Meanwhile, the final "Master of the Board," Bing Tao Xin, sat upon the throne of the Bai Ting clan leader—a man named Bai Ting Xing Xing—in the Western Continent.
He sipped his tea, entirely indifferent to the corpses strewn about him—the remains of the clan leader, his family, and the elders of the Bai Ting clan.
In his hand, he held a chess piece, engraved with the name and likeness of Bai Ting Xing Xing.
The features of Bai Ting Xing Xing were carved into the piece, frozen in an expression of terror, shock, and a desperate clinging to life.
Moreover, a potent aura of death radiated from the chess piece.
Yet, Bing Tao Xin's own expression remained unchanged; he stayed perfectly composed. He cast his gaze toward the window, which revealed a clear, blue sky—it was two o'clock in the afternoon.
Bing Tao Xin blew gently on his hot cup of tea, took a sip, and then spoke aloud.
In truth, there was not a single soul nearby—nor anyone within a five-kilometer radius of the Bai Ting clan's estate.
"Yutu... Yutu... Yutu—the Sovereign who governs all within the path we tread."
"Why not allow this humble servant to play with you a little? You are truly cruel, O Great Creator and Master of the Sovereign Path."
His tone was laced with mockery, while his expression shifted into a flicker of annoyance.
As he continued to speak, his features transformed once more, now revealing a sharp, lethal intent. "How incredibly annoying! Could you leave me alone, 'Honorable' Star-Hunter Zendaya? You're ruining my fun, and that is, frankly, quite irritating."
He then shifted his gaze toward the gateway leading out of the Bai Ting Clan's meeting hall, continuing to sip his tea calmly as he took in the situation.
A beautiful woman, appearing to be in her twenties, stepped into view. She had hair the color of deep space, eyes to match, milky-white skin, and lips as red as cherries. She was dressed in a provocative outfit: a black top that covered only her chest, and matching black bottoms that reached just above her knees.
Bing Tao Xin's expression remained unchanged as he looked at Zendaya, who wore a smile laced with boundless arrogance and conceit.
In a voice so lovely it could make one forget the mockery contained in her words, she spoke:
"The 'Honorable' Last Domain Master, Bing Tao Xin—how have you been? Didn't you miss me?"
Bing Tao Xin stared at her for several seconds before speaking with utter coldness, all the while taking another sip from his teacup.
"It is absolutely impossible for me to miss a whore like you."
Zendaya continued to gaze at Bing Tao Xin, silent for a moment, before speaking softly:
"A... a... a whore? Did you just call me a whore, 'Honorable' Last Domain Master, Bing Tao Xin?"
"Yes, I did. 'Honorable' Star-Hunter Zendaya—you are a whore." «.......»
«........»
Zendaya remained silent for several minutes after hearing Bing Tao Xin's response.
It wasn't the fact that he had called her a whore that shocked her, but rather the unnervingly calm tone of his voice.
A faint smile appeared on her face as she shrugged her shoulders with indifference.
"Say whatever you like—as if I care."
Zendaya shifted her gaze toward one of the corpses—that of Bai Xuan, the rightful heir to the leader of the Bai Ting clan.
Even in death, he remained strikingly beautiful. His body and clothes were pristine; he looked less like a corpse and more like someone in a deep, peaceful slumber.
Bing Tao Xin had extinguished his soul without leaving a single mark or injury on his physical form.
Zendaya stared at him for several seconds, a lustful smile spreading across her face.
She licked her lips, letting out a series of indistinct, low murmurs.
Her eyes narrowed with intense desire, and she placed her hand upon the abdomen of Bai Xuan's body.
"Beautiful, simply beautiful! Absolutely exquisite! Why did you have to die? If only I had met you before crossing paths with that wretched scoundrel, Bing Tao Xin—you could have spent a truly memorable night with me."
Speaking with a tone of feigned sorrow, Zendaya rested Bai Xuan's head upon her lap, her hand lingering near his navel.
Slowly, she slid her hand downward, slipping it inside his trousers.
Then, she channeled a translucent blue energy toward his head.
