A few minutes earlier, in the northern Yun Gai Mountains—specifically at the Hua Yu Clan's estate—
Members of the Hua Yu Clan had set out tables and chairs to watch the events of the midterm examination, chatting amongst themselves.
Shock was etched across their faces as they gazed at Edward's corpse—headless and utterly mangled.
"What a monster! At just fifteen, he's committed acts that even the most formidable individuals wouldn't dare attempt. Who could do something so heinous?"
"You're right. He's a monster in the truest sense—worse, even, than Seong Ying-ting of the Yan Shi Clan."
"He belongs to the Demonic Faction. A reckless, foolish youth; he's entangled himself in matters he had no business getting involved in."
"It's nothing but vanity, arrogance, and a desperate hunger for glory and a reputation! Hahahaha—what an utter fool!"
Meanwhile, an eighteen-year-old youth sat watching. He had long, jet-black hair reaching his waist, and wide, dark eyes—as deep and void-like as an abyss.
He observed the display screen with a calm expression, as if analyzing the entire situation, attempting to uncover the truth hidden within the depths of the carnage that had unfolded.
Taking a sip from his wine cup, he remarked in a composed tone:
"Yuta Casiral... how intriguing. And as Edward once said: a good reputation travels a mile or two, but a bad reputation travels thousands of miles." He then continued in a mocking tone:
"A fool who fancied himself someone important—yet he died just like a dog; a pathetic, foolish death."
---
Meanwhile, on the island of Jijwa, Yuta sat atop one of the roots of the Primordial Tree.
Though fully aware of the risks his actions entailed, he had prepared for every eventuality. Edward's death had been part of the plan from the very beginning; thanks to his "Ruler's Eye" ability, Yuta was well-acquainted with the system Edward used to advance himself.
There were several reasons for eliminating Edward—foremost among them being the potential threat he posed to Yuta's future schemes.
Edward might be weak now, but in three years, he would reach the "Boundless" rank and gain his own domain: the "Great Void." Within 300 to 400 years, he would evolve into a formidable adversary, capable of jeopardizing Yuta's entire agenda.
Thus, Edward's death was sealed the moment he acquired his system.
A second reason was that the system might issue tasks compelling Edward to kill specific individuals—people Yuta intended to use for his own future designs. Their deaths would render centuries of meticulous planning entirely futile.
A third reason was to cultivate an image of a ruthless entity in the minds of every inhabitant across the five continents. He had not come to this world to forge friendships; rather, he was here to ensure that the elements he had set in motion would flourish, ultimately bringing his long-laid plans to fruition. However, this did not mean he was spared from setbacks that forced him to constantly adjust his plans.
The presence of Bing Tao Xin and the assault by Xing Yu-jung's army were factors he had not accounted for; they disrupted the use of the "Ruler's Eye," as the body he currently inhabited could not withstand its activation for extended periods.
Furthermore, the unexpected arrival of Prefica, Xiao Haoran, and several other figures compelled him to continually revise his strategies.
Yuta cast his gaze toward the system interface floating before him.
[The host has slain a Pavilion Master. Analyzing the achievement...]
A few seconds later, two more system windows appeared.
[The host has slain a Pavilion Master named Edward Brezik.
Pavilion: Great Void.
Status: Closed.
Type: Sub-pavilion.]
[Reward: As the host has slain the master of a sub-pavilion, he shall acquire Edward Brezik's pavilion—the "Great Void"—as a sub-pavilion, along with its associated system and all the assets and rewards obtained through it.]
[Would you like to review your rewards, Host?]
[Yes] [No]
Yuta stared at the system interface with indifference, then dismissed it.
He then shifted his gaze to his hand, above which hovered the soul of Edward.
"You craved power, yet you forgot its perils. You sought renown, yet you overlooked its drawbacks. You yearned for glory, only to be consumed by its scorching sun. You humans are always so narrow-minded." "Did you really think that displaying your talent wouldn't draw those stronger than you to come and kill you? And now, here you lie—dead—without having taken a single step to protect your own life. What a pathetic, repulsive creature."
Yuta's tone remained calm, indifferent to his surroundings. With a swift motion, he erased Edward's soul from existence, extinguishing any—however infinitesimal—chance of reincarnation.
A faint smile graced Yuta's lips as he whispered:
"Great Void System, activate."
A few seconds passed before a system interface appeared, shimmering in a blend of blue, red, and pale yellow.
[New host detected.]
[Host's primary path is not the Great Void Path.]
