Bafang City, Lord Qin Guang’s palace.

The ground was filled with cold silence and emptiness. Originally, only Lord Qin Guang stood alone high above the great hall, gazing at the scene floating in the void.

Suddenly, seven figures appeared silently.

The entire Second Layer Hell, under that tiny Soul Pearl woman’s wave, burst into brilliant colors, as if granting the entire world charm.

They occupied high positions and naturally knew the wonders and power of the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Consuming Void Demon Umbrella.

However, seeing with their own eyes a Soul Pearl realm female cultivator use it, and moreover, she herself was completely uncovered by the Void Demon Umbrella’s radiance, truly gave an indescribable feeling…

Especially that Soul Pearl.

After the battle ended, the torrential earth force yin essence lost control and scattered in collapse. The pearl that had originally been carried by the storm finally appeared clearly before them.

Because it had absorbed its fill of surrounding earth force yin essence, the Soul Pearl’s diameter had also expanded considerably, becoming about an inch.

The murky pale purple was gone, replaced by deep imperial purple, like flowing ribbons outlining the deep white Soul Pearl.

Just like a decorated, painted pearl.

The only flaw was that crack standing upright on the Soul Pearl, which had also grown larger and split wider with the Soul Pearl’s growth, like a deep abyss.

Lord Du Shi Wang Jiang Chang stood below the steps, his eyes holding indescribable radiance.

Song Emperor Wang stroked the beard on his chin, letting out a leisurely laugh: “Never expected that after hundreds of years, we’d see imperial purple again…”

“The last time we saw this was on Lord Du Shi Wang, wasn’t it?”

A childish voice rang out beside Song Emperor Wang.

A boy of ten-odd years, wearing silk robes, looked exactly like a wealthy young master. He held a kitten with snow-white fur and dark golden pupils, also raising a handsome face still touched with youth, staring at that Soul Pearl, though his eyes held some evil intent.

“Will she be the ninth?”

The ninth.

This phrase might not cause much reaction elsewhere, but appearing before the “Eight” Direction Yan Halls of “Eight” Direction City, in front of the “Eight” Hall Yan Lords, seemed far from simple.

Lord Qin Guang stood with hands behind his back in his majestic robes, his gaze never withdrawing.

This entire matter…

Truly gave him an indescribable feeling of helplessness.

This female cultivator was merely mentioned by Zhuan Lun Wang, which led to her being coincidentally added to the Cauldron Competition roster, with Zhang Tang and others arranged to “look after” her.

But unexpectedly, having barely reached the second layer, the cultivators who had agreed to care for Jian Chou turned against her.

Even more surprising was that the one who died in the end was the one with higher cultivation.

Pan Hexun had already turned to a pile of black ash, drifting down from the sky into the volcanic magma lake below.

The ninth?

Lord Qin Guang slowly asked: “Does Lord Wu Guan very much hope for another to come?”

“Yes, heaven-destined ghosts haven’t appeared for a long time.”

The one answering was actually that ten-year-old boy holding the cat!

Bafang Yan Halls, Fourth Hall, Lord Wu Guan!

He casually stroked the snow-white soft fur on the cat’s body. A pair of eyes as exquisite as the cat’s also lifted, looking back toward Lord Qin Guang, though his lips bore a deep smile completely inconsistent with his apparent age.

“However, this Jian Chou’s Soul Pearl only started as pale purple, showing no signs of ‘heaven’s mandate’ at all. This time Lord Qin Guang casually selected her, probably never imagined receiving such a great surprise?”

The other Yan Lords in the hall remained silent.

On the void screen above, that Soul Pearl was already flying back toward Jian Chou’s brow center.

Seeing this, Lord Qin Guang finally dismissed that thought.

“Cauldron Competition rules—none of us may interfere. Everything will be discussed after the Competition ends. This female cultivator has a damaged Soul Pearl, meaning a defective soul, yet she can cultivate to her current level, and imperial purple has appeared. She must harbor secrets. If she dies in the Cauldron Competition, we have nothing to say. If she’s fortunate enough to survive, we’ll deliberate then…”

Not every cultivator who manifested “imperial purple” Soul Pearls could become the supreme existence of Bafang City.

Many also…

Died innocently and wrongfully.

Over these years, they had seen far too much.

Or rather, overtly and covertly, they had done quite enough.

The eight Yan Lords had been stable for a long time.

In six hundred years, only Lord Du Shi Wang and Zhuan Lun Wang had been added. Lord Du Shi Wang disliked conflict, and Zhuan Lun Wang was promoted by his own hand, born by inheriting fortune…

What would this Jian Chou bring now?

Lord Qin Guang didn’t know either.

