In the vast void of the cosmos, everywhere was filled with terrifying turbulence.

Qin Ming transformed into countless blood crows, flying toward a certain node.

Before long.

Rip!

The nearby void was torn open by a profound void power, forming a long rift.

A large shadow emerged from it.

It was Qin Ming’s demon infant riding the Ice Crystal Nether Sparrow, coming to meet him.

In a flash.

Of the countless blood crows, some were swept into the void turbulence and annihilated into nothingness.

But the majority of the blood crows began to reassemble, gradually revealing the figure of Qin Ming.

He looked at the demon infant on the Nether Sparrow and smiled slightly: "You’ve worked hard."

"I am you, so there’s no need to stand on ceremony." The demon infant smiled strangely, turning into a black primordial spirit, and flew back into Qin Ming’s Central Palace Dantian, merging with him as one.

Qin Ming used demon techniques to transform into the middle-aged cultivator that the demon infant had previously disguisedly become, leaping onto the Ice Crystal Nether Sparrow.

Once on the back of the Nether Sparrow, a peculiar space power appeared, ignoring the terrifying void turbulence and isolating it completely.

Qin Ming’s sense of security was instantly filled again.

Screech!

The Ice Crystal Nether Sparrow called to the sky, then spread its massive wings, soaring into the nine heavens...

As a massive space fluctuation spread in all directions.

In the blink of an eye, it vanished into the void, disappearing into the boundless outer galaxy...

Meanwhile, on another side.

On the Immortal Welcoming Platform of the Celestial Star City stronghold.

Several silver-armored cultivators were patrolling nearby, the Celestial Patrol Mirror in the sky overlooking the land, not missing a single anomaly.

Ever since the incident involving Jiang Tian, anyone daring to interfere with the Immortal Welcoming Platform, affecting the ascension of those from the lower realm.

The higher-ups of the human race were thoroughly enraged, strengthening the defense of Immortal Welcoming Platforms in various places, to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

As the silver-armored cultivators conducted their routine patrol.

The Immortal Welcoming Platform erupted in an incomparably brilliant white light, with profound array runes swirling unpredictably.

A fierce void fluctuation erupted between heaven and earth.

"The Immortal Welcoming Platform is reacting again! Quickly!"

"Prepare to receive!"

"Another lower realm cultivator is ascending."

The silver-armored Star Guards of Celestial Star City, each with tense expressions, flew to the white jade platform at the edge of the cliff, looking into the void below the clouds.

However, the next moment.

As a massive void storm surged around the Immortal Welcoming Platform, the white light pillar above it instantly dimmed.

Various phenomena vanished without a trace...

The white jade platform, once again, returned to its usual calm.

All the silver-armored cultivators looked at each other, puzzled.

"What... happened?"

"Alas! What a pity! It seems the ascension failed."

"Could it have been an accident midway..."

"Will the higher-ups blame us?"

"No, this time everyone witnessed it, it’s just bad luck."

"After all, everyone knows how difficult it is for those from the lower realm to ascend to the spirit realm."

"Should we hurry back to the city to report this?"

"Indeed, indeed."

...

...

Near an unnamed mountain range in the Thousand Mechanism Poison Swamp.

This place was barren, with sparse vegetation, desolate and uninhabited, enveloped in emerald-colored nether mist.

The next moment.

In the dim void, a long black rift suddenly tore open, from which several terrifying torrents surged out, instantly crushing the nearby rocks to powder.

A streak of light silently slipped out from it, revealing the figures of Qin Ming and the Ice Crystal Nether Sparrow.

Thus his true self had also ascended to the spirit realm.

Because the demon infant had once consumed a Realm Transformation Pill, the otherworldly aura on him was also eliminated, negating the need for another dose.

This also prevented high-tier cultivators in the spirit realm from detecting his identity as an ascension cultivator.

There was no worry about being captured for forced labor.

Upon Qin Ming’s arrival in the spirit realm, he quickly adapted to the environment here.

"The feeling of being able to freely manipulate the primordial qi of heaven and earth with just a wave of a hand, is indeed wonderful..."

He sighed slightly.

The Heaven-Devouring Mouse and the others, on the journey here, were also made dizzy by the thrilling journey.

Even with the body of a Tier Four Demon Saint, they almost couldn’t hold it together.

But once in the spirit realm.

All rose excitedly, with the Heaven-Devouring Mouse saying to Qin Ming with excitement:

"Master, have we arrived in the spirit realm?"

"Can we come out and take a look?"

Qin Ming immediately released several spirit pets, inspecting them with divine thought repeatedly, finding no major issues.

His beast pets also sensed the noticeably different spiritual qi of heaven and earth, curiously looking around.

But upon seeing the rather harsh terrain of the Thousand Mechanism Poison Swamp, they couldn’t help but be astounded.

"Alright, that should be enough."

"When you first ascend to the Spirit Realm, you’ll carry a foreign aura. Wait until I obtain the Realm Transformation Pill formula, refine it to eliminate the aura, and then you can show yourselves."

After Qin Ming said this, he took the beasts back into the Little Spirit Realm.

After that.

He pinpointed the direction of Qianji City, suppressed and hid his cultivation to the Mid-Stage Nascent Soul level, and transformed into a black streak of light, disappearing from sight.

While flying over the southeast region of the Thousand Mechanism Poison Swamp, Qin Ming suddenly felt a sense of unease.

