"Whoosh!"
A violent surge of energy erupted like a massive tidal wave, crashing against invisible shores and stirring up a fierce wind. However, that was all it managed to do.
The altar emanated a suppressive force that immediately quelled the energy, absorbing it in the process. The vast sphere of power that Emperor Kun released expanded briefly before shrinking back down, contained by the altar's restraints.
In the end, he was still unable to break free from the altar's seal—not yet, at least.
"Eh?"
A startled voice echoed from above the cliff, followed by a head poking out cautiously to peer down below.
"You little wretch!!" Emperor Kun's eyes were bloodshot, and his killing intent surged, yet there was nothing he could do. He could only glare furiously from where he was trapped.
"Hahaha, looks like you still can't move!" Qin Chuan's eyes gleamed with excitement as he stood up and planted his hands on his hips, laughing arrogantly from the cliff's edge.
"Die!!!" Emperor Kun once again unleashed a burst of energy. The altar beneath him lit up with destructive light, bolts of lightning crackling in all directions, illuminating half the sky.
But the force was once again suppressed by the altar's sealing power. Only the edges of the energy field escaped, causing violent winds to howl through the abyss below, making the atmosphere feel like the end of the world.
Seeing this, Qin Chuan grew even bolder.
He leaned his back against the cliff wall and slowly descended into the abyss, gleefully mocking, "Oh, senior, don't waste your energy. From the looks of things, even if you've broken through, it'll take you at least ten more days to free yourself from that seal. But… I doubt you have that kind of time."
He grinned mischievously and said, "Why? Because in just two days, I'll be leaving this secret realm."
"By then, I'll report your presence to the Nine Heavens Human Clan's Holy Temple… Hehehe. Do you think our human emperors would sit back and let a powerful figure like you escape? They might strengthen the seal and torture you for another few thousand years. Or maybe, they'll just kill you outright. Oh-ho-ho!"
As he spoke, Qin Chuan pulled out a small paper fan, covering half his face while chuckling wickedly, leaving only his eyes visible in a mockingly comical expression.
"Despicable! Shameless!!" Emperor Kun's roar echoed through the abyss.
But Qin Chuan only offered a "kind" reminder, "Senior, you might want to keep your voice down. If others hear you and come to investigate, you'll be discovered much faster, and then you'll have no chance at all."
Emperor Kun's face turned an even deeper shade of green, and he stopped yelling.
The fewer people who found him, the better his chances of escape. Who knows? Maybe this wretched brat would meet some misfortune before he could report anything. Then, Emperor Kun would still have hope of breaking free.
Satisfied that he had silenced Emperor Kun, Qin Chuan leisurely floated to the ground and strolled toward the corpses of the Heaven-Heng Clan spies.
"What are you doing?" Emperor Kun's veins bulged in fury. His fallen clan members had already perished, and now this brat wouldn't even leave their bodies in peace?
"Relax, senior. I'm not here to desecrate the dead. I'm just collecting a few things that rightfully belong to me."
Qin Chuan bent down and began looting the bodies while casually continuing, "After all, people die for wealth, and birds die for food. I took a big risk coming here; it's only fair I take some resources and treasures in return."
"Huh?!"
Suddenly, he noticed that one of the corpses had a space ring stuck tightly on its finger. No matter how much he tugged, it wouldn't come off. Shrugging, he pulled out a large emperor-grade blade and casually sliced off the finger.
"Crack!"
The sharp sound, though faint, hit Emperor Kun like a thunderbolt. Seeing his beloved juniors treated like this was more than he could bear.
"Arrrghhh!!!"
Emperor Kun's body convulsed like a wild beast, his shackled hands pounding the ground as he let out a heart-wrenching roar toward the heavens.
The sorrow was overwhelming.
The pain, bottomless.
The hatred, eternal.
Qin Chuan ignored him and continued scavenging for treasures.
Before long, he had stripped the bodies clean of valuables and even collected some of their blood.
Past experience had shown that carrying the blood of the Heaven-Heng Clan could come in handy.
With everything settled, Qin Chuan stood up and smiled warmly. "Senior, I'm leaving now. You go ahead and slowly work on breaking free from that seal."
His grin widened. "Honestly, I'm a little disappointed that I couldn't kill you this time. But hey, the future is long, and I'm sure we'll get another chance."
"Get lost!!!" Emperor Kun roared in fury.
Qin Chuan shrugged, unbothered, and casually flew out of the abyss, making a grand exit.