His hands behind his back moved gently and slowly, the red-gold demon ring on his ring finger also rotating slowly, with flowing light faintly visible.

The entire Extreme Domain’s seventy-two cities had long been unable to sit still after being shocked by this battle.

Countless people were already cursing in their hearts, and many jaws had dropped to the ground. People looked at Jian Chou with gazes—

Some shocked, for her outstanding grace;

Some regretful, for the demise of the expert Pan Hexun;

Some pained, already worrying about their previous bets;

Of course, some were also envious.

Pan Hexun had turned to flying ash, disappearing completely.

But the magical artifacts he left behind remained—one was the white bone whip, being thrown to the sky’s highest point and falling downward, and there was that dominating Kunwu Battle Chariot, having lost control, sliding dejectedly toward the roiling magma lake.

“Thud.”

A soft sound.

The Soul Pearl, now covered with deep purple patterns, rushed from afar, transforming into a flowing light that directly entered Jian Chou’s brow center ancestral aperture.

A strange sense of power and control spontaneously arose from her heart!

Since taking the Soul Reversal Pill, this Soul Pearl had already begun changing.

It was just that the purple was too pale then, making people think it was just because the Soul Pearl was too inferior, not pure enough. Now this faint purple, after absorbing its fill of earth force yin essence, had actually become so rich.

Others couldn’t see it, but Jian Chou was crystal clear!

After entering her brow center, these purple patterns actually flashed with patches of lightning!

The soul power surging in the ancestral aperture all condensed into small whirlwinds following the rotation of the patterns on the Soul Pearl, like flowing ribbons surrounding and rotating.

Stars surrounding the moon!

Nothing more than this!

Majestic, making people’s hearts grow cold.

Such changes seemed to vaguely signify something, but Jian Chou couldn’t fathom it.

Her understanding of the Extreme Domain was still too limited. Even with that room full of books from the old house owner’s study, no matter how she searched her memory, she couldn’t find even half a bit of related content.

For now, she could only set aside her doubts and look ahead.

The sky had recovered, and the massive magma lake still rolled with heat waves.

The white bone whip was falling toward her direction. Naturally, Jian Chou wasn’t the least bit polite, reaching out to catch it!

“Slap.”

The long whip fell directly into her palm, gripped tightly by her!

Inside and outside the seventy-two cities, countless people’s hearts tightened, unable to help showing envious gazes.

Pan Hexun was dead, but his magical artifacts remained!

Not far in front of Jian Chou was the Kunwu Battle Chariot that was about to sink into the magma below. Its black armored body, lacking anyone’s control and having lost its master’s urging, was continuously contracting inward, returning to its original miniaturized appearance.

Earlier, Pan Hexun had relied on this chariot to fight one against five, even without falling behind, showing just how amazing this magical artifact truly was!

When she first saw this chariot and heard Chen Tingyan speak of its origins, Jian Chou had been somewhat tempted.

The battle with Pan Hexun had cost her a Void Demon Umbrella.

Seeing good things before her, Jian Chou wasn’t some saint. She happily took advantage of the situation, flicking the white bone whip in her hand and producing a crisp “crack” sound.

“Whoosh!”

Wind howled.

The white bone whip broke through the air, striking directly at the edge of the Kunwu Battle Chariot below!

The seemingly hard white bone whip tip was incredibly flexible when lashed out, directly extending and coiling around one of the flying wheels at the chariot’s edge!

“Rise!”

Jian Chou applied force to her wrist, hearing a “splash” of water sounds.

The Kunwu Battle Chariot that had already half-sunk was actually pulled up by the white bone whip!

Countless magma all slid down, splashing great sprays in the lake below, but the deck that had been devoured by magma remained black as before.

Not even slightly damaged!

A battle chariot left by ancient ancestors?

Jian Chou’s eyes narrowed slightly. With a pull of the long whip and a catch with her raised hand—

The Kunwu Battle Chariot, the moment it was pulled up, had already begun rapidly shrinking. When it fell into Jian Chou’s hands, it had returned to palm size.

Like a small sculpture.

Held close in her palm for careful examination, it was exquisite in every detail, showing none of the so-called “ancient” roughness.

Only the characters distributed on the central compass platform were indeed ancient script.

Chen Tingyan, Zhang Tang and the others all bore various wounds.

Now seeing the battle had calmed, with Pan Hexun’s two magical artifacts falling into Jian Chou’s hands, several people finally gathered around.

Gu Ling had returned to being a harmless, innocent girl, her bright eyes looking at the chariot in Jian Chou’s hands.

Chen Tingyan smacked his lips and chuckled twice: “Year after year of bitter hate pressing golden threads, making wedding clothes for others… Satisfying! If only a few more suckers like Pan Hexun would come!”