His immense Divine Thought Power, comparable to Divinity Transformation Perfection, suddenly detected an extremely fierce demonic power fluctuation eight hundred miles away from here.

Immediately, he scanned the origin of the fluctuation and took a clear look inside.

He saw a Six-Winged Fierce Centipede, a thousand feet long, launching a massacre on a group of miners from Qianji City.

Most of these independent cultivators were below the Nascent Soul Stage, facing such a fierce Tier Five Demon Venerable, like sheep meeting a tiger.

The left side of the Six-Winged Fierce Centipede’s torso had several hideous, terrifying large wounds, still bleeding profusely.

It seemed to have been heavily injured by the Mid-stage Divinity Transformation "Venerable Nether Bone" of the Netherworld Sect earlier.

Now, in order to heal, it stealthily infiltrated the mine caves of the poison swamp, devouring human race cultivators.

"It’s a Tier Five Fierce Beast! Quick, send a signal to the Loose Alliance Headquarters for help!"

"Steward, it’s too late!"

"Ahh! Help!"

This mining area was under the Mist Concealment Loose Alliance; Qin Ming had been to the Mist Concealment Tower before and was very familiar with the attire of these people.

The Six-Winged Fierce Centipede inhaled, and the mining cultivators, along with the overseers from the Loose Alliance, exploded into clouds of blood mist—instantly consumed, leaving no remains.

The warning arrays and Defense Array around the mining district, in the face of the Tier Five Demon Venerable, were like mere decorations, vanishing in an instant...

As all the cultivators wore looks of despair, clutching their heads in panic.

After seeing this clearly, Qin Ming thought to himself, "I had sent the Demon Infant to find this beast’s traces earlier; I didn’t expect to encounter it upon entering the Spirit Realm—it turns out to be perfect for watering the True Spirit Egg with its essence blood."

His figure then blurred, gradually disappearing into the air.

At another part of the Loose Alliance’s mining district.

While the independent cultivators trembled in utter despair, oppressed by the might of the Tier Five Fierce Beast...

Suddenly, a pitch-black demonic figure emerged from between heaven and earth.

The entire figure was shrouded in black smoke, making it impossible to see the face.

The moment this person appeared, a Divinity Transformation Stage spiritual pressure was released.

The Six-Winged Fierce Centipede, which was wreaking havoc, momentarily paused.

Its eyes revealed fierce light, warily watching the shadow in the sky.

Despite its cultivation, it couldn’t discern the depth of the opponent.

Qin Ming did not waste words, his gaze fixated on the centipede, then formed a seal with one hand.

A pitch-black Soul-Devouring Demon Sword appeared, hovering three inches above his head.

A terrifying aura of destruction emanated from it.

The Six-Winged Fierce Centipede, upon seeing the Soul-Devouring Demon Sword, seemed to sense its immense ferocity. In its blood-red, violent gaze, a rare glimmer of fear appeared.

Without a second thought, it burrowed underground and fled.

Qin Ming’s eyes sharpened abruptly, the Soul-Devouring Demon Sword had already firmly locked onto it.

The sword’s body emitted several feet of dark sword aura, transforming into a black light, vanishing with a flash, following the centipede underground.

Thud!

Roar!

Along with a crisp sound that pierced the skull.

The Soul-Devouring Demon Sword directly penetrated the head of the Six-Winged Fierce Centipede, completely obliterating its demon soul.

Qin Ming’s dark figure flickered again, reaching out to reclaim the demon sword within his body.

The Ten Thousand Forms Celestial Demon Pattern on his arm increased to four.

His Divine Thought Power relocated the centipede’s body from the underground; its aura was utterly extinguished, turning back to several feet in size without the support of its demon soul.

Qin Ming casually gestured, tossing its corpse into the Little Spirit Realm.

He took just a few breaths of time to annihilate this Tier Five Demon Venerable Fierce Centipede.

After completing everything.

Qin Ming was no longer interested in looking at the Low-Tier Independent Cultivators below, and his entire being vanished from sight...

Below, those who had survived by a stroke of fortune were all grateful that they were still alive.

At the same time, they were stunned by the actions of that mysterious person just now.

The opponent casually displayed divine techniques, easily instant-killing the terrifying Fierce Centipede Demon Venerable—what kind of cultivation power was necessary for that?

However, before they could even catch a breath.

In the sky, red light points gathered again, slowly condensing into a middle-aged man in a jade robe in the void above everyone. This person had a wooden crown binding his hair, a calm and composed face, deep eyes, exuding an aura of authority without anger.

The moment this person appeared, a Divinity Transformation Stage spiritual pressure was also released.

The middle-aged man in a jade robe scanned through the Loose Alliance mining district, seeing the scene was chaotic, with many independent cultivators dead or injured, his face showing a trace of anger.

"Subordinate greets Vice Alliance Leader Zuo!!"

In the Poisonous Mine District, a steward from the Loose Alliance, missing an arm, covered in blood, miserably bowed toward the newcomer.

Even though he was severely injured, he showed utmost politeness and fear, worried that the jade-robed middle-aged man might hold him accountable.

"What happened?"

He asked coldly.

The one-armed steward trembled, quickly reporting the situation here truthfully, without leaving any details out.

In the end, he hesitated for a moment before saying:

"Just before you arrived, a mysterious predecessor instant-killed that Tier Five Demon Venerable and then left."

Upon hearing this, Vice Alliance Leader Zuo’s eyebrows twitched, his expression changing instantly, "What did you say?!"

...