167: Supreme of the Penalty Area

The starry sky fell into a strange state of stagnation.

The tribulation clouds dispersed, and sunlight shone down once more, illuminating the shattered entrance to the Primordial Beginning Ancient Abyss, and the Star Domain that had been ravaged beyond recognition by the Lightning Tribulation.

Lin Huan stood there, covered in blood. Although the aura of the Second Heaven of Saint King Realm was formidable, it also carried the weakness of someone who had undergone a fierce battle.

He gasped for breath, feeling the Primal Origin within his body, which was almost completely depleted yet slowly recovering, as he looked up at the figure in front of him.

Lin Dao stood there, his robes lightly fluttering in the residual energy waves.

He had only taken one step, pointed one finger, and spoken one sentence.

Then, the Light of Heavenly Dao Extermination, which was powerful enough to wipe out the Primal Origin Body, dissipated.

The cold, merciless Giant Eye, representing the will of the Heavenly Dao, also retreated.

It retreated cleanly and decisively, without hesitation or confrontation, as if it had been directly commanded to leave by some higher-level existence.

In the distant starry sky, the more than twenty Quasi-Emperors, including the five Quasi-Emperors of the Ninth Heaven, all froze in place.

The sneer on the face of the Archaic Thunder Ape Old Ancestor froze, his muscles stiff.

He saw clearly: that wasn't a defeat, it was a rebuke!

It was a command!

The Heavenly Dao... obeyed Lin Dao's command?

This thought caused the lightning arcs covering his body to flicker erratically.

The ethereal figure of the Void Realm Ancient Beast Clan Chief rippled slightly, revealing intense inner turmoil.

Even a Great Emperor must operate under the rules of the Heavenly Dao; they can resist at most, but never command it.

Lin Dao accomplished this.

The Vine Staff in the hand of the elder from the Life Divine Vine clan trembled slightly.

He had lived long enough to have seen more than one Great Emperor, but he had never witnessed a sight like this.

This had already exceeded the scope of his understanding of "power."

The existence in the shadows felt their Killing Intent extinguished as if by ice water, leaving behind only bone-chilling coldness.

They hailed from the Life Forbidden Zone, and their relationship with the Heavenly Dao was even more complex and strange. Precisely because of this, they understood the meaning of Lin Dao's action even more clearly.

The Lone Walker from the Chaos Frontier, the shadow beneath his hood violently shook, revealing an emotional fluctuation for the first time.

No one spoke.

In the starry sky, there was only the sizzling sound of residual energy and Lin Huan's heavy breathing.

Fear, like invisible vines, instantly wrapped around the hearts of every observing Quasi-Emperor.

It was not fear of power, but fear of the unknown, fear of having their cognition overturned.

Lin Dao's strength could no longer be measured by Realm.

Just then, Lin Dao slightly turned his head and calmly swept his gaze across the distant starry sky.

His sight did not linger on any single Quasi-Emperor, yet every Quasi-Emperor he "saw" felt their Divine Soul tighten, as if pricked by an invisible needle.

"Had enough watching?"

Lin Dao's voice was not loud, but it clearly entered the ears of every Quasi-Emperor.

"Then scram."

There was no threat, no Killing Intent, it was like shooing away a swarm of annoying flies.

But these three calm words made all the Quasi-Emperors feel as if they had received a great pardon, yet also felt a chilling sense of humiliation.

The Archaic Thunder Ape Old Ancestor was the first to turn around, tearing space and fleeing without looking back, not daring to leave even a single threat.

The Void Realm Ancient Beast Clan Chief took a deep look at the figures of Lin Dao and Lin Huan, and his form slowly faded, merging into the Void Realm and vanishing.

The Life Divine Vine elder sighed, nodded slightly toward Lin Dao, and transformed into a green light, departing into the distance.

The existences in the shadows silently dispersed, as if they had never appeared.

The Lone Walker from the Chaos Frontier was the last to leave. He gazed deeply at the Primordial Beginning Ancient Abyss, seemingly intending to thoroughly imprint everything he had witnessed today, before finally stepping into the distorted spatial ripples.

In the blink of an eye, the starry sky was cleared.

Only then did Lin Dao turn around and look at Lin Huan.