The old woman silently glanced at him, offering no opinion on this.

Jian Chou couldn’t help laughing. After the battle, she felt no fatigue whatsoever. Because of the Soul Pearl’s changes, her eyes were even more focused.

The aura around her had also subtly changed.

She was actually much stronger than before this battle!

“Lost a Void Demon Umbrella, gained a Kunwu Battle Chariot, plus this white bone whip—I’d say we came out ahead.”

Jian Chou was in good spirits too, holding the white bone whip in one hand and the chariot in the other, quite satisfied.

Chen Tingyan was already impatient, directly pulling out several pills and distributing one to each person, while saying to Jian Chou: “Quickly bind it with your soul, let’s see how this chariot works!”

A wastrel young master, this was his only hobby.

Chen Tingyan tapped his folding fan against his palm, urging repeatedly.

Jian Chou smiled helplessly but was also curious.

She recalled the soul-binding technique learned from the old house’s study, calming her mind and forming a hand seal. Immediately, soul power mixed with auspicious purple qi spurted from her palm, coiling into an exquisite, strange hexagonal seal.

With Pan Hexun’s death, the divine soul imprint he had branded on the Kunwu Battle Chariot had already dissipated.

Jian Chou now pushed her hand seal toward the Kunwu Battle Chariot, and that strange seal smoothly entered the deep black chariot body.

“Hum!”

At that moment, black and white intertwined ripples shot out in all directions from the entire Kunwu Battle Chariot body!

Humming sounds continued without end.

Jian Chou only felt her divine soul immediately connect with the chariot, just like when she had dripped blood to claim the Ghost Axe. Though the Extreme Domain and Nineteen Continents were different places, the feeling after claiming ownership was quite similar.

All functions, all methods of control, instantly spread through Jian Chou’s mind.

So…

This Kunwu Battle Chariot had such origins.

Jian Chou’s mind was shaken for a moment, but in the blink of an eye, she thought of more practical uses.

“Go!”

She threw her palm up, actually hurling the palm-sized chariot flying out!

“Crack, crack, crack, crack!”

The scene they had witnessed under Pan Hexun’s control now replayed identically!

The Kunwu Battle Chariot re-extended, growing with the wind, becoming larger and larger!

In just a blink, it was already five or six zhang long and wide, like a giant wheel floating in mid-air!

“Hahaha!”

Chen Tingyan couldn’t help bursting into loud laughter, overjoyed: “Great harvest, great harvest! An artifact left by ancient ancestors. Jian Chou, you must let me examine it later—I love this thing!”

“That’s not really a…”

Before the words “big problem” could leave her mouth, Jian Chou’s expression suddenly changed.

An aura carrying familiar scents, with fluctuations they had felt before, appeared out of thin air above the magma lake!

Everyone turned to look—distorted ripples in the void.

Clearly more people were coming!

“Sima Languan!”

Jian Chou immediately thought of that killing god still on the first layer. With their superior numbers, were they coming up now?

In that instant, she didn’t hesitate, directly flying toward the Kunwu Battle Chariot!

“Get on, let’s go first!”

The others reacted quickly too. Hearing Jian Chou’s words, they knew the Kunwu Battle Chariot should be good for escaping. Immediately, each transformed into flowing light, rushing straight for the chariot!

Almost simultaneously, Jian Chou was already on the chariot, slapping down on the compass platform!

“Boom!”

Thirty-six snow-white flying wheels, completely undamaged, all extended from the chariot’s bottom, spinning rapidly!

A torrential, ancient power immediately rose from within the chariot!

The moment Sima Languan’s figure appeared above the lake, the entire chariot was streaked with strings of lightning, transforming into a patch of chaotic deep gray.

Swoosh!

In the blink of an eye, it vanished without a trace!

Only a violent wind rose from level ground, leaving behind a vicissitudinous aura…

Apart from this, not even traces remained.

Sima Languan, carrying his lantern, was somewhat stunned for a moment: Had he just seen things? He actually seemed to see Jian Chou standing on Pan Hexun’s precious chariot…

Beside him, blood-stained figures appeared one after another.

Sima Languan furrowed his handsome long eyebrows, slightly narrowing his eyes. Originally wanting to leave directly, but with a sweep of his gaze, he actually discovered battle traces remaining above this volcanic crater lake.

In that instant, his heart grew cold!

Raising his hand and turning it over, his mind sank into the cauldron ring. On his previously calm face, a barely suppressible dark shock finally passed: On the star cloud scroll, his “ally” Pan Hexun, the number one of Fengdu City, had disappeared without a trace…

“Jian Chou…”