Chapter 547: Combined Technique

"Humans… no human has come before me in a very, very long time."

The Light Yinglong looked at Fang Xing, its dragon-like head speaking in human language.

"Then it seems the last challenger failed."

Fang Xing smiled.

"Indeed… that was a great emperor, yet still could not pass the trial."

The Light Yinglong seemed somewhat regretful.

"Then what reward awaits one who clears the Ninth Layer of the Heart Tower?"

Fang Xing asked curiously.

"You'll find out once you clear it."

The Light Yinglong seemed to enjoy talking: "The rewards for the Seventh Layer are trash, even the Eighth is mediocre… only by clearing the Ninth Layer will you receive true treasures. Strive hard! Of course, I won't hold back—if you die here, you simply got unlucky… One final warning: I am of the Light attribute; your Dark Heart Beast has no effect whatsoever…"

"I already knew that."

Surrounded by darkness, Fang Xing merely smiled: "Only a Legendary Heart Beast can oppose another Legendary Heart Beast, isn't that right? Erha, go!"

"Aowu!"

Erha leaped forward, its body instantly swelling to match the size of the Light Yinglong.

Xiong Xiong!

Pitch-black flames swirled around a colossal wolf, the black fire seeming to scorch the void itself.

Erha fully shed its concealment, its aura surging uncontrollably—ten thousand years, a hundred thousand years… then breaking past the limit, reaching the Legendary realm beyond a hundred thousand years!

Over these years, Fang Xing's greatest advancement has always been his own Spirit Beast—the Destruction Demon Wolf!

By practicing the Path of Destruction and burning countless Heart Beasts, Erha had long since ascended beyond a hundred thousand years of cultivation.

This was Fang Xing's greatest asset in attempting to clear the Heart Tower!

"A Spirit Beast of Legendary quality?"

The Light Yinglong exclaimed in shock: "Even the last Emperor's Spirit Beast was only Imperial quality… theoretically, no human in this world should possess higher talent than he did."

"So you know a great deal."

Fang Xing nodded.

Meanwhile, Erha opened its jaws and spat forth wave after wave of pitch-black fireballs.

Each fireball carried the power to annihilate all things, amplified to its extreme within the Domain of Destruction.

"The ultimate flame of Destruction?"

"I can almost see the scene of the world's destruction…"

The Light Yinglong spread its wings, and streams of radiance descended.

Light and darkness clashed in midair, each claiming half the sky.

Then…

The darkness gradually overwhelmed the light; threads of Destruction Flame began to scorch the vicinity of the Light Yinglong.

"Impossible!"

For the first time, the Light Yinglong's voice carried surprise: "I am the oldest Heart Beast… yet your cultivation has already crossed that threshold…"

"Heart Beast cultivation advances in tenfold thresholds: ten years for Soldier rank, a hundred for General, a thousand for Lord, ten thousand for King, a hundred thousand for Emperor… then what lies beyond a million years?"

Fang Xing's lips curled in a faint smile: "If this world has a Divine Heart Beast, then it must be my Destruction Demon Wolf… so, be destroyed—Deadly Bite!"

"Aowu!"

Black flames pierced through the radiance; a colossal wolf-form surged through layer upon layer of light barriers.

The Light Yinglong retreated swiftly, flapping its wings as countless blades of light fell.

These blades of light were composed of pure radiance, imbued with ultimate sharpness and sealing power.

Yet, upon touching the Destruction Demon Wolf's flames, they all dissolved.

Finally, Erha bit down hard on the Light Yinglong's neck.

Crack!

The Light Yinglong's "Thread of Life" was severed.

Its head fell, and its body ignited with roaring Light Flames.

"Rebirth skill?"

Fang Xing chuckled, watching as Erha infused its Destruction Flame into the rebirth process.

Rebirth!

For a Heart Beast, this was undoubtedly a divine technique!

Yet, Destruction Flame that had touched the Source of Destruction was sufficient to annihilate any rebirth or resurrection mechanism!

Hoo hoo!

A dragon's roar echoed.

From the entwined flames of light and darkness emerged the soul of a Yinglong.

Then… its light was steadily devoured by the black flames, until it turned to ash…

"Ninth Layer… cleared!"

Fang Xing murmured, a hint of anticipation in his voice.

Boom!

The stone platform beneath him slowly rose, as if being channeled through the Heart Tower into some unknown space.

Or rather… a world hidden within the world!

World within a World!

…

Outside.

"This…"

"An unprecedented phenomenon…"

"Could it be… the Ninth Layer?"

Many cardinals, even the Pope himself, had arrived on the square.

Facing this group, Nan Gong Qiushui and the other Drivers could only respectfully step aside.

Seeing the Pope and his entourage filled with excitement and trepidation, Nan Gong Qiushui and the other Drivers were already in an uproar.

"Ninth Layer?"

"So the Heart Tower really has a Ninth Layer? It can actually be cleared?" "Your Holiness, what does clearing the Ninth Layer mean?"