"How do you feel?"

Lin Huan took a deep breath, suppressing the surging Qi and blood within his body and the exhaustion of his Divine Soul, trying hard to stand straight: "Old Ancestor, I can still hold on. It's just... the Origin consumption was too great."

He could feel that although his Realm had achieved a Breakthrough, his Primal Origin had been almost completely drained by the previous eight layers of Lightning Tribulation, and the final Light of Heavenly Dao Extermination had nearly erased him fundamentally.

Now his body felt empty and desperately needed recovery.

"Your Foundation is solid."

Lin Dao nodded, seemingly satisfied with Lin Huan's condition.

"This place is not suitable for staying long. Let's return first."

He swept his sleeve, and a gentle stream of Chaos Qi wrapped around Lin Huan, preparing to take him away.

However, just as their figures were about to blur—

Buzz! Buzz! Buzz!

Three completely different auras, yet all filled with antiquity, decay, and undisguised Killing Intent, suddenly descended upon this newly calmed starry sky, like Vicious Beasts that had slept for hundreds of millions of years awakening!

The appearance of these three auras did not involve tearing space; rather, it was as if they had always been there, only manifesting now.

They were deeper and more terrifying than any previous Quasi-Emperor Ninth Heaven, carrying a sense of temporal sedimentation that was completely incompatible with the current era.

Three blurry figures appeared in three different directions, forming a subtle triangle formation, sealing off the Star Domain.

The figure on the left was shrouded in thick, deathly gray mist, allowing only a pair of pupils burning with Eerie Green Soul Fire to be vaguely seen. The space surrounding it became dim, and life force rapidly drained away.

The figure on the right was a constantly twisting and shifting dark shadow, without a fixed form, emitting chaotic and maniacal thoughts; the surrounding space twisted and groaned in response.

The last figure, located directly ahead, was a thin old man dressed in ragged sackcloth. His face was covered in bizarre black runes, and he held a White Bone Staff, the top of which was inlaid with a Black Heart, still faintly beating, whose Origin was unknown.

The moment these three figures appeared, the atmosphere that had just relaxed instantly became a hundred times more oppressive than before the Lightning Tribulation descended!

Lin Huan felt his breath catch; the Qi and blood that had just calmed down surged again, and a needle-like stinging sensation came from his Divine Soul.

The pressure exerted by these three existences was even stronger than the previous Eighth Layer Myriad Dao Millstone Tribulation!

What they radiated was truly "Emperor"-level prestige. Although most of it seemed to be restricted or sealed by something, the essence was unmistakable!

These were three... Supreme Beings of the Forbidden Zoness who had performed a Self-Severing Stroke!

Existences who had cut down their own Emperor Dao Foundation to prolong their lives, lurking in the Life Forbidden Zone and surviving by devouring the life force of myriad beings!

They had actually descended in their true forms!

Although they might not be in their complete state, they carried partial Emperor Dao Laws and Supreme Will!

"Hehehe... Primal Origin Body... Saint King Realm... Good, very good!" The existence in the deathly gray mist let out a grating laugh, its Eerie Green Soul Fire locking onto Lin Huan.

"Devouring your Origin may compensate for some of our Dao Injuries and extend our Emperor Lifespan by another generation!"

The twisting dark shadow let out a chaotic roar: "Origin... belongs to me... Chaos... needs the Source of Order..."

The ragged old man holding the White Bone Staff remained silent, but when his cloudy eyes looked at Lin Huan, they held only naked greed and hunger, as if he were looking at a Supreme Delicacy.

Their target was crystal clear: Lin Huan, who had just passed the Lightning Tribulation, was in a weakened state, and possessed a Heaven-Defying Physique!

With the Emperors Road about to open, the Primal Origin Body was an irresistible temptation for these survivors seeking to contend!

Lin Dao stopped walking, and the Chaos Qi wrapping Lin Huan dissipated.

He slowly turned around, facing the three existences radiating Supreme aura, still expressionless.

"It seems some people still don't understand just by being told."

His gaze swept over the three Supreme Beings of the Forbidden Zoness in turn, finally resting on the ragged old man holding the White Bone Staff.

"I'll start with you."