"Strange. Aren’t those John’s other two companions?"

"The women named Silt and Odelle?"

Holy Spirit Sovereign’s expression gradually became solemn.

"Although John and his companions can barely be considered top-tier geniuses, there is no reason all of them should have completed the preliminary round so quickly."

"Even the other supreme geniuses of the Skyvault Consortium have yet to return."

"Could John’s group truly be stronger than all of them?"

A possibility suddenly occurred to Holy Spirit Sovereign.

"Perhaps John and his companions will become the hidden trump cards of the Skyvault Consortium in this Myriad Worlds Tournament."

"They may completely surpass the expectations of the other factions and secure an extraordinary result for us."

A smile gradually appeared on his face.

"If that is the case, news of their return must not be allowed to spread."

"I alone need to understand their true strength."

"The other factions cannot be allowed to learn of it in advance."

"If they become wary and prepare countermeasures, achieving a good result will become much more difficult."

Having made his decision, Holy Spirit Sovereign raised a massive hand.

The spatial fluctuations left behind by the return of John and his companions were instantly erased.

From the outside, there was no indication that anyone had returned at all.

...

Meanwhile, within Plane No. 888 of the Celestia Universe—

Countless High God-level powerhouses were engaged in a frantic chase through the sky.

Figures streaked chaotically across the heavens.

Many of the fleeing participants wore expressions of extreme panic, as though they had encountered something unimaginably terrifying.

Miserable screams continuously echoed throughout the plane.

Whenever those cries entered the ears of the surviving participants, the fear in their hearts grew even stronger.

"Damn that madman!"

"It was already outrageous enough that he proved his Dao through martial combat, but he also cultivates the Spatial Law, the Law of Destruction, and the Sacrificial Dao Law!"

"We’re no match for him!"

"None of us can withstand even a single strike!"

"I heard he’s Cedric, one of the strongest powerhouses of the Shadow Divine Court."

"So it’s him?"

"Then this isn’t surprising."

"He has always been completely insane."

"He already obtained the Plane Origin, yet instead of leaving, he stayed behind to slaughter the rest of us!"

"I heard Cedric forged his blade through killing intent."

"The more people he kills, the stronger he becomes."

"That must be why he remained here and began massacring everyone."

"What terrible luck!"

"Why did I have to be transported into the same plane as him?"

The fleeing High Gods cursed inwardly as they desperately attempted to escape.

At that moment, a powerful figure suddenly shot into the distance.

He tore open the surrounding space and attempted to force his way through the world barrier.

However, just as he was about to leave, his body abruptly stopped.

Bang!

It was as though he had crashed into an invisible wall hidden within the void.

The impact was so violent that cracks appeared across his divine body.

"Damn it!"

"Cedric placed a spatial restriction around the entire plane!"

After realizing what had happened, the High God’s expression became exceptionally ugly.

He spun around and roared,

"Cedric!"

"I’ve already withdrawn from the competition for the Plane Origin!"

"Are you not even going to allow us to leave?"

"Isn’t this going too far?"

An incomparably cold voice suddenly sounded behind him.

"You wish to escape?"

"In that case, you will first have to step over my corpse."

The High God turned around in terror.

Cedric had appeared behind him without warning.

His eyes glowed with a sinister green light, while his exposed white teeth formed a chilling grin.

The High God trembled violently.

He forced out a smile uglier than crying and raised his hands.

"Cedric, there is no grudge between us."

"Why don’t you spare—"

Before he could finish, Cedric sneered and raised a finger.

He casually pointed toward the High God from a distance.

In the next instant, a crimson ray erupted from his fingertip and pierced straight through the man’s skull.

Cedric did not even bother glancing at the corpse.

His figure vanished as he continued pursuing another High God-level participant.

When he appeared again, he had entered the center of a massive crowd containing tens of thousands of High Gods.

The instant they saw Cedric, their expressions changed dramatically.

They looked as though they had encountered the most terrifying natural predator in existence.

Cedric, however, strolled lazily through the crowd.

He resembled a beast king inspecting the weak prey trapped within his territory.

With every person he passed, the body of another High God shattered into pieces, spilling divine blood across the sky.

"Cedric!"

"Have you truly lost every trace of humanity?"

A High God suddenly roared at him.

"We are all participants from the Shadow Divine Court!"

"Are you really going to slaughter even your fellow faction members?"

Cedric’s face immediately filled with mockery.

"Oh?"

"So we belong to the same faction?"

"And what of it?"

"In my eyes, there has never been such a thing as a fellow disciple."

"Did the Shadow Divine Court not rise to its current position by stepping over the corpses of its own members?"

The High God from the Shadow Divine Court was both furious and horrified.

"You’re insane!"

"You’re a monster!"

A savage smile appeared on Cedric’s face.

"Hahaha!"

"So what if I am a monster?"

"As long as I can become stronger and resurrect my family, I would gladly become a demon."

"Why do you think I have slaughtered my way this far?"

"It was all for this moment."

"Even if I ultimately die without a grave, I will accept that fate without hesitation!"

As his words fell, Cedric’s figure began to tremble.

An enormous phantom of a Primordial Desolate Beast suddenly appeared behind him.

"Now..."

"Every last one of you can die."

The Primordial Desolate Beast phantom spread a pair of enormous black wings.

A terrifying devouring force erupted, enveloping the tens of thousands of High Gods before it.

When they saw the beast, their faces turned deathly pale.

They immediately transformed into streaks of light and attempted to flee.

"Damn it!"

"That’s Valak!"

"Valak specializes in devouring divine souls!"

"If we don’t escape immediately, every one of us will die here!"

At that moment, the phantom of Valak released a deafening roar.

Its enormous wings suddenly trembled.

Boom!

The tens of thousands of High Gods were instantly suppressed in place, completely incapable of moving.

Valak brought down one of its claws.

The enormous claw shadow expanded across hundreds of thousands of miles.

Under its crushing pressure, the High Gods felt the weight bearing down upon their bodies increase at a terrifying rate.

Even moving a single finger became almost impossible.

Valak then opened its enormous mouth.

It resembled a bottomless black hole.

A horrifying devouring force erupted.

The bodies of the trapped High Gods were dragged uncontrollably toward its bloodstained maw.

Before they could even react, the phantom swallowed every one of them whole.

In an instant, tens of thousands of High God-level powerhouses were completely devoured.

Not a single person survived.

Every last one of them had been slaughtered by Cedric.