Chen Tianyi regretted everything deeply. Once again, he experienced the deception and cruelty of the cultivation world. He had traveled thousands of miles to the Sunset Cloud Sect with generous gifts to meet his betrothal partner and finalize the marriage alliance.

In the end, the Sunset Cloud Sect Master told him that the woman standing beside the so-called peerless beauty—the one who looked like a flower. But Chen Tianyi never imagined that it was a Rafflesia.

Chen Tianyi wanted to leave immediately. Unfortunately, under the watchful eyes of the entire Sunset Cloud Sect, he had no choice but to accept the marriage. He had no other option. If he dared to break the engagement, he might not leave the Sunset Cloud Sect alive today.

The sect had a Spirit Soul realm expert guarding it, an entire major realm above the Green Mist Sect. Breaking the marriage would be a direct slap to their face. Even if the sect master killed him, the Green Mist Sect would have nothing to say.

Chen Tianyi could only accept the marriage contract with tears in his eyes. However, the situation soon took a turn. A beast tide erupted in the mountain range near the Sunset Cloud Sect. A demon beast had broken through to the Demon King realm and began slaughtering the surrounding forces to consolidate its cultivation. The Sunset Cloud Sect was caught in the chaos as hordes of demon beasts followed the Demon King in a bloody feast.

The entire sect rose to resist the invasion. Blood flowed like rivers. Countless mortals died, and even many of the sect's cultivators perished in waves.

Chen Tianyi witnessed the brutal scene. He watched the elder who had arranged this disastrous marriage get swallowed whole by a powerful demon beast during battle.

The Sunset Cloud Sect Master fought desperately to protect his disciples, battling two Spirit Soul realm demon beasts at once. He severely wounded both before dying from exhaustion. His final wish was that his daughter could live safely and happily.

Chen Tianyi tearfully agreed. As the Sunset Cloud Sect teetered on the brink of destruction, a streak of black light flashed like a comet and slaughtered the two heavily injured Spirit Soul realm demon beasts.

When Chen Tianyi clearly saw the figure, his entire body trembled. The black figure had changed greatly, but Chen Tianyi still recognized it. It was the Brother Crow he had not seen for ten full years.

The crow was now towering and majestic. Its body was covered in black feathers that resembled a luxurious robe, engraved with mysterious, unknown runes.

That crow… had stepped into the third-grade demon beast realm and undergone a mutation!

After feasting to his heart's content, Su Chen glanced toward the crowd and spotted Chen Tianyi among them. He felt a trace of puzzlement.

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"Does this foolish kid have some kind of great destiny?"

After successfully completing his nirvana in the Green Mist Mountain Range, Su Chen had slaughtered the two Spirit Sea realm demon beasts there to replenish his energy. Once he realized he had wiped out nearly all the higher-level demon beasts in the area, he decided to fly toward an even more dangerous mountain range. That journey had brought him near the Sunset Cloud Mountain Range.

He discovered that a Profound Connection realm Demon King had emerged in the Sunset Cloud Mountain Range, triggering a massive beast tide that swept toward human cities.

He was a bird.

Birds die for food.

Su Chen chose to wait for an opportunity, hoping to scavenge some benefits that could help trigger his second nirvana. His patience paid off. He found two heavily injured fifth-grade demon beasts. The pair never noticed him—or rather, they disdained to notice him. They did not believe a mere third-grade demon could pose any threat.

Unfortunately for them, they gave Su Chen the perfect chance. Without hesitation, he killed both fifth-grade demon beasts. With their demon cores, he would soon advance and become a fourth-grade demon beast.

Just as Su Chen was about to find a quiet place to digest his spoils of victory, his mind suddenly shook violently. An extreme wave of grief and fear washed over him.

It lasted only an instant. None of the other people present even sensed that fleeting moment.

Su Chen shot into the sky without a word, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

"A Great Emperor has fallen…"

He could not be mistaken. He had experienced this feeling before—the moment a lord of the universe perished, when all living beings across the myriad races shared in the grief.

"But this is supposed to be a flourishing cultivation era," Su Chen muttered.

According to his calculations, only two or three thousand years had passed since his death in his previous life. While he did not know who would ultimately become the new Great Emperor of this era, he had high expectations for several forbidden prodigies.

A Great Emperor stood unrivaled beneath the heavens. In his old age, perhaps a Supreme might attempt an assassination, but only two or three thousand years into the era? Su Chen found it hard to believe any Supreme would be willing to kill a Great Emperor in his prime.

Yet the feeling was unmistakable.

"This world… is growing restless."

Su Chen felt fortunate that he was in a remote region. Otherwise, he might have become nothing more than food for a Supreme, dying without even knowing how.

On the ground, the disciples of the Sunset Cloud Sect remained immersed in sorrow. They did not know that a Great Emperor had just fallen. The world would soon enter a long period of darkness.

However, the fall of a Great Emperor was not something he could concern himself with right now. What he needed was vast amounts of energy for his next nirvana.

Su Chen found a hidden location and began refining the demon cores he had just devoured. Even if a Supreme were to slap down with a single palm, all living beings in this star region would be annihilated with no chance of survival—including him.

In this vast universe, cultivation was supreme. The only thing he could do was raise his own strength as much as possible and avoid doing the impossible.

Su Chen's mindset remained open and pragmatic. He entered seclusion once more. Two years passed.

Perhaps because this star region was too remote—even the Supremes could not be bothered to visit—Su Chen successfully completed another nirvana. His cultivation advanced from the sixth layer of Spirit Vein straight into the Spirit Sea realm.

After this nirvana, his talent had improved significantly. While it still could not compare to divine beasts or imperial demon bloodlines, it was now on par with third- or fourth-grade demon bloodlines. Combined with his continuously perfected Nirvana Scripture—which was not far inferior to an Emperor Scripture—his future potential had grown immensely.

After breaking into the Spirit Sea realm, Su Chen resumed his hunt for stronger prey. With his current strength, he could not effortlessly kill Spirit Soul realm experts, but he could at least contend with them.

The Sunset Cloud Mountain Range would know no peace. In the previous battle, the Demon King of the range had been severely wounded, and countless powerful demon beasts had died. The remaining demons all became Su Chen's nourishment.