[Items previously acquired by the host have been reclaimed by the System.]
[Host possesses an entity resembling a system, though it is not a system of any known type.]
[Please wait while the System completes its initialization.]
[Initialization time remaining: 1 hour, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.]
Yuta rose, dismissed the system window, and continued on his path toward the Origin Tree Gu.
The route to the lower core of the Origin Tree Gu was fraught with peril; it was choked with tangled, twisting roots and inhabited by various types of Time, Fate, Death, and Life Gu—along with other, dormant varieties—none of which could be disturbed without grave consequences. It was much like what happened when Zao Li and Alessandra disturbed a Gu of Creation, resulting in the emergence of dungeons that, centuries later, spread across all the ordinary worlds containing mana.
Nevertheless, Yuta did not fear any Gu, regardless of its rank or power—though their presence might cause him some inconvenience, or perhaps even compel him to alter something on Jigwa Island.
Such a situation could force him to intervene, which would, in turn, reveal his whereabouts to Bing Tao Xin. The current time and place were far from ideal for a battle against someone of his caliber.
For this reason, the best course of action was to avoid confronting individuals of such caliber for the time being. In three years, once he departed from this world, he would be capable of battling entities like them whenever he pleased.
Fifty meters from the heart of the Origin Tree—where its root lay—Yuta moved with astonishing fluidity, deftly navigating the tightly clustered roots.
As he drew closer to the root of the Origin Tree, the energies of life, death, time, and fate intensified, causing time within the vicinity to flow at an accelerated rate.
Consequently, Yuta's hair turned white at an unusually rapid pace; the top portion had already whitened completely, while his eyes began to take on a crimson hue, blending with their original deep violet.
This transformation unfolded in mere minutes—as time accelerated the closer he moved toward the center, the equivalent of six months passed within the span of just a few minutes.
Yuta, however, remained unperturbed; in fact, he viewed this as a positive sign. It indicated that the effects of the experiment—to which the original owner of this body had been subjected—were finally beginning to manifest, nine years after the experiment had first commenced.
This was, in part, why he had come to the heart of the Origin Tree: to accelerate the reaction process as much as possible.
Had he simply waited for the experiment's effects to emerge naturally, it would have taken another five or six years to reach completion. With the Origin Tree, however, the process would be nearly finished in two days, requiring only a few additional weeks for the full effects to take hold. Two hours later, Yuta stopped, having successfully navigated around the roots of the Origin Tree Gu.
Although he could have easily bypassed them, he chose to linger, absorbing as much of the "Time Gu" influence—emanating from the Origin Tree Gu—as possible. His goal was to bolster his strength through his "Infinite Evolution" ability, accelerating the development of his body—a vessel that had integrated the genes of dragons, angels, and demons. He sought to forge an absolute, unstoppable power, eventually refining it into a potent elixir or pill.
A faint smile graced Yuta's face as he placed his hand upon the soil.
"Very good."
Yuta murmured, satisfied with his discovery.
"When a Gu is refined using a Gu of Rank 6 or higher, the Tree of Existence manifests another Gu. Furthermore, any Gu used to create an 'Alpha Gu' is reborn beneath that resulting Alpha Gu—for an Alpha Gu is always colossal, impossible to carry or contain within one's Primeval Sea."
Yuta's expression shifted into a frown; he had failed to locate the Gu representing Fate, Life, Time, and Death.
"It seems they decided to leave their place of origin. A pity—I had need of them. Still, it is of no great consequence; they were not the primary reason I came here."
Yuta rose to his feet, as if nothing had happened.
It was merely a minor setback in the grand scheme of things; after all, one rarely obtains everything one desires. Though he had not found the specific Gu he sought, he had significantly accelerated his own evolution—and, before slaying Edward, he had also managed to secure a Spirit Ring. If a Soul Ring were to fall into the hands of someone like Edward, his level of progression and speed of advancement would become terrifying. His soul would grow formidable at an alarming rate, allowing him to consume potions and refinement pills—designed to accelerate cultivation—without any fear of adverse side effects.
This would pose a threat to Yuto's future plans and, should Edward become an enemy, turn him into a highly troublesome adversary.
Therefore, the best course of action was to eliminate Edward while he remained extremely weak.
As Yuto sat, gathering his scattered thoughts, a system interface—glowing in a blend of blue, red, and pale yellow—appeared above his head.
[System loading process complete.]
[Loading and categorization of the previous host's rewards and possessions complete.]
[The system has utilized 35 "Mortal Fantasy Cluster Cores" to elevate the "Great Void Wing" from a sub-wing to a primary wing.]
