded an unfathomable aura from the very beginning, grew increasingly faint and transparent amidst this vanishing act.

"Senior, you are..."

Qin Feng’s heart trembled violently, and he could not help but ask.

He longed to know who this mysterious Lord of Martial Combat truly was, and what manner of existence this Martial Combat Mountain actually occupied.

Yet, no answer came.

Before the figure of the Lord of Martial Combat dissipated entirely, he left behind only a single, profound remark.

"We... shall meet again."

As the words fell,

BOOM!

The entire world collapsed into nothingness.

Qin Feng felt his vision darken, followed by a dizzying sensation of the world spinning out of control. When he finally regained his consciousness and steadied himself, he found he was drifting silently in the cold, dead void of the cosmos.

The magnificent Martial Combat Mountain, which had once spanned the stars, was gone.

The bustling, circular starport that had gathered billions of souls had vanished.

Even the battlefield where he had slaughtered the nine Emperors was nowhere to be found.

It was as if everything he had experienced from the moment he stepped onto Martial Combat Mountain had been nothing more than a vivid, waking dream.

Qin Feng’s brows furrowed deeply.

He scanned his surroundings; the star field was alien, the stars unfamiliar. This was certainly not where he had been before.

"An illusion?"

He immediately calmed his mind and looked inward.

Deep within his soul, the Chaos Dao Seal, transformed from the [Dou] array disc, floated quietly, radiating a power of rules that was undeniably real and perfectly fused with his own.

"Not an illusion."

Qin Feng reached his conclusion instantly.

Martial Combat Mountain, the Lord of Martial Combat, the World Wonder—all of it was real.

It was simply that the origins and methods of the Lord of Martial Combat transcended his current understanding. The entity had not merely teleported him away; it had seemingly extracted the very concept of "Martial Combat Mountain" from this space-time entirely!

Such immense power was unheard of!

"Who, or rather... what, is he?"

Qin Feng’s heart was filled with doubt.

But he quickly suppressed these questions. As the Lord of Martial Combat had said, perhaps they would indeed meet again. When that day came, all mysteries would be unraveled.

The immediate priority was to leave this place.

The World Wonder [Dou] was in his possession; his primary goal for this journey had been achieved.

Now, he needed to find a place of absolute safety to digest his gains, elevate his strength, and prepare more thoroughly for the storms to come.

However, just as he prepared to discern his direction and tear through space to depart,

His movements froze abruptly.

A warning of extreme danger erupted from the depths of his true spirit!

"HUMMM—!!!!!"

Across the void where he stood, billions of golden runes flickering with the sound of Zen chants ignited in every direction!

These runes interlocked, instantly forming a super-array that blanketed the entire star field!

Within the array, space was solidified into immovable crystal, the river of time was forcibly severed, and the myriad Daos were suppressed by a heavy, dense, and eternal force, rendering them unable to stir!

"An array?"

Qin Feng’s eyes turned icy.

He realized at once that he had not been randomly teleported here, but rather... precisely delivered into a pre-arranged trap of certain death!

Who was it?

Who could have predicted his location and laid down such a terrifying Emperor-level array?

The answer was soon revealed.

As the array fully activated, six figures radiating terrifying auras slowly emerged from the void, locking him firmly in the center.

These six figures were not of flesh and blood, but were constructed from a strange Zen stone that shimmered with a faint golden light.

They took various forms—some with three heads and six arms, others as wrathful Vajras—but without exception, they exuded the terrifying pressure of the Emperor level!

Especially the leader, whose aura was so vast it was barely inferior to the Titan God Emperor he had encountered earlier! It was a peak-level Emperor!

The Stone Clan!

And not just any, but the most mysterious and formidable lineage of the Stone Clan—the Zen Sect!

Behind the six Stone Clan Emperors stood a figure Qin Feng knew all too well.

He sat cross-legged, hands pressed together in prayer, but the reverence and resignation he had shown in the face of the strong had vanished, replaced by a cold, stagnant indifference.

It was the Stone Buddha!

Qin Feng’s gaze swept across the seven figures, and he understood everything in an instant.

It seemed the "reverence" the Stone Buddha had displayed on Martial Combat Mountain was either a facade, or, once he had obtained the final reward from the Lord of Martial Combat, that reverence had been eclipsed by a far greater greed.

Or perhaps, this was not his own will at all, but the will of the entire Stone Clan Zen Sect behind him!

"Vanguard."

The leading peak-level Emperor spoke slowly.

His voice, like the resonance of billions of Zen stones, carried a grand power that suppressed the soul.

"Hand over the World Wonder!"