The eerie altar, the ambush from the void

Having just withstood the Hedao Stage experts in the Imperial Dynasty capital and forcefully broken into restricted areas, although he had suffered some backlash, after the System devoured a portion of the Imperial Dragon Qi and that strange curse, his Power of Annihilation had become even more refined, and his control over the Origin of Annihilation had become increasingly adept.

Minor injuries were rapidly healing under the operation of the System.

According to intelligence obtained from Qianyuan Pavilion, this altar was located deep within an ancient mountain range at the border of the Central Plains and the Southern Wilderness—the "Dragon Burial Mountain Range."

Rumored to be the place where an ancient true Dragon fell, the Dragon Qi and baleful energy were dense, and it was sparsely populated, making it the perfect location for evil rituals.

The closer one got to the Dragon Burial Mountain Range, the more chaotic the Spiritual Qi in the air became, carrying an unsettling restlessness.

Nightmare could vaguely perceive that a bloody stench and Void Realm fluctuations, similar to but even denser than those in the Imperial Dynasty's Qianyuan Pavilion, permeated the depths of the mountain range.

Nightmare restrained all his aura, his Power of Annihilation like the finest gauze, enveloping his body, perfectly blending into the environment as he silently infiltrated the mountain range.

Deep in the mountains, the terrain was rugged with towering ancient trees, yet it was eerily silent; even the chirping of birds and insects had vanished.

Nightmare captured the auras of many hidden sentries and patrols; all wore the attire of the Imperial Dynasty's Secret Guards.

The lowest cultivation level among them was Golden Core, and the leaders were even Nascent Soul Cultivators, indicating extremely strict security.

Nightmare was like an invisible ghost, easily discerning all open guards and hidden sentries, his figure flickering as he avoided various Formation traps, continuously pushing deeper.

Finally, he stopped before the entrance of a canyon hidden by a massive cliff wall.

At the canyon entrance, powerful illusion Formations and defensive Formations were set up; ordinary Cultivators would be unable to discover them, and even if they did, it would be difficult to break in.

But the System clearly perceived that inside the canyon, that bloody, evil, and chaotic Void Realm fluctuation had reached its Peak!

This was it!

Nightmare stirred, carefully analyzing the structure and nodes of the entrance Formation.

This Formation was slightly weaker than the one in the Dragon Subduing Hall, but it was more sinister, fusing some kind of evil Void Realm power; any carelessness while breaking it would trigger violent backlash and alarms.

He held his breath, concentrating. The Power of Annihilation condensed at his fingertips, transforming into countless runes as fine as dust.

Like spring rain, they silently seeped into the Formation's light screen, precisely eroding and disintegrating the key energy nodes and sensory runes.

The process was slow and meticulous, the System's computing power running to its limit.

About half an incense stick later, the Formation's light screen trembled slightly, rippling like water, and quietly cracked open a gap.

The System interfered with the alarm System without alerting the guards inside.

Nightmare flashed, drifting into the canyon like light smoke.

The scene inside the canyon, even for the experienced Nightmare, caused him to slightly tremble!

In the center of the canyon, a massive altar, a hundred zhang high and constructed entirely of some pitch-black metal and pallid bones, stood towering!

The altar was pyramid-shaped with nine levels, each level carved with countless twisted, blasphemous, evil runes that made one dizzy just looking at them!

These runes continuously absorbed the pale red blood energy and grey-black Void Realm energy converging from around the canyon, flowing slowly and emitting a cold, dead, yet crazily chaotic and sinister aura!

Around the altar, dozens of huge Blood Pools were dug, soaking countless withered and twisted corpses—men, women, old, and young—all of whom were Cultivators possessing special Bloodlines or Souls!

Their life essence and Souls were being ruthlessly extracted by the altar, becoming the nutrients maintaining its operation!

A sickeningly dense bloody stench permeated the entire canyon!

Furthermore, hundreds of Imperial Dynasty Secret Guards and Cultivators in black robes with cold auras were busy.

They dragged unconscious "sacrifices," bound by special chains, to the foot of the altar.

After some evil prayers were conducted by several black-robed priests presiding over the ritual, they were cruelly thrown into the Blood Pools or directly executed in specific rune grooves on the altar!

