The moment Su Chen and his companions charged forward, the entire First Ruin seemed to come alive.
The black eye floating above the shattered palace stared down at them.
There was no emotion in it.
No anger.
No fear.
Only an ancient indifference that made even the strongest cultivators feel insignificant.
Su Chen tightened his grip on the Heaven Slaughter Sword.
"Yanyan, stay close."
Lin Yanyan's crimson flames surged around her.
"I wasn't planning on going anywhere."
Mu Xue appeared on Su Chen's left, her crimson spear already covered in battle intent.
The Sea Sovereign followed from behind while the Pavilion Master remained slightly farther away, preparing another formation.
Above them, the First Master continued fighting the mysterious eye.
Every collision between the two ancient existences caused space to collapse.
BOOM!
The First Master's fist struck the darkness.
The black eye released a wave of black energy.
The impact split the sky.
Su Chen immediately moved.
"Now!"
Lin Yanyan transformed into a crimson phoenix.
Her wings stretched across the ruins.
A massive wave of Phoenix flames swept toward the black energy.
At the same time, Su Chen swung the Heaven Slaughter Sword.
Golden sword qi followed the flames.
Mu Xue's spear pierced through the center.
The Sea Sovereign unleashed an enormous ocean that wrapped around the attack.
The Pavilion Master's moonlight entered the formation.
Five different powers merged together.
BOOM!
The combined attack struck the black eye.
For the first time, the mysterious existence reacted.
The eye narrowed.
"You."
Its voice shook the entire ruin.
Su Chen didn't answer.
He stepped forward.
The Fourth Imperial Seal behind him released golden light.
The Heaven Slaughter Sword began humming.
A strange connection formed between him and the First Master.
Su Chen could suddenly see the ancient creature's movements.
Not just his attacks.
His thoughts.
His intentions.
His memories.
For one brief moment, Su Chen saw the First Dynasty.
He saw the ancient ruler standing beneath a broken sky.
He saw millions of warriors kneeling behind him.
He saw the black eye descending from beyond the universe.
And he saw the First Master raise his hand.
A golden barrier appeared.
The First Master had fought the mysterious existence alone.
But something had gone wrong.
The barrier broke.
The First Master was defeated.
Yet before disappearing, he had sealed the black eye within the First Ruin.
Su Chen's eyes widened.
"So that's what happened."
The First Master suddenly turned toward him.
Their eyes met.
"You saw it."
Su Chen nodded.
"You lost."
The First Master smiled.
"Yes."
"But I didn't fail."
Su Chen understood.
The First Master hadn't tried to destroy the black eye.
He had sealed it.
Waiting for someone capable of finishing what he started.
The First Master looked toward the Heaven Slaughter Sword.
"Your sword."
Su Chen raised it.
"What about it?"
"It was never created by the Primordial Emperor."
Su Chen froze.
"What?"
The First Master continued.
"The Emperor inherited it."
"The same way he inherited everything else."
Su Chen stared at the golden blade.
For years he had believed the Heaven Slaughter Sword was the Primordial Emperor's weapon.
But now he realized
Even the Emperor had inherited something from an older civilization.
The black eye suddenly attacked.
A massive wave of darkness descended.
"Enough!"
The First Master raised both hands.
Ancient golden chains appeared around the darkness.
The chains wrapped around the black eye.
The mysterious existence roared.
"You cannot seal me forever!"
The First Master smiled.
"I don't need forever."
He looked toward Su Chen.
"I only need enough time."
Su Chen immediately understood.
The First Master wasn't asking him to fight.
He was giving him an opportunity.
Su Chen turned toward Lin Yanyan.
"Give me your power."
She didn't hesitate.
Her Phoenix flames entered his body.
Mu Xue followed.
Then the Sea Sovereign.
Then the Pavilion Master.
Their powers entered the Fourth Imperial Seal.
The seal began changing.
The golden symbol slowly became something new.
Not the symbol of the First Dynasty.
Not the symbol of the Ancient Court.
A new symbol.
Su Chen's symbol.
The black eye sensed the danger.
"No!"
The darkness exploded.
The golden chains began breaking.
One.
Two.
Three.
The First Master gritted his teeth.
"Now!"
Su Chen raised the Heaven Slaughter Sword.
The entire First Ruin became silent.
Even the black eye stopped struggling.
Su Chen looked at it.
"You've been watching me since I was born."
The eye stared back.
"Yes."
"You knew I would eventually come here."
"Yes."
"Then you should have known something."
Su Chen's golden eyes became cold.
"I don't like being controlled."
The Heaven Slaughter Sword descended.
BOOM!
A gigantic golden slash tore through the darkness.
The black eye released an enormous roar.
The slash didn't destroy it.
Instead, it cut something invisible.
A connection.
The black eye suddenly became unstable.
Its voice changed.
"You…"
Su Chen lowered his sword.
"I didn't destroy you."
The black eye trembled.
"I severed your connection to me."
Silence.
The First Master stared at Su Chen.
Then he laughed.
"Hahaha!"
The ancient ruler's laughter echoed across the First Ruin.
"Excellent."
The black eye began shrinking.
But before disappearing, it spoke one final time.
"You think this is victory?"
Su Chen remained silent.
The eye narrowed.
"The moment you severed the connection…"
A strange smile appeared.
"…you awakened the others."
Su Chen's expression changed.
"The others?"
The black eye disappeared.
The First Ruin suddenly became completely silent.
Then—
BOOM!
Three enormous cracks appeared across the sky.
One was red.
One was blue.
One was black.
The First Master looked upward.
His expression became serious.
"Three more."
Mu Xue frowned.
"Three what?"
The First Master answered quietly.
"Three beings like the one you just fought."
The Sea Sovereign's face darkened.
"You're telling me there are four of those things?"
The First Master nodded.
"Four."
The Pavilion Master looked toward Su Chen.
"Then why did the Primordial Emperor never mention them?"
The First Master was silent for a moment.
"Because he never knew."
Everyone froze.
Su Chen looked toward him.
"Then how did you know?"
The First Master looked at him.
"Because I fought them."
Su Chen's expression changed.
"All four?"
"No."
The First Master looked toward the three cracks in the sky.
"I fought the first."
He pointed toward the darkness.
"The others were still asleep."
Lin Yanyan's phoenix flames became restless.
"When will they wake?"
The First Master looked at Su Chen.
"They already have."
The three cracks widened.
A terrifying pressure descended upon the First Ruin.
The Ancient City began collapsing.
Thousands of ancient formations activated simultaneously.
The First Master looked toward Su Chen.
"You have awakened the Fourth Authority."
Su Chen nodded.
"But that means something else has awakened as well."
Su Chen raised his sword.
"What?"
The First Master pointed toward the three cracks.
"Your true enemies."
The first crack opened.
A pair of crimson eyes appeared.
The second opened.
A pair of blue eyes appeared.
The third opened.
Nothing appeared.
Only darkness.
But somehow
The third was the most terrifying.
The First Master slowly stepped backward.
"For the first time in ten thousand years…"
He looked at Su Chen.
"I am no longer the strongest person in this ruin."
Su Chen's expression remained calm.
"Good."
The First Master looked surprised.
Su Chen tightened his grip.
"Then we finally have something worth fighting."
Lin Yanyan smiled beside him.
Mu Xue raised her spear.
The Sea Sovereign cracked his knuckles.
The Pavilion Master summoned the moonlight.
The three cracks continued spreading.
And deep within the First Ruin
Something laughed.
The next battle was already beginning.