One more catty, one more attribute point

As the heir to this great empire.

The third Prince was not handsome, but he was certainly intimidating enough to inspire fear.

It was not only his massive body that was frightening, but also the pitch-black war armor that covered him. Crimson flames burned around him in the void, and the dense black energy dripped from his body like liquid. Accompanied by a hissing sound, it splattered into sparks of electric fire and white-hot rage.

His eyes were blood-red, and he had no hair. But under the smooth scalp were thick blood vessels bulging out like writhing dragons.

In his left hand, the heir to the empire held a scepter the size of an oak tree — though calling it a scepter, it more closely resembled a colossal warhammer. A cruel, sanguine halberd had impaled a formidable demon god, the laws of time crystallizing it in the moment before death, subjecting it to eternal torment thereafter.

The demon god's flayed, twisted, and horrifying body became the main structure of the scepter.

When this scepter waved in the hands of the third Prince, a bone-chilling shriek erupted from the void.

The right hand of the third Prince, on the other hand, had mutated into a claw.

That claw, capable of tearing apart the world, held a dark sword bathed in black flames.

Since the empire was established, through a thousand years of war and ten heavenly campaigns, no less than one hundred demon gods had perished under this sword.

The third Prince took a deep breath.

He exuded a searing breath of sulfur and blood, which he exhaled onto King Dingxuan.

The inhuman strength it contained almost singed his hair.

"You're injured." Although the third Prince appearing through the ritual was but an ethereal being, the strong authority he radiated in conversation made one subconsciously overlook this fact. In contrast, King Dingxuan, who was kneeling before him, seemed somewhat insignificant.

"Reporting to my lord, I had a confrontation with King Qingyang not long ago," answered King Dingxuan, bowing his head and speaking softly.

"No, you're hiding something from me." The third Prince's brows furrowed, "Look into my eyes, you are afraid of something. You think I cannot tell, but another person's aura lingers on you. So young, fervent, and vigorous, it is an enviable power."

"The event on Skull Plain, you've failed," the third Prince said after a pause of silence.

King Dingxuan's forehead broke out in dense cold sweat, "Marpa has just been released, only to be slain. Due to the Seed of Destruction, Skull Plain will soon transform into a Mythical Battlefield, and at that time, Jianghuai's seven provinces will fall, and even Changyue's thirteen provinces could be threatened."

"So, my Blood Pill..." The voice of the third Prince grew deeper, and within his blood-red pupils, it seemed as though two flames were burning.

Release the demon god and then use the Seed of Destruction to incite chaos.

And in the midst of that chaos, to harvest flesh and essence on a large scale, refining the legendary forbidden Blood Pill from the lives of eight hundred and eighty-eight thousand people. All this to aid in his breakthrough, ensuring a smooth succession to the throne during this turbulent period of power transfer.

The events that occurred on Skull Plain appeared to have King Dingxuan as the mastermind behind the scenes.

In reality, he was merely covering for the third Prince.

But unexpectedly, Su Heng emerged out of nowhere.

And the demon god Marpa, imprisoned for over two thousand years, failed to realize that the present day was no longer the same as the past.

Gone were the days when demon gods reigned supreme, wreaking havoc wherever they went. Instead of stealthily regaining his strength with the Seed of Destruction, the demon god brazenly rushed forward.

As a result, within less than a half-day of breaking free, he was promptly killed by Su Heng on the spot.

All these coincidental circumstances converged to create the current situation.

The third Prince lapsed into silence, but his complexion grew increasingly dreadful. His pallid face was shrouded with a dark red glow, making him look like a swollen, inhuman corpse. Even King Dingxuan, powerful as he was, felt a profound discomfort in the presence of the third Prince.

He bowed his head deeply, enshrouded in shadow, "Taking advantage of the opening Mythical Battlefield, perhaps the Blood Pill refinement process can be restarted."

"No!"

The third Prince shook his head, "That's too dangerous."

"If this gets out of hand and Father learns of it, he will be very disappointed with me," the third Prince shook his head and said, "My elder brother is already dead, and Father hasn't much time left. I don't want, and I cannot afford to disappoint Father. It must not happen."

"Then..." King Dingxuan appeared anxious.

"The matter is not your fault," the third Prince then said, shaking his hand dismissively, "For someone to have injured you, it shows they have touched the realm of a heavenly king."

"Tell me his name."

"Su Heng," King Dingxuan replied.

"Su Heng..." The third Prince nodded slightly, "Later, pass me all the detailed information on him."

"There's another matter I've called you for," the third Prince said gravely, "According to the intelligence collected by the Yiluan Bureau spies, King Qingyang seems to be attacking Hunxi Mountain. Behind Hunxi Mountain lies the Dragon Abyss, which is said to be where true dragons lie dormant, true or false though it may be."

"Find out what's happening there for me and tell me what King Qingyang plans to do."

"Understood," King Dingxuan breathed a sigh of relief and said solemnly, "I will not fail the trust my lord places in me."

