After the three subordinates withdrew, only the purple-haired, black-robed man remained in the courtyard, gently stroking the fur of the exotic beast in his arms. The creature narrowed its eyes in contentment.
“Panic. The more, the better,” the man murmured. “Perish in terror, or join the Ancient Sacred Order—consider yourselves fortunate to have the privilege of worshiping the great Sacred Lord.”
He didn’t spare a single thought for the Golden Wing Monarch.
Their faction’s power far surpassed that of the Golden Wing Monarch. If they truly wished to devour the Golden Wing Kingdom, not a single living being would remain by now. But their goal wasn’t mere destruction—they sought to convert more cultivators into followers of the Ancient Sacred Order.
“Whoosh.”
Along a street lined with dense clusters of mansions, a dark shadow suddenly appeared midair, letting out a grating, eerie laugh. A terrifying force of suction enveloped the mansions below, lifting them—along with the cultivators inside—into the air, drawing them inexorably toward the shadow.
“No!”
“It’s a demon!”
“A devouring fiend!”
The countless lives within the five targeted mansions screamed in terror. For days, they had lived in fear, dreading the moment these fiends would come for them. Yet they had consoled themselves—the Golden Wing Kingdom spanned millions of miles, and under the suppression of the Sacred Realm’s laws, the fiends could only consume small areas at a time. Surely, they wouldn’t be so unlucky.
But their nightmare had arrived.
“Ah—”
“No—!”
“NO!”
Their agonized cries echoed, spreading panic among the surrounding residents. Many had reported to the Golden Wing royal family, but within a single breath, the shadow vanished without a trace.
By the time two Guardian Elders arrived, all they found was a barren patch where even the tiles had been devoured—and a populace drowning in terror.
“Damn it.”
“They fled too quickly,” the two elders growled through clenched teeth.
…
Hidden throughout the Golden Wing Kingdom, groups of fiends struck repeatedly, each time devouring a small area before vanishing. The kingdom lived in constant fear, with cultivators disappearing at every moment. Yet none dared flee—without the monarch’s protection, death would come even faster.
Amidst this chaos, a mysterious sect spread its teachings.
“Pledge faith to the Ancient Sacred Order, and you shall be under our protection. Even the fiends dare not defy us.”
The True God Overlords—the kingdom’s elite—were relentlessly proselytized. The stubborn were abducted and forced to convert. Those who resisted even after capture met only one fate: death.
Inside the cages.
Each cage held a cultivator—at minimum, a True God Overlord. Among them were even two Void Gods.
“Bzzzz…” Black streams of light pulsed across the cages, intricate runes swirling as an intangible soundwave drilled into the prisoners’ minds.
“Ahhh!” The captives writhed in agony.
Some, however, gradually ceased their struggles. Smiles crept onto their faces, their eyes opening with fervor, a dark divine sigil flickering on their brows before vanishing.
“Another brother joins us. Release him,” a guard commanded, freeing those who bore the sigil.
“What kind of sect is this? Even Overlords submit…” In one cage, a burly man gritted his teeth, enduring the invasive soundwave assaulting his soul. It felt like a dark vortex, threatening to consume him. Surrender would bring relief—but at what cost?
A True God Overlord did not yield so easily.
“No!” He held firm.
“The Ancient Sacred Order is too powerful. Their arts can trace our soul connections and destroy our other avatars.” The thought weighed heavily on him. Once a prodigy of the Golden Wing Kingdom, he had risen swiftly to Overlord status. He and his wife had planned to journey to Skywater City, hoping to join the Tai Void Heavenly Palace.
But before they could depart, the Ancient Sacred Order struck.
“Qingruo… she’s cleverer than me. Surely she hasn’t been captured.” Clenching his jaw, he resisted—his mental fortitude far surpassing those around him.
…
Dongbo Xueying led two Outer Hall Elders and a group of Outer Hall Executors through the void at blinding speed.
“Almost there,” he transmitted. “Prepare yourselves.”
“Yes!”
None dared slacken under the command of an Inner Hall Elder.
Whoosh.
They crossed into the Golden Wing Kingdom’s borders. In moments, the group of thirty-three—all Void Gods, including two Unity realm experts—materialized above the royal palace. Their auras blazed unrestrained, instantly drawing the Golden Wing Monarch’s attention.
Joy surged through him as he and three Guardian Elders soared to meet them, bowing deeply. “We welcome the envoys!”
His curiosity piqued.
From their attire, he recognized thirty as Executors and two as Outer Hall Elders. But who was the white-robed youth leading them?
“Activate the kingdom’s defensive formation. From this moment, no one leaves. Report immediately if anyone attempts to breach it,” Dongbo Xueying ordered.
“Yes!” The monarch complied at once.
“Continue your usual tactics against the fiends. Proceed.”
The two Outer Hall Elders and thirty Executors split into four teams, each led by either an elder or a Unity realm Executor, dispersing to hunt.
“Who is this white-robed youth? Even the elders obey him…” the monarch wondered silently.
Dongbo Xueying stood above the palace, ignoring him. Instead, he unleashed his cosmos-class technique—*The Ripple Diagram*. Nearly two billion years in the Time Palace had honed his mastery to rival even *Thirteen Swords of Annihilation*.
“Hummm—”
Invisible ripples expanded from him, permeating the surroundings.
Detection in the Sacred Realm was notoriously difficult, especially against foes skilled in concealing their presence. Standard methods relied on “law domains,” but even Unity realm domains spanned only ten thousand miles under the Sacred Realm’s suppression. Chaos realm experts might reach a million.
But *The Ripple Diagram*—the sole cosmos-class wave-path technique in the Tai Void Heavenly Palace—was peerless in detection.
“What is he doing?” The monarch frowned, sensing nothing.
The ripples blended seamlessly with the world’s natural vibrations, undetectable as they scoured over five hundred thousand miles—Xueying’s current limit.
Clad in white, he stood unmoving, scrutinizing every life within that vast range. Escaping *The Ripple Diagram*’s gaze was impossible.
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