[Quests and rewards have been adjusted to suit the current host.]
[Host has acquired the title: System Thief.]
[Host has acquired the title: Wing Slayer.]
[Name: Yuto
Alias: None.
Titles: System Thief [New] – Wing Slayer [New] – The Creator – Ruler of the Fantasy Catacombs – King of All – King of Kings – Death – Emperor of Magic – The Venerable One of Beginnings and Endings – The Heaven-Shattering Venerable – Tyrannical Overlord.
Age: 70,000 years.
Race: Absolute Entity.
Gender: Transcendent (Beyond conventional gender).
Profession: Master and Sovereign of the "Ruler's Path."] Talent: ????
Incarnation: Complete Sacred Void Emperor Zhao Jinwu [New], Heavenly Perfect Body [New], Divine Elemental Body [New], Unknown.
Primary Aspect: The Great Outcast – The Great Creator.
Level: 4 – Late Stage.
Synchronization Rate: 34%.
Aspect Type: Main Aspect.
Primary Aspect: The Great Outcast – Lord of Death [Locked].
Aspect Type: Main Aspect.
Primary Aspect: The Great Void.
Level: 1 – Late Stage.
Synchronization Rate: 00%.
Aspect Type: Sub-Aspect.
Secondary Aspect: Blessing Aspect.
Synchronization Rate: 100%.
Aspect Type: Sub-Aspect.
Secondary Aspect: Valor Aspect.
Synchronization Rate: 100%.
Aspect Type: Sub-Aspect.
.........
.....
...
.....
.....
Level: Beyond-Existence.
Wall Points: 454,765 points.
Contribution Points: 6.4 million points.]
A faint look of satisfaction appeared on Yuta's face as he gazed at the system window.
Several seconds passed before another system screen appeared—this time in a crimson red, signaling an error.
[A forbidden law within <> has been breached.]
[Penalty: System collapse in 5 minutes.]
Immediately after, a massive, blood-crimson system screen emerged, displaying a countdown. Yet, Yuta's expression did not change in the slightest, for he had anticipated this all along. Granting a single individual more than one "main heroine" was a taboo within the world of the game; thus, the collapse of the system had been inevitable from the very start.
Yuta spoke in a calm tone, ignoring the countdown that appeared right before his eyes:"Cruzin, transfer everything you've acquired from the Great Void System to yourself—understood?"
A split second later, a translucent blue system interface appeared near the Great Void System, responding to his request.
[As you wish, Great Creator.]
[The transfer process will take 3 minutes. Please wait.]
Yuta glanced at the system interface for a fleeting moment before closing his eyes and murmuring softly:
"Very well."
The system interface vanished, but the crimson display remained, showing a slow, deliberate countdown.
Yuta, however, couldn't have cared less.
Why would he concern himself with something destined to perish shortly? As far as he was concerned, its utility had long since expired.
"A system is merely a tool for ascension—a means to secure the greatest possible gains. It can be discarded or sold the moment its value is surpassed by what I might gain from doing so."
Yuta muttered this in a calm, steady tone, then dismissed the crimson display; whether he looked at it or not, the fact remained: the system was set to self-destruct.
From his personal dimensional space, Yuta retrieved a 'Soul Ring.' It was a dull, silvery-gray, wreathed in a cold, ethereal mist.
This was the very object Edward had been searching for—the 'Soul Ring.'
As Yuta gazed at it, a red eye manifested on the palm of his right hand, while a green eye appeared on his left—one capable of devouring souls, the other of manipulating and warping them at will.
Yuta placed the ring over the eye on his right palm, then covered it with his left hand. With immense force, he exerted pressure, shattering both eyes—those instruments that toyed with and enslaved the soul—and crushing the soul-ring as well.
A cold, gray aura surged forth, accompanied by golden blood that emitted a faint, radiant glow.
Though the pain was excruciating—as if his skin were being flayed and his soul torn to shreds—Yuta's expression remained perfectly calm.
If he sought absolute power, how could such fleeting agony ever weaken his resolve? Life is fraught with adversity, and it is precisely such hardship that strengthens the determination to achieve the impossible.
Minutes passed, and the "Great Void System" was erased from existence entirely. The flow of golden blood and the cold, gray aura ceased, gradually receding back toward their source.
As the blood and the cold, gray aura flowed into Yuta's palms, a translucent blue system interface materialized.
[Transfer process completed successfully. You have acquired all resources previously held by the Great Void System.]