The skin of Bai Xuan's corpse began to regain its natural, lifelike hue, making him appear even more beautiful than before. Bing Tao Xin watched as she touched Bai Xuan's member, then rubbed the bridge of his nose and remarked:
"A whore, par excellence."
Narrowing his eyes, Bing Tao Xin observed her; she was sitting on his lap, cradling Bai Ting Xuan's head against her chest—having fashioned a substitute soul to replace his original one.
"Zendaya, what brings you here?"
Bing Tao Xin's tone remained calm.
Upon hearing his question, a look of realization crossed Zendaya's face, tinged with a faint frustration at his words—which she perceived as harsh.
She stood up, letting Bai Xuan's body slump to the floor, and looked at him with a hint of sadness, murmuring under her breath:
"You would have made a fine sex doll, but I suppose that's not in the cards now."
"Don't be sad; you were going to die regardless. Even though you're a mortal like me, you'd never be able to satisfy me—your strength is far too pathetic."
Zendaya placed her hand below Bai Xuan's navel for a few seconds, prompting a viscous fluid—his semen—to begin seeping out.
An expression of disgust flickered across Bing Tao Xin's face.
"What else could I expect from a girl born into a *hentai* world? She's insufferably repulsive."
Though Zendaya heard Bing Tao Xin's repeated insults, she remained entirely unfazed; deep down, she knew that what he said was true. After draining Bai Tingxuan's body of its seminal fluid, she delivered a powerful kick to his abdomen, reducing his body to a pool of blood.
His skull shot off like a high-velocity projectile, slamming into a marble pillar and shattering it; this triggered a small explosion of blood, bone fragments, brain matter, and eyeballs, which scattered in all directions.
As for the rest of his body, all that remained were some intestines—oozing a repulsive mixture of blood and remnants of his previous meal—along with various bone fragments, ranging in size from a human finger to the palm of an adult's hand.
Zendaya turned her gaze back toward Bing Tao Xin.Even though her face was covered in blood and bits of flesh, she remained as alluring as ever.
Yet, Bing Tao Xin remained unmoved.
It was not merely because of his immense strength, but because his will was unshakable. Even others of his own rank would have succumbed to the temptations of Zendaya—who, after intimacy, could devour every last shred of their power.
"My reason for coming here is quite simple: to kill Yuto. He is currently weak and unable to wield his true power; the body he has taken over is too frail to contain his essence, limiting him to just 5% of his full strength."
"Furthermore, he is split into two parts, which reduces his usable power to a mere 2.5%. As for the entities in this world—the strongest among them hasn't even surpassed the 0-IRR rank—so..."
"Even with only this fraction of his power, he could slaughter them all without the slightest effort; after all, he belongs to the 'Beyond-Existence' rank. Moreover, he was created by twelve entities of that same rank—all of whom reached the final tier, known as the 'Absolute Tier.' Thus, his power remains formidable, even without his true body."
A wicked smile spread across Zendaya's face as she gazed at Bing Tao Xin, and she continued:
"But that doesn't apply to us. I could easily kill him and seize the throne of the 'Existential Path Ruler'—the very realm we inhabit."
"Hahahahahahaha!" "Isn't it absolutely thrilling, the esteemed 'Last Domain Lord,' Ping Tao Xin? For us to become the rulers of an existential fruit from our own Tree of Sacred Existence!"
Zendaya's tone was brimming with excitement as she glanced back and forth between Ping Tao Xin and the island of Jigwa.
Ping Tao Xin narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at her, an aura—a blend of pitch-black and milky-white—radiating from his body.
In a voice cold and laced with murderous intent, he replied:
"Esteemed 'Star-Hunter,' why are you telling me all this, knowing full well that Yuto and I share a solid relationship built on mutual interest? His death would affect me and cost me many potential benefits."
Zendaya's expression soured as she looked at Ping Tao Xin, and she let out a huff of indignation, realizing where he stood.
"Listen closely, 'Last Domain Lord' Ping Tao Xin! I am going to kill Yuto—or Yuto Casiral—and that girl who is his other half, whether you like it or not."
"You know perfectly well that you won't defeat me easily, and that you'd suffer heavy losses in a fight against me. So, it's best you stay out of this. I'm not asking for your help, but I certainly don't want you interfering in my affairs."