Nan Gong Qiushui summoned the courage to ask.

"It might mean…"

The Pope's eyes were clear, yet shadowed by uncertainty for the future: "A god may soon be born in our world…"

…

Heart Tower, Tenth Layer!

Light and shadow shifted instantly.

Countless temporal energies poured forth as this long-sealed world opened, making Fang Xing witness a cascade of visions.

He saw the ancient era, when this world was a savage land of raw flesh and blood, gradually transitioning into an age of slash-and-burn agriculture.

This was the world's normal progression.

But suddenly!

A strange drop of "blood" fell from beyond the heavens!

It was a milky-white liquid, radiating an indescribable aura.

For some reason, Fang Xing knew at a glance—it was "blood."

"The blood of a Transcendent?!"

As he stared,

Fang Xing's eyes widened, as if witnessing something inconceivable.

Then…

Under the influence of that single drop of Transcendent blood, the world underwent profound transformation.

Heart Beasts were born; humans gained Heart Manifestation talents; the first Driver appeared…

Powerful Drivers worshipped that pure white blood, and from it obtained the "Method of Heart Force Cultivation…"

Then came the rise of the Heart Cult, interspersed with the rise and fall of several empires…

"So this is how the world changed?"

"A single drop of Transcendent blood can reshape an entire world?"

"No! No! I can feel… the 'primary consciousness' within that drop has perished, leaving only residual will… otherwise, it wouldn't have merely reshaped a world—it would have done far more…"

"The Gates of the Multiverse truly didn't deceive me… this is a world of great benefit to me."

Fang Xing's heart surged.

What is Transcendent blood?

It is the ultimate treasure sought even by Eternal Realm experts!

Not to mention the possible inheritance one might gain from studying its genes.

If one forcibly refines the "Transcendent Blood" into one's own "Transcendent Bloodline," it too becomes a "Transcendent Trait."

"Still, this externally forced bloodline transformation certainly pales beside my own 'Transcendence' and that Dao Sovereign's 'Primordial Purple Qi,' yet it remains a treasure sought in vain by all who aspire to transcendence..."

"So even among Transcendence traits, there are hierarchies?"

"If this single drop of blood were revealed, Pan Gu Wu would likely trade everything he owns for it..."

"No—I'm merely an awareness descended into this world; I can't take anything back... So I must study it here?"

"But Transcendence traits aren't necessarily physical—perhaps a conceptual 'bloodline' can be taken away entirely..."

As Fang Xing's heart surged with emotion, one after another Rider appeared before him.

Their forms were semi-transparent, clearly existing as spirits or essences.

Some wore animal hides; others donned attire of ancient vintage.

Clearly, they were all mighty Riders from ancient eras.

Among them, Fang Xing even saw the recently deceased former Pope—and that radiant Response Dragon!

"Soul? True Spirit?"

"No wonder religion developed here—this is the paradise, the Promised Land of the Heart Sect?"

Fang Xing murmured softly.

"Outsider from another world!"

Countless spirits spoke in unison, their voices echoing in reverent chant: "You shall be punished!"

Clearly, for native inhabitants who passed the ninth layer of the Heart Tower, this place might offer rewards.

But Fang Xing, as an outsider demon, met only hostility.

Roar! Roar!

Each ancient Rider unleashed their Heart Phantoms—heart beasts manifesting as essences, radiating terrifying majesty, not one below Sovereign rank.

Such a terrifying tide could kill even a god!

"Indeed—the ninth layer of the Heart Tower was too easy. I prefer this trial."

Seeing this, Fang Xing's lips curled into a cruel smile: "Erha!"

"Aowu!"

The Destroyer Wolf roared, dove forward, and transformed into a beam of destruction, sinking into Fang Xing's body.

Primordial Heart Beast Fusion Technique!

This was a skill only Gao Jie Riders could master, granting them immense power.

"Erha, as a Heart Beast, still has limits."

"But I do not!"

Fang Xing's eyes turned emerald green—yet not a single werewolf trait remained on his body.

This was the complete assimilation and effortless control of Erha's power!

"Destruction!"

He raised his hand—and the full Law of Destruction descended.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Supernova explosion!

Black hole formation!

Various horrific cosmic calamities manifested within the Inner Realm, bringing absolute annihilation!

"Indeed... Though this world lacks Law fluctuations, Heart Beasts are the key!"

"After fusing with a Heart Beast, I can leverage it to pry loose the power of Laws!"

"Now, I am a Great One of the Law Sovereign Realm!"

Under Fang Xing's gaze, each Rider spirit dissolved.

Even the radiant Response Dragon could only wail helplessly, obliterated until not a trace of its essence remained.

Whoosh!

Fang Xing's form shot like a black thread to the deepest core of the Inner Realm, where he saw that single drop of pure white blood.

"Hss..."

He involuntarily shuddered.

(End of Chapter)