Beastmaster of the Ages

The thick doors of the entrance of the Nineghoul Skypalace were slammed open by a man in a black and crimson robe as he entered. He had a third eye in the middle of his forehead. Almost instantly, he appeared next to Long Youyue. She took a step back behind him, showing obvious deference.

"Dugu Jin," Zi Xiao said with a smirk. "To think that a tribulation elder of the Monorigin Sect would become the new king of Quadform. Does the rest of the Quadform Sea Sect agree?"

"I'm still the sect master, but now, we are husband and wife," Long Youyue said. Even so, it was obvious that the master of Quadform Divine Realm was none other than Dugu Jin himself. It didn't really matter what status or title he held.

"Oh, then I have to congratulate you," Zi Xiao said with a furrowed brow. He took a few more glances at Dugu Jin and said, "So, you think you deserve the entire territory of Octagram just because you have Dugu Jin on your side?"

Apart from Archaion, the other three divine realms were what Nonahall was gunning for. They were only willing to give away a part of Heptastar, so there was no way they'd let Quadform take so much territory away from them.

"Ghoul King Zi Xiao, I'm basing my claims on this." Without a sound, a deep-red trident appeared in Dugu Jin's hand and filled the entire building with a killing aura.

"Godbane? Interesting," said the old man as he looked at the weapon with some surprise.

"Ghoul King Di Zang, do you want to have a taste of its power?" Dugu Jin asked with a smile, looking at the first ghoul king. The entire Flameyellow Continent had been living in the shadow of Di Zang and Po Suo for centuries. Throughout their reign, the only person who could rival them in power and pose a threat to them was the Hexapath Swordfiend, yet Dugu Jin had dared to utter such words.

"A divine artifact is no doubt impressive, but its strength depends on who's wielding it," Zi Xiao said calmly.

Dugu Jin didn't respond and merely stared at Di Zang rudely with his third eye.

"Come," Di Zang said.

"Apologies in advance for my embarrassing display," Dugu Jin said, before the trident in his hand shook, instantly unleashing a blast of bloodshade dread ki toward the ghoul king. The air itself seemed to tear apart with a loud hiss.

Di Zang stretched his hand out without wasting any time, seemingly sucking the ki into a black vortex in his hand. The whole place quieted down all of a sudden, as if the tension in the area had been relieved. But the next instant, Di Zang's chair seemed to crack and be reduced into powder, forcing him to stand up. He squinted as he looked at Dugu Jin and smiled. "Not bad. Times of crisis polish talent. It seems that you made some huge gains in Kilostar Domain, skipping two levels and reaching the final threshold before godhood. Both you and Feng Qingyu have a chance of ascending."

"Ghoul King Di Zang, you flatter me. The two of you are the ones who are closest to ascension," Dugu Jin said.

"You're mistaken. The two of us carry an enormous burden of sin. The heavens wouldn't take kindly to our ascension. We're only barely holding on," Di Zang said with a plastic smile. Apart from him, the other ghoul kings and sect masters, Feng Qingyu included, completely changed how they looked at Dugu Jin.

"The Dugu Jin from before was a peak elite at best, yet now you're among the best of the best and are inferior only to actual gods. It seems that the Nine Divine Realms have arrived at another golden age. Never has there been so many twelfth-level death phase samsarans living in the same era before," said Po Suo. She turned to Feng Qingyu with a smile. "Sect Master Feng, since you already have the necessary insights to reach this level, there's no longer a need for you to suppress your cultivation. Break through and join us in reveling in the might of the twelfth-level death phase!"

"I'm not as daring as the three of you. Maybe... we'll see in the future." Unlike the others, Feng Qingyu could break through to the final level and phase at any moment. However, entering it was the same as dying if one couldn't ascend. Even the two ancient ghoul kings were struggling and using inhumane methods to extend their lifespan. Dugu Jin, on the other hand, used to be at the eleventh-level death phase, only to jump straight to the next death phase and become far stronger than before.

"What we really need is power we can rely on. Many elders who are stuck at the life phase enter the death phase the first moment they can, only to end up dying for real. It's better to hold back sometimes." No matter what they said, Feng Qingyu was determined to hold on. It simply wasn't the time for him to enter the death phase.

Either way, Dugu Jin's power had truly changed their attitudes toward Quadform. Having reached the last death phase, his combat power, coupled with Godbane, possibly made him stronger than even Feng Qingyu. Even though he had only grown two levels, it was an ungodly increase in power that propelled him straight to the ceiling of the world.