Screams, prayers, and the buzzing of evil energy intertwined, making this place like a living hell!

The System clearly perceived that at the very top of the altar, the Void Realm was slightly twisting, and an extremely unstable black vortex, exuding a heart-palpitating aura, was slowly forming and expanding!

Behind that vortex, it seemed to connect to a terrifying will filled with endless malice and greed!

The Imperial Dynasty's plan had actually reached this stage!

They were forcibly opening a stable passage!

"Speed it up! The Master is about to descend! We need more sacrifices!" A black-robed priest who seemed to be the leader shrieked, urging them.

His aura had actually reached the Late-Stage Transformation Spirit!

Must not let them succeed!

Cold light surged in Nightmare's eyes, killing intent boiling!

He no longer hid. The System was triggered, and the Annihilation Domain instantly expanded, enveloping the entire canyon!

"Who is it?!"

"Enemy attack!"

The arrival of the Domain instantly alarmed all guards and priests!

The Late-Stage Transformation Spirit black-robed priest reacted the fastest, shouting sharply and summoning a black banner engraved with a ferocious ghost head.

As he waved it, countless aggrieved Souls shrieked and pounced toward Nightmare!

Other guards also unleashed Magic Treasures and Spells, bombarding him!

However, all of this was futile before the Annihilation Domain!

All incoming aggrieved Souls, Magic Treasures, and Spells withered, decayed, and annihilated the moment they entered the Domain's range!

Even the black-robed priest's banner dimmed, wailing incessantly!

"A Law Domain?! A Void Refining expert?!" The black-robed priest's face changed drastically, revealing horror.

"Form the Ten Thousand Soul Blood Evil Formation! Quick!"

He roared, and together with several other Nascent Soul Stage priests, simultaneously spat out essence blood, sprinkling it onto several runes at the altar's base.

Hum—!

The entire altar shook violently.

The evil runes on the surface suddenly lit up, converging into a massive, ferocious ghost face made of blood light and evil energy, emitting a silent shriek that struck directly at the Divine Soul toward Nightmare!

At the same time, the Blood Pools below boiled, and countless painfully twisted blood-colored Soul shadows shot into the sky, merging into the ghost face, causing its power to surge!

This Blood Evil attack, which gathered the power of the altar and countless aggrieved Souls, had a power approaching the Peak of the Mid-stage Void Refining!

The ghost face opened its huge mouth, carrying monstrous resentment and evil energy, fiercely biting toward Nightmare!

Nightmare's expression remained unchanged. He simply raised his hand, the System and the power of the nirvana dao seed highly condensed.

"Annihilation · Judgment."

A grey-black Annihilation Divine Thunder, seemingly composed of countless subtle scenes of the Universe's birth and destruction, appeared out of thin air and struck the blood-colored ghost face!

There was no earth-shattering explosion, only a supreme "purification" and "termination"!

Wherever the Annihilation Divine Thunder passed, the ferocious ghost face, as if encountering its nemesis, emitted an incomparably miserable shriek.

Its massive body rapidly collapsed and dissipated, and the countless aggrieved Souls attached to it seemed to be liberated, their painful expressions disappearing as they turned into specks of white light and vanished into heaven and earth.

The remaining force of the Divine Thunder, undiminished, fiercely struck the main body of the altar!

Crackle—!

The evil energy light shield on the altar's surface shattered instantly, and the sturdy altar body was blasted with a deep scorched mark; countless runes dimmed and shattered!

The entire altar shook violently, and the Void Realm vortex at the top also became extremely unstable, flickering on and off!

"No!!" The black-robed priest's eyes split, and he spat out blood, suffering severe backlash.

Nightmare did not stop. The System locked onto several most critical energy nodes and supporting structures of the altar, and Annihilation Finger Force pointed out like a rainstorm!

Pfft pfft pfft pfft!

Explosions occurred at multiple locations on the altar's base, and the structure began to collapse!

Those busy guards and low-level priests were like wheat being cut down, falling in droves under the Annihilation Finger Force, turning into fly ash!

