The heavens and earth were deathly silent.
The guests stared at the headless, mountain-sized corpse of the Nether Dragon lying in the valley below.
A Quasi-Supreme. A being who could establish an Immortal Sect on his own.
Dead. Slaughtered like a dog by three sword strikes.
"The Eighteenth Ancestor..." a young prodigy swallowed hard. "Just how strong is he?"
"The Ryuzaki Ancestral Grounds is a forbidden zone for a reason," an old Sect Master whispered reverently. "They have buried monsters there who could stomp the Immortal Realm flat."
Legends spoke of the Abandoned Heaven Emperor (Kiten-Tei), the last Great Emperor of the Ryuzaki Clan, who rejected the Heavens themselves. With such a lineage, who dared to provoke them?
Blood rain fell from the sky, a phenomenon caused by the death of a near-Supreme being. The world wept, but the Ryuzaki Clan celebrated.
"Haruto."
The ancient voice of the Eighteenth Ancestor echoed in Haruto's mind.
"Come see me after the banquet."
"Yes, Ancestor," Haruto bowed slightly to the forbidden grounds.
He was secretly eyeing the [Immortal Slaying Sword Technique]. That move was too cool. He definitely had to learn it later.
No Mercy
With the main threat gone, Haruto turned his attention to the last survivor.
The Princess of the Feathered Clan, Yu Zhu, was trembling on the ground. She had wet herself in terror.
"Please!" Yu Zhu kowtowed, slamming her forehead against the marble floor. "Spare me, Divine Son! I am willing to be your slave! I will serve you for life!"
She was beautiful, with snow-white wings (now healed slightly) and crystal-clear skin. In any auction house, she would fetch a city's worth of gold.
Haruto looked at her with cold indifference.
"Slave?" Haruto scoffed.
"Even Vermilion Bird Princess Bai Yu'er is barely qualified to be my maid. What right does a bird like you have?"
He raised his palm.
"No! NO—"
SPLAT.
Haruto slapped her into a bloody mist.
The guests wiped sweat from their brows. The Divine Son was ruthless. He didn't care about beauty or status. If you were an enemy, you were dead.
The Forbidden Barbecue
What happened next was even more shocking.
Ryuzaki Kenshin and several Elders dragged the massive severed arm of the Nether Dragon (the Quasi-Supreme arm) into the center of the plaza.
"Refine!" Kenshin shouted.
They summoned Dao Fire, burning away the impurities and scales, leaving only the glowing, fragrant dragon meat.
"Today, we feast!" Kenshin announced. "Quasi-Supreme Dragon Meat! Eat up!"
The guests were stunned.
Eating a Quasi-Supreme? Of the Ancestral Dragon Nest?
"This... this is madness." "If we eat this, the Dragon Nest will hate us forever." "But... it smells so good."
Most guests hesitated, fearing retaliation. But the Ancient Clans didn't care.
"Wow! Dragon Meat!" Minamoto Ruri cheered, grabbing a massive chunk of roasted meat that was bigger than her head. "Nom nom nom!"
She didn't care about politics. She just wanted food.
Haruto smiled. "Please, make yourselves at home."
While the guests cautiously began to eat, Haruto walked over to Ryuu Haotian's corpse.
He raised his hand. Golden Mana surged, pulling a glowing golden orb from the corpse's chest.
The Dragon Pearl.
Inside the pearl, a miniature dragon soul roared and thrashed, refusing to be subdued.
"A mere pearl dares to resist?" Haruto sneered.
He activated the Divine Elephant Suppressing Prison Force.
RUMBLE.
A pitch-black crucible materialized above his head. It was forged from the laws of Hell itself, engraved with runes of suffering and refinement.
Fourth Transformation: The [Hell Furnace].
"Burn."
The furnace opened, sucking the Dragon Pearl inside.
ROAR!
The dragon soul screamed as it was melted down by the fires of hell. The resistance vanished instantly.
"Refine."
Haruto inhaled. A stream of pure, golden dragon essence flowed from the furnace into his nose.
His body glowed. His blood boiled. The Ancient Sacred Body greedily devoured the energy.
CRACK.
His aura surged uncontrollably.
Dark clouds gathered over the Ryuzaki Domain again. But this time, it wasn't an enemy attack.
It was a Tribulation.
"Is the Divine Son... breaking through again?!"