"Octagram's territory is relatively small. I wonder if Quadform qualifies to take it over now," Dugu Jin said, going straight to the point.

The ghoul kings turned to each other, seeming rather hesitant. After a lengthy private discussion, Di Zang said, "As long as Brother Dugu contributes sufficiently with Quadform, I believe that Sect Masters Feng, Li, and Changsun wouldn't mind either."

In other words, they had agreed. Octagram had nothing to do with Feng Qingyu, so he naturally wouldn't mind. It sounded like Nonahall was making a huge concession to Dugu Jin on account of his power.

"Thank you, everyone. Additionally, I have a very small request," Dugu Jin said. The ghoul kings definitely didn't take kindly to it. Compromising on Octagram was already a huge display of generosity on their part.

"Let's hear it," Di Zang said.

"The Kilostar Photondragon won't be of any use to either of you. I believe you also aren't aware that I do have some... let's say, blood relations... with the Xuanyuan house. That's why, after we breach Archaion, would you mind leaving that artifact with me?"

The whole building fell silent and a few of the ghoul kings' faces began to sour. Even if they couldn't use the Kilostar Photondragon themselves, they wouldn't easily hand it over.

"We will go by our initial agreement. Whoever obtains it gets to keep it," Di Zang said.

"It would be ideal if we could agree to hand it to me even if that was the case," Dugu Jin said.

"That won't do. It wouldn't be fair to the other three sect masters," Di Zang said, refusing.

"The two of you, can we speak in private?" Dugu Jin asked.

"Come." Di Zang and Po Suo entered the inner part of the building, followed by Dugu Jin.

The three strongest fighters on the continent faced each other in the secret room.

"Blooddragon Sealing and Skysource Hellshaker," Dugu Jin said with a smile.

"You seem to know quite a lot," Di Zang calmly said.

"It's been two hundred thousand years. As the Archaic House of Xuanyuan was almost wiped out once, their actual history has been almost entirely lost. That's why even though the 'Ninefold Nether' has appeared, they have no idea what's going on. Yet even though my Blooddragon Clan is few in number, we retain the complete history," Dugu Jin said.

"So you are aware of what we're trying to do?" Po Suo coldly asked.

"Of course. The two of you are the remnants of the specter. With the dissolution of the Blooddragon Sealing Formation, all that remains is for the Skysource Hellshaker Formation to be destroyed. After that, your specter race will be able to once more return to the human realm," Dugu Jin said fearlessly.

"I see that you know even more than the ghoul kings," Po Suo said.

"Dugu Jin, the Blooddragon Clan used to be the right hand of Great Emperor Xuanyuan, yet your ancestor betrayed him at a crucial moment and brought all his plans to ruin. In a fit of rage, he massacred most of you and used your dragon souls to make the Blooddragon Sealing Formation, causing your forebears to suffer for an eternity without the release of death. Is that right so far?" Di Zang asked.

"Yes, but that's all far in the past. It's not as simple as a 'betrayal' as you have put it. History is written by the victors, after all. You wouldn't understand."

"Whether I understand matters not. All I want to know is where you'll stand, knowing our intentions," Di Zang said.

"If I tell Feng Qingyu and Li Caiwei about your plans, they'll immediately break off with you. The whole continent will become your enemy. Even though Nonahall is powerful, not even you would want that, right?"

"That's right. So?"

"Actually, I don't wish to stand against you," Dugu Jin said, smiling as his third eye glowed red.

"Why?"

"The hundred thousand ancestors of mine have two hundred thousand years' worth of pent-up hatred, which all flooded into my soul. Ever since leaving the Kilostar Domain, I've been tortured by it almost every day. Do you know what they wish for me to do?" Dugu Jin's voice sounded deranged.

"Pray tell."

"They want revenge. They want the fiends to return to the human realm and for all the descendants of the tyrant to be exterminated. They never wanted the human race to win. All they want is for everything the tyrant built up to come crumbling down. The weak human race's only rightful place is to be lowly cattle!"

"But you're also of the human race," Po Suo said.

"I heard that you specters forcefully integrated the human bloodline to be able to survive here. You even used blood pacts to bind lifebound beasts to put up a convincing act. As long as the specter bloodline returns, you'll be able to become specters once more. If I contribute to your cause, I wish to be made a specter as well."

"You seem to know a lot," Po Suo said, genuinely surprised.

Di Zang and Po Suo exchanged glances. "Then, do you still want the Kilostar Photondragon?"

"No. In fact, I don't even want Octagram. What I really want is to become a specter," Dugu Jin said with a face full of smiles, a hundred thousand blood dragons swirling in his third eye.