"Stop him! Must not let him destroy the altar!" The black-robed priest looked crazed, burning his Origin, urging the black banner again, and rushing over regardless of everything!

Nightmare's eyes were cold. He simply pointed with one finger.

"Extinguish."

A pitch-black light shone at his fingertip.

The rushing black-robed priest's body stiffened suddenly, the crazy expression on his face frozen.

Then, starting from his fingertip, his whole body was like a weathered sand sculpture, rapidly spreading until he finally turned into nothingness, and even the black banner was annihilated along with him.

Late-Stage Transformation Spirit, killed in seconds!

The remaining guards completely collapsed, shouted, and fled in all directions.

Nightmare couldn't be bothered to chase these small fries. The System operated at full power, and more Annihilation Finger Force pointed precisely at the altar's vital points!

Rumble!

The massive altar could no longer support itself and began to collapse on a large scale!

Countless evil runes shattered, energy spiraled out of control, triggering chain explosions!

The Void Realm vortex at the top let out an unwilling hiss, twisted violently, then contracted sharply, and finally completely annihilated and disappeared!

Just at the moment the altar was completely destroyed, the System suddenly captured that at the very center of the annihilated vortex, there was an extremely tiny, yet incomparably condensed, pitch-black light, seemingly trying to take advantage of the chaos to escape into the Void Realm!

The aura emitted by that thing was homogeneous with all the Origins of Annihilation he had encountered before, but more cunning and agile!

The core of the altar! Or rather, a strand of Origin imprint projected by some existence through the altar!

"Trying to run?"

Nightmare's System instantly locked onto that black light, and the Annihilation Domain contracted violently, trapping it tightly like a cage!

The black light struggled and bumped, but it could not break through the Domain's blockade at all.

Instead, it was constantly worn down by the Domain's Power of Annihilation, emitting sharp and anxious spiritual fluctuations.

Nightmare stretched out his palm, and the System's power transformed into an invisible large hand, forcibly grabbing that black light in front of him.

The black light struggled and jumped in his palm, attempting to erode his palm, but it was easily suppressed by the System.

The System transmitted information: this strand of Origin imprint contained deeper mysteries about "Nothingness" and "Devouring."

If it could be refined, the benefits would be enormous, but it was also extremely dangerous; the original owner's vicious backhand must be hidden within it.

Nightmare's eyes flickered. After a moment of contemplation, he did not refine it immediately but used the System to condense several powerful Annihilation runes, sealing it layer by layer and storing it in a special jade box, placing heavy Restrictions upon it.

This item might have great use in the future.

After doing all this, the entire canyon had turned into ruins; the Blood Pools were dried up, no corpses remained, and only broken walls and a lingering scorched smell proved the tragedy that had just occurred.

The System scanned and confirmed that there were no survivors or valuable things left, and he did not leave any traces related to himself.

Nightmare did not stay. The System triggered the Law of Space, his figure slowly fading, preparing to leave.

However, just at the moment he was about to escape into the Void Realm—

A sudden change occurred!

The Void Realm above cracked open a huge gap without warning!

A massive giant claw, covered in dark golden Dragon scales and exuding monstrous Dragon might and Imperial Law, suddenly protruded from the rift, carrying terrifying power capable of suppressing the ages and crushing stars, fiercely grabbing toward Nightmare!

Its might far exceeded that of the Late Stage Hedao old monster in the Imperial capital earlier!

At the same time, from another direction, a twisted grey spear, seemingly composed of countless shadows, silently pierced toward Nightmare's back heart.

The vicious curse power it contained caused the System to sound a strong warning!

There was a third attack, coming from underground!

Countless pallid giant hands made of bones broke through the ground, grabbing toward Nightmare's feet, emitting a chilling Death Qi that froze the Divine Soul!

Three Hedao Stage experts!

And two of them had auras that were strange and unpredictable, definitely not ordinary human Cultivators!

They had been lying in ambush here, waiting for the moment Nightmare destroyed the altar and his mind was slightly relaxed!

A trap of certain death!

The Imperial Dynasty's revenge came so quickly and so ruthlessly!

Nightmare's pupils contracted suddenly!

The System warned frantically!

A matter of life and death!