Zendaya's voice was heavy with murderous intent, while a blue, star-studded aura erupted from her body. A deep sigh escaped Bing Tao Xin's lips, followed by a faint smile. He dispelled his aura and killing intent, then stepped toward her.
Zendaya's beautiful face showed signs of confusion at this sudden change in Bing Tao Xin's behavior.
She had fully expected a fight; after all, Bing Tao Xin was reaping significant benefits thanks to Yuta—who had granted him free rein along the Path of the Sovereign—and those privileges would automatically vanish upon Yuta's death.
That was an outcome he would go to any lengths to prevent.
As he drew near, he placed one hand on her waist and the other against her cheek, offering a gentle, subtle smile.
Zendaya's face flushed deep red with shyness, and, instinctively, she extinguished both her killing intent and her aura.
Bing Tao Xin was indescribably handsome, and his proximity left her utterly captivated by his beauty.
"How about a proposal? I'll be your lover for as long as we're here—in exchange, you stay away from him."
Zendaya's expression shifted from shyness to anger, but before she could utter a word, Bing Tao Xin pulled her into an embrace, pressing her head against his chest.
In an instant, however, Zendaya vanished from his grasp, reappearing several meters away. She cast a look at him, still tinged with a trace of shyness, though her expression returned to its usual state in a split second.
"You despicable scoundrel! Do you really think you can trick me? How pathetic! Well then—goodbye." Zendaya left the scene, leaving Ping Tao Xin to watch her with slight annoyance before he sat back down in his place.
"Do as you please; it's not as if you could actually do anything to him, not with Islabeth or Normana—the Master of the Pond Pavilion who bestowed her blessing upon the humans of this world—around."
"She's just courting her own death. Hahaha! We shall see who ends up dead—her, or Yuto."
.............
Meanwhile, Yuto slowly opened his crimson eyes, gazing toward the tightly sealed cauldron.
"The fourth part is finally complete."
His tone was calm as he looked at the vessel.
With a thought, he shifted the lid, and an overwhelming, blue-green aura surged forth.
However, the aura lasted only a few seconds before retreating back into the cauldron, where it returned to its previous state: a fluid, blue-green liquid.
"Excellent. The offerings have been accepted; it is time to begin the fifth part."
Yuto then dropped in a transparent gem designed to absorb the energies contained within the cauldron.
The liquid inside was energy so highly concentrated that it had taken on a fluid form, allowing the gem to absorb it with complete ease.
As soon as the gem entered the cauldron, a blue-green radiance erupted from its center.
The energy level inside the cauldron began to drop, albeit very slowly.
But Yuto didn't stop at just one absorption gem; the energy within the cauldron was far too vast for a single gem to contain.
Consequently, he cast in nine additional absorption gems. Other lights, this time a bluish-green hue, flared to life, and the energy level inside the vessel began to drop at a moderate pace.
A few seconds passed until the vessel was completely empty, while the ten absorption gems had become fully saturated with energy.
As the ten gems glowed with a bluish-green radiance, Yuta removed them from the vessel.
The gems began to hover above him; Yuta then tossed a runestone—known as a "fusion stone"—toward the ten absorption gems.
An intensely powerful golden light erupted, illuminating the entire space. It persisted for several minutes before gradually beginning to fade.
Once the light had vanished Amidst the golden glow, a golden-hued gem emerged, radiating a deathly aura of a blue-green color.
A faint smile graced Yuta's face as he gazed at the gem, and he remarked with a tone full of satisfaction:
"The third stage is complete: the Soul-Absorbing Gem."
The satisfied smile vanished from his face as he placed the Soul-Absorbing Gem alongside the Gem of Suppression and Disobedience, and the Token of the Survivor of Oblivion.
He then turned his attention to the essential resources, finding the Aetherial Core of an Ancient Dragon, soil from the Depths of Failure, a Rank 9 Fate Gu, a Rank 9 Life Gu, and a Rank 9 Time Gu.
"Good—only a little left to go. Just two more stages, and the refinement of the Soul-Manipulation Eye and the Soul-Enslavement Eye will be complete."
Yuta spoke with a sense of ease, his gaze wandering aimlessly.
