A vast, starry sea appeared as eight stars spun around Long Chen, causing the heavens and earth to tremble with the resonance of countless Daos, bathing the world with starlight.

The aura of Long Chen’s Eight Star Battle Armor had transformed, alive with a spirit that hadn’t been there before. While the runes on the eight stars remained dim, Long Chen could sense astral energy slowly flowing toward him from an incredibly far distance.

There was a barrier separating him from this astral energy, but for the first time, he felt its presence. This connection with the Heavenly Daos didn’t grant him more strength, but knowing they were there filled him with renewed confidence.

The moment the Starry Sky Battle Robe materialized around him, his long hair billowed in the wind, his eyes sparkled with electricity, and his fighting spirit blazed. After the battles he’d fought in the primal chaos era, Long Chen was unafraid of anything, feeling his confidence restored.

“I actually misjudged. You’re a nine star heir,” the blond man said, his pupils contracting as he saw the Eight Star Battle Armor. “I didn’t expect it. Lord Brahma and Fallen Daynight really are a pair of trash. How could they haven’t finished hunting down the dregs of the nine star line? Well, that suits me just fine. My plans have changed. Your body is useful to me. Perhaps I can use it to reconstruct the spatial channel.”

There was a new excitement in the blond man’s voice. He seemed to have found a way to make up for his losses this time.

“You really are a fool. After gathering primal chaos qi for so many years, it still wasn’t enough to make up for your lack of brains. When you kneel and beg for mercy, I wonder if you’ll still be this arrogant,” Long Chen taunted, lifting his hand.

The next moment, Evilmoon appeared in Long Chen’s hand. Though still in slumber, it was now ready to fight as the primal chaos laws cocooning its body were gone.

Evilmoon was still digesting the laws it had absorbed during this time, and the Earth Cauldron was in a similar state, neither of them able to help him in this fight. However, Long Chen didn't need their aid—he only needed a weapon sturdy enough to withstand the full force of his astral energy.

He rested Evilmoon on his shoulder, feeling its familiar, overwhelming weight. That sensation alone was enough to send power surging through him, his body ready to burst if he didn’t unleash an attack.

“That saber…” The blond man’s pupils shrank to pinpoints. The sinister aura radiating from Evilmoon struck something deep within him, causing a quiver of fear to flicker across his face.

“You arrogant brat!” he roared. “Even if you are a Nine Star heir, so what?! At your level, you’re unqualified to challenge this Emperor!”

Without warning, the altar trembled, and a golden sword manifested in the sky. It descended swiftly, radiating an oppressive Emperor’s aura that weighed heavily on the land.

This attack not only contained terrifying pressure but was also backed by the will of a Devil Emperor. For most experts, this force would have shattered their will in an instant, extinguishing their souls.

Long Chen smirked. “You keep calling yourself Emperor. Don’t you realize you’re nothing but a corpse? Your core runes are dead, and you dare to act arrogant? Get on the ground and call me daddy!”

With a fierce swing, Long Chen swung Evilmoon down.

BOOM!

The heavens shook as an explosive force erupted. Devil might clashed with starlight, scattering across the sky. The golden sword shattered into fragments beneath the power of Long Chen’s attack.

The blond man seemed to have expected this and merely sneered. As he formed a series of one-handed seals, the altar started to flicker, and thousands of golden swords condensed in the sky, pointing at Long Chen.

“It’s been countless years since I fought. Even if I haven’t come back to life, I’m still beyond what an ant like you can challenge. I have to be careful not to kill you accidentally,” the blond man sneered.

When his fingertips quivered slightly, thousands of golden swords shot toward Long Chen with a piercing screech.

“Don’t bother with the theatrics” Long Chen taunted, his own sneer matching the blond man’s. “Boss Long San doesn’t fall for cheap tricks. Kowtow, call me daddy, and I might give you a quick end.”

Evilmoon pulsed with dark energy as countless saber-images appeared, cutting through the onslaught of golden swords one by one.

Evilmoon’s blade became an impenetrable shield, letting not a single golden sword slip through as explosive sounds filled the air with each impact Before Long Chen could even catch his breath, another wave of golden swords shot toward him—stronger, faster, and more numerous than the last.

The blond man’s intent was clear: he wanted Long Chen alive, so he probed cautiously, trying not to kill Long Chen accidentally.

In response, Evilmoon danced in Long Chen’s hands as he met the assault head-on, cutting the stream of golden swords without taking a single step back.

These swords carried a formidable force—eighty percent drawn from the laws of heaven and earth, ten percent from devil blood, and another ten from primal chaos. There was also the slightest trace of the human race’s souls within it.

Long Chen guessed that this trace of soul qi came from the human skulls embedded in the altar. Weak though it was, this trace dulled Long Chen’s attacks, reducing his power by nearly half. Yet, as the blond man tested his strength, Long Chen was also probing his secrets.

The golden swords turned into a flood, with tens of thousands raining down on Long Chen with each breath. It was a brutal grind, meant to sap his energy.

In life, the blond man had been a terrifying Devil Emperor—a force of immense power even in the primal chaos era. Though he was now an undead, the power he commanded was still unfathomable, filling the battlefield with an overwhelming presence.

For half an incense stick of time, the two remained locked in a meaningless cycle of attack and defense. Then, with sudden intensity, Long Chen raised Evilmoon high toward the heavens, summoning a surge of astral energy that ignited the blade.

A massive saber-image tore through the golden swords, cleaving a path toward the blond man.

“Warm-up’s over. I’ve learned all I need to about your strength. Now it’s time to end this,” Long Chen declared.

Long Chen swung his saber, and before the saber-image even struck, he had launched himself forward like a bolt of lightning, racing straight for the altar.