"The empire may seem to prosper in glory," the third Prince suddenly sighed, a trace of imperceptible weariness flashing in his pupils, "but in reality, it is riddled with internal and external troubles, teetering in the storm. Now that I am in the Eastern Palace, every move I make is watched by countless people."

"Immortal sects, destructive powers from Longevity Heaven, and the various foreign countries out at sea... Heh."

The third Prince patted King Dingxuan on the shoulder, "There aren't many people I can trust, and you are one of them. Don't disappoint me again."

"I will lay down my life for the cause," King Dingxuan replied.

"Just do the best you can with what's within your power," the third Prince nodded in satisfaction, "And about the injuries on your body..."

"Later on, I will have someone send you a Dragon and Tiger Great Rejuvenation Pill, and from the royal treasury of divine weapons, you may choose one. Even if you face King Qingyang again, you will have the power to fight and not end up as pitiful as today," the third Prince said leisurely.

The incense in the burner was almost burnt out, leaving behind large patches of white ash, and the figure of the third prince became increasingly ethereal.

Upon hearing this news,

Even the composed King Dingxuan couldn't suppress a trace of joy that flickered across his face.

He was about to express his thanks when the third prince waved his hand, "There's no need for such formalities between us."

Bang!

The last thread of incense burned out and went dark.

In the hall, the phantom of the third prince scattered completely.

The door behind him opened, and King Dingxuan stood up, stepping out onto the threshold of the hall.

Streaks of golden sunlight fell upon his face, softening his furrowed brows slightly as he clenched his fists. His chest rose and fell several times as he gradually calmed his boiling emotions, soon disappearing under the bright sun.

...

...

...

Elsewhere, outside Xuantian Mansion.

On the Qinglan River, Su Heng took a step and left the battlefield.

He landed on a barren mountain in the distance, took a deep breath, and freed himself from various enhanced states to return to normal. His second heart also fell silent, and a great deal of waste heat was released through his skin. The entire mountain top ignited, and then further, molten rock melted.

From afar, it looked like a volcanic eruption, with billowing black smoke and large quantities of dark red magma rolling down the slopes.

This astonishing spectacle continued for a full quarter of an hour before gradually dissipating.

During this process, Su Heng also reflected with furrowed brows.

Compared to the Heavenly King, his spiritual foundation was still somewhat lacking. Though it seemed he had the upper hand against King Dingxuan,

in reality, he had benefited from an advantage; if King Dingxuan hadn't been injured, then even if Su Heng could have won, it wouldn't have been as easy, and he would have been in a sorry state.

"How to quickly enhance my spiritual foundation? Relying solely on the natural growth of my physique seems too slow."

After all, apart from the Heavenly King,

the Mythical Battlefield on Skull Plain was about to open, and it was inevitable he would run into demon gods skilled in the Spiritual Domain.

He still needed to prepare in advance and not leave himself with any weaknesses.

Swish!

Just then,

Su Heng raised an eyebrow, a flash of light crossing his mind.

"I remember before the tomb of Dragon King An Shelie was opened, I had swallowed Xie Linyuan's divine soul. Checking his memories, I saw a Buddha statue in them. Once the statue shattered, my spiritual power seemed to have gained a rather noticeable increase..."

Su Heng stroked his chin, his eyes gradually lighting up, "I wonder if this method can be replicated."

It's worth a try.

This is also simple: locate the Deceit Beast Gate.

The former Deceit Beast Gate was considered a formidable opponent, seemingly housing some Heavenly Deceit-level experts.

But now, the Deceit Beast Gate was as insignificant as an ant in his presence. He could crush seven or eight of them casually as if he were just relieving himself—no threat at all. And furthermore... Su Heng's thoughts began to spread, and soon he had even more ideas.

He took the "Seed of Destruction" out of his bosom.

The heart-shaped "Seed of Destruction" throbbed slowly and rhythmically in Su Heng's hand.

The "Seed of Destruction," being the origin of the birth of the Deceit Beast, left such contamination that it tortured the divine beast, the Golden Crow, to death.

Being one of the ancient divine artifacts from the realm of eternal life, it exhibited the powers of "corrosion" and "assimilation."

What a coincidence!

In Law King Temple, Su Heng also obtained a secret technique—the Heavenly Demon Transformation Technique.

This technique, somewhat similar to the Absorption Star Method, can forcefully plunder someone else's power and transfer it to oneself.

Su Heng previously thought this secret technique was lackluster.

The reason being that an assemblage of mismatched powers would conflict with each other inside the body, leading to harm rather than help.

However, if he could merge and control the "Seed of Destruction," utilizing its powers of "corrosion" and "assimilation" to contaminate and blend these forces, then theoretically, the Heavenly Demon Transformation Technique would have no limitations and transform into a powerful and promising new cultivation technique.

If he based the new technique on this newborn power, and additionally seized the special power enshrined in the Buddha statue, then...

At that moment, various thoughts flashed through Su Heng's mind.

He felt an irresistible urge to find a place for seclusion and make a big push forward.