Yet, an inner instinct whispered that something ominous was unfolding nearby.
"Cruzin, are there any others in this world besides the last Venerable—the Master of the Realm, Ping Tao Xin?"
Yuta's voice remained calm, though he sought to mask the slight unease stirred by a sudden, foreboding sense of dread.
[Yes—beyond the last Venerable, the Master of the Realm, Ping Tao Xin, there is another: the ruler of one of the four realms of the Sacred Tree of Existence—the Venerable Normana, now known as Islabeth, Mistress of the Pavilion of Blessings.]
Yuta narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the system interface.
"Who, then, has arrived in this world?" [The individual who has arrived in this world is the Venerable Star-Hunter, Zendaya.]
A look of annoyance crossed his face as he gazed at the system window.
"That bitch, Zendaya! It seems she's figured out that I can currently only wield 2.5% of my power. She's clearly looking to kill me and seize the throne of the Ruler of the Sovereign Path."
"This isn't good. I'm far too weak right now—even someone two ranks below me could easily defeat me, let alone someone on my own level, like a Fourth-Rank Wing-Lord."
"Things have become dangerous. It might force me to drastically alter my plans... No, I must stick to the path I've laid out. Constantly changing plans only leads to their collapse; change doesn't necessarily mean improvement."
"Haaah... It's fine for now. She won't make a move while I'm this weak, but there's still a chance to increase this body's capacity."
"............. With this, the portion of my full power that I can manifest will rise to 10%."
Yuta pulled himself from his thoughts, clearing his mind, then turned his gaze toward the cauldron and muttered in a low voice:
"Aetheric Core of an Ancient Dragon, Dust from the Depths of Failure, Gu of Fate, Gu of Life, Gu of Time... Fusion." The Fate Gu, Time Gu, and Life Gu all dissolved into ethereal dust, which then drifted into the cauldron. They were followed by a cold, gray-hued gem—the ethereal core of an ancient dragon—and soil from the "Depths of Failure." This soil appeared to be ordinary, fertile earth, yet it emanated an aura so absolute that anyone exposed to it would be struck by profound despondency, feeling as though every endeavor they undertook was destined to fail.
Three hours passed, and the ethereal energy, now infused with the soil of failure, began to condense into a liquid—a blend of vivid gold, cold gray, and deep violet.
Yuta employed wind magic to stir the mixture.
Although this stage was not inherently complex, it demanded immense patience; each component required a specific duration to manifest its full effect, even with the use of catalysts to accelerate the reaction.
As Yuta stirred the substance—which filled only half the cauldron—a beautiful fairy, no larger than a man's palm, appeared beside him. She possessed white hair and wide, golden eyes that radiated a blend of innocence, wisdom, and solemnity.
Yuta glanced at her for a few seconds before returning his gaze to the cauldron to assess the state of the mixture once more.
The fairy—a Rank 9 Gu—watched Yuta in silence. She had recently awakened after a long slumber near the trunk of the "Origin Tree" Gu.
Her gaze, as the Wisdom Gu, was filled with curiosity, tinged with a hint of annoyance and indignation—all directed at Yuta, who appeared entirely indifferent to her very presence. It stared at him for several seconds, before Yuta broke the silence in a calm tone:
"Wisdom Gu, what are you doing here? Didn't you say that no one would ever be able to obtain you? Why, then, have you come to me?"
"......."
Wisdom Gu continued to gaze at Yuta, saying nothing; it was thrown into a state of confusion by his words.
"How did he know I said that? There was no one around to eavesdrop—and even if there had been, so much time has passed since then. Most of the Gu from that era are either extinct or dead; only a handful remain."
Wisdom Gu mused inwardly, filled with bewilderment, all the while staring at Yuta—who, for his part, seemed entirely indifferent to its presence.
Yuta was preoccupied with planning his next moves regarding the Star-Hunting Venerable, Zendaya, and the possibility that other Venerables might be concealing their existence.
Even with the System's immense power, it could not detect entities that had reached the fourth tier of their cultivation—not if they chose to remain hidden.
Wisdom Gu shifted its focus back to Yuta.
"True, I did say that—but I did not come here to form a bond with you. It was something else entirely that roused me from my slumber."