Before leaving, he even gave Emperor Kun a parting gift—a mockingly polite smile—before using his middle finger to pick his nose and then flicking it in Emperor Kun's direction.
The action carried no real harm, but the insult was immeasurable.
The abyss fell into a brief silence before it was pierced by Emperor Kun's furious, guttural roar.
"You wretched brat, I will kill you!!!!"
…
Three days later.
"Boom!"
The sky shook violently, and the clouds churned like boiling water.
Gradually, a gateway of light appeared in the sky. It started small but grew larger and larger until it loomed over the landscape like a towering structure.
"The exit! It's opened!"
"Hurry, let's get out of here! This secret realm is far too dangerous. There's been a maniac on the loose!"
"Yeah, I've seen so many corpses, all of them mangled beyond recognition. Whoever's doing this is a monster!"
Terrified and shaken, people scrambled toward the exit, eager to escape the nightmare of the secret realm.
Among them were the geniuses whom Qin Chuan had previously robbed. They, too, were filled with fear and dread, eager to leave before encountering him again.
They were terrified of what that demon might do if they crossed paths with him a second time.
As for Qin Chuan, he had donned his invisibility cloak and quietly slipped out of the secret realm.
"Good luck, Emperor Kun," he muttered, smirking as he glanced back toward the secret realm.
He had set up a barrier around the abyss where Emperor Kun was imprisoned, ensuring that no one would stumble upon him for at least several more days. This would buy the trapped emperor some time, preventing him from being discovered by any human emperors from the Nine Heavens Clan.
With any luck, Emperor Kun might actually escape.
"Sigh, I'm just too kind for my own good."
He sighed dramatically, though his expression was anything but regretful.
He had extorted Emperor Kun's inheritance and now had even helped him avoid certain death, albeit with ulterior motives. But the fact remained—he had saved Emperor Kun's life.
Fate, it seemed, had a strange sense of humor.
"Whoosh!"
At that moment, a black shadow darted past Qin Chuan, moving with great urgency, clearly in a rush to enter the secret realm.
As the figure sped by, Qin Chuan caught a familiar scent—the unmistakable aura of the Heaven-Heng Clan.
By now, he could easily differentiate between the subtle auras of the Nine Heavens human clans and the Heaven-Heng Clan.
Of course, Heaven-Heng Clan members usually masked their presence while infiltrating the Nine Heavens, only letting their guard slip in moments of great haste or distress.
"Could this guy be the real 'Nightingale'? Late because something went wrong on the way?"
Qin Chuan narrowed his eyes.
Still hidden by his cloak, he circled ahead of the figure, positioning himself strategically. Then, he flew out from a concealed spot, bumping into the newcomer as if by accident.
"Thud!"
Both of them staggered back a few steps.
"What do you think you're doing?!" The man was clearly irritable, in a hurry to reach his destination. Now delayed, his eyes glared daggers at Qin Chuan.
Qin Chuan responded in a low voice, "The Heavens reward diligence."
The man blinked, then replied, "Only the persistent prevail."
"Follow me."
Without another word, Qin Chuan grabbed the man's hand and led him toward a more secluded area.
Believing Qin Chuan to be one of his own, the man didn't resist and allowed himself to be pulled into a hidden corner.
"You are…?" the man started to ask.
But Qin Chuan cut him off, speaking first. "You must be Lord Nightingale?"
"That's right, it's me," the man replied, shame creeping into his voice. "I encountered some trouble on the way, so I'm late. What's the situation…?"
"First, let's verify your blood," Qin Chuan said sternly. "Even though I trust you, we still need to be cautious. I hope you understand, Lord Nightingale."
Without hesitation, Qin Chuan pulled out the blood-verification compass that the black-robed youth had used earlier.
"Of course," Nightingale agreed, releasing a drop of his blood.
The compass glowed faintly with golden light, confirming the verification
Nightingale nodded and, without hesitation, released a drop of blood. Instantly, the compass trembled and emitted a faint golden glow.
"Whew..."
Qin Chuan let out a sigh of relief, then smiled wryly and said, "Lord Nightingale, you've finally arrived."
Nightingale's expression changed slightly, showing a hint of anxiety as he asked, "Could it be that my delay caused a problem with the mission?"
It was clear that he fully trusted Qin Chuan by now.
After all, the exchange had started with the correct passphrase and a blood verification process that seemed more professional than his own methods. The tone and flow of the conversation were seamless, making it impossible to doubt this "ally."
Seeing Nightingale's concern, Qin Chuan smiled and reassured him, "Don't worry. Emperor Kun has already escaped safely."