Next was Xu Shenghua, each step blooming into a lotus. His figure flickered in and out of sight—not fast, but every time his foot touched down, a lotus blossomed and he vanished, only to reappear in the distance as another lotus bloomed beneath him.
Of all those present, Zhe Huali was actually the slowest. Each stride he took was exactly the same length, which ended up capping his top speed.
True God Pang Yu, worried for everyone’s safety, leapt into the air to give chase. Suddenly, a force locked onto him from behind, freezing his body and sending him crashing down from midair. He didn’t dare turn around.
At that moment, a melancholy man approached from the front. Instantly, the force locking onto Pang Yu vanished—he realized it was this man’s intervention that freed him, and only then did he relax.
Lowell Yunch frowned slightly, glanced at the First Ancestor, and shone the Book of Life and Death at him. Suddenly his eyes lit up and he laughed, "So you’re Qin Wu, Prince of Jadebright Palace. How interesting."
"Qin Wu of Jadebright Palace!"
True God Pang Yu’s heart jolted. He looked at the First Ancestor and blurted, "You’re still alive?"
The First Ancestor’s face fell. He’d avoided meeting Pang Yu until now precisely because he didn’t want to see gods and demons from the old Kaihuang Heaven Court—he felt guilty. Now, forced to show himself, he knew he couldn’t keep his identity secret any longer.
Lowell Yunch’s eyes gleamed. He smiled, "Let these juniors fight it out—it’s for the best. But now that things have changed, Qin Wu, Prince of Jadebright, aren’t you curious to see what happens next?"
The First Ancestor replied dryly, "Fine." With that, he turned and walked toward the World Bridge.
He took a single step—and suddenly, a thousand li of ground warped and shrank between them. Pang Yu and the others hadn’t moved, yet they found themselves instantly transported a thousand li ahead, left stunned and uncertain.
That step brought the First Ancestor right to where Quinn was riding Bruno the Dragon-Qilin. Overhead, Lou Qianchong swooped down, claws outstretched, aiming for Quinn and Bruno.
His talons were razor-sharp, covered in strange, black-glinting scales. Each scale bore an odd pattern—like tiny eyes, opening and closing, blinking eerily.
Lowell Yunch, Furylo, and Lucas Lin followed the First Ancestor, looking up as Quinn’s angry voice rang out: "I told you, another day! I’ve got urgent business—no time to settle things with you!"
Boom—a thunderous crash in midair. Lou Qianchong bounced back, his attack blocked by Quinn, but Bruno was forced down from the sky, his speed greatly reduced.
"Netherworld Divine Son, you’re not getting away!"
Lou Qianchong dove at him again. Quinn blocked him once more, forcing Lou back, but Bruno was pressed even lower, his speed dropping again.
Lou Qianchong lunged yet again, laughing, "What, don’t even have the guts to fight me? The mighty Divine Son, forced to flee all the way to Everpeace!"
Quinn suddenly leapt off Bruno’s back and said gravely, "Bruno, go ahead and stabilize the World Bridge altar. Xu, you all head to the World Bridge too—help me hold the runes on that altar."
Bruno roared off toward the World Bridge, with Xu Shenghua close behind. "Quinn, be careful," Xu called. "This one’s strong, and his divine arts are bizarre—I’ve never seen anything like it. His darkness is almost like the Great Ruins’ darkness."
"Like the Great Ruins’ darkness?" Quinn was shaken, his face full of disbelief.
Lou Qianchong folded his wings, turning human again. He smiled, "The darkness of the Great Ruins was set up by my master, the Black Emperor of the Netherworld."
Quinn nodded, face expressionless. "Show me the Black Emperor’s divine arts, then."
Darkness erupted around Lou Qianchong, thick and overwhelming, instantly shrouding dozens of li of sky. He seemed to exist in another world, outside Supreme Emperor Heaven, his black silhouette howling toward Quinn!
Quinn’s expression didn’t change. He stared at the shadow rushing from the darkness—Lou Qianchong seemed to exist in a different dimension, able to dodge any attack in the world!
At the same time, a portal opened behind Quinn. Inside, a monstrous figure—neither god nor demon—silently roared, its massive arm gripping a steel trident, drawing back to strike, then stabbing out at Quinn from within the gate!
"So that’s how it is."
Suddenly, two extra heads sprouted from Quinn’s neck, two more arms from under his armpits. His Sword Pill rang out, splitting into three.
"So-called Netherworld, it’s just like Youdu—both are parts of the same whole. Your divine art…"
Quinn peeled the Golden Willow Leaf from his brow; as he shifted into his three-headed, six-armed form, the leaf split into three, each one sealing an eye on his brow.
He raised three arms, pressing his index and middle fingers together and touching the eye on his brow—then stabbed forward with a finger!
Lou Qianchong’s body twisted, instantly dodging the attack. But Quinn’s finger brushed the edge of Lou’s darkness, and in that split second, he saw through Lou’s technique—every secret exposed!
"You have been seen through."