The disappearance of the White Bone Sect signified the end of their path of life. This road was completely severed.

…………

A month later.

Xu Hei stood atop a mountain peak, gazing at the city engulfed in flames in the distance, his face devoid of any emotion.

"The White Bone Sect's legacy is broken; it's time to leave."

This was the last stronghold of the White Bone Sect, and at this moment, countless cultivators were entering, slaughtering mercilessly.

In just a month, the once top three sect of the Central Divine Continent was utterly annihilated, leaving not a single remnant.

Xu Hei either acted directly or subtly instigated others to take action.

He wanted to witness the complete destruction of the White Bone Sect before leaving.

He still hadn't figured out whether Xiao Chou was truly dead or not.

Whenever he thought about such things possibly happening to himself, Xu Hei felt a chill down his spine and an uncontrollable nausea.

At this moment, the distant burning city collapsed, turning into a scorched wasteland.

A surge of heat suddenly arose in Xu Hei's heart; it was the birth of dragon blood.

Not demon blood, but true dragon blood.

"Dragon blood..."

Xu Hei fell into deep thought.

Destroying the White Bone Sect led to the birth of dragon blood; what was the pattern here?

He suddenly recalled the first drop of dragon blood, which appeared when he drove away Meng Sheng from Penglai Island, crushing the notion of "replacing the old with the new," allowing demonic beasts to take charge of their own destiny.

And now, after destroying the White Bone Sect, dragon blood appeared again.

What was the commonality between destroying the White Bone Sect and defeating Meng Sheng?

After pondering for a long time, Xu Hei let out a long breath.

He took out the white bone jade slip, which contained the fluctuations of the laws of life, possibly the only remaining inheritance of the White Bone Sect.

"I used to think only Spiritual Qi needed to be seized, but I didn't expect the Dao to be the same!"

"Is this the struggle of the Dao?"

Xu Hei contemplated for a long time but did not crush the white bone jade slip or delve into its contents. Instead, he placed heavy seals on it and put it away.

Then, Xu Hei took heavy steps toward the distant mountains, toward the multitude of beings.

Xu Hei didn't know that this departure would last a century.

…………

Time flew by, and ten years passed in the blink of an eye. Once again, it was the time for the opening of the Outer Battlefield.

This time, the number of people attracted would reach an unprecedented high. This was because the gates of the Void Realm were wide open, allowing anyone to enter at any time!

All major cultivation stars went crazy; as long as one reached the Elemental Infant stage and sought to advance further to Divine Transformation, they would unhesitatingly step into the Void Realm in search of opportunities.

For the Divine Continent Star, it was even more so.

Because the Divine Puppet Sect was about to have another Divine Transformation cultivator, Qin Xuanji, whose transformation was already a certainty, only a matter of time.

The long-absent Zhao Nanqi appeared at the entrance of the Outer Battlefield, his eyes flashing with overwhelming killing intent.

"Xu Hei, if I come back alive, you'll be the first I kill!"

"Just wait and see, whether it's me or you who reaches that point first!"

The fierceness in Zhao Nanqi's eyes flickered and disappeared as he rushed into the space tunnel, vanishing from sight.

…………

Western Central Divine Continent.

Two years after the White Bone Sect was destroyed, the Ma Kingdom fell, its territory divided among seven neighboring countries, whose strength subsequently soared.

Especially the Le Kingdom, which gained the most, occupying almost half of the Ma Kingdom's land. The reason was simple: Le Kingdom's national power was already strong, and this was just the icing on the cake.

Former Ma Kingdom border, now within Le Kingdom.

A young man in white stepped onto a vast plain.

This place was once a battlefield where, ten years ago, the Ma Kingdom and allied forces fought, burying countless mortals and cultivators.

Back then, this place became pitted and barren, but now it was lush with vegetation, rich in Spiritual Power, with many Spirit Medicines and Spirit Plants. Some demonic beasts were drawn here, wandering in the verdant plains.

The place where A Long died had become a pool filled with Spiritual Qi.

Spiritual Qi does not disappear.

After mortals die, they turn into nutrients, nourishing the soil. The Spiritual Power of deceased cultivators also dissipates into this space.

All of this confirmed the Dao Xu Hei comprehended, and his own laws were gradually being perfected.

Over the years, Xu Hei hadn't left; he was merely witnessing the fall of a nation.

Xu Hei had yet to name the laws he comprehended because he felt they were not yet perfect, and his understanding of the Dao still had gaps to fill.

Smoke rose, mortals fled, cultivators slaughtered each other; in these ten years, Xu Hei had seen too much, and countless acquaintances perished in the wars.

But Xu Hei's heart had become more resilient than before, with no emotional fluctuations.

Severing mortal ties, heart like a rock, this was the transformation from mortal to immortal, from snake to dragon.

Though Xu Hei witnessed the fall of a sect and a nation in these ten years, he always felt something was amiss.

Firstly, the white-bearded elder, whose name Xu Hei still didn't know, was assumed to be an important figure in the White Bone Sect. But over the years, Xu Hei realized that elder wasn't the Sect Master or any Grand Elder.

Xu Hei merely regarded him as some hidden Ancestor and didn't pay much attention.

Secondly, the fall of the White Bone Sect seemed somewhat absurd, initiated merely by the elder's reckless attempt to recruit him. In the struggle of the Dao, no one would willingly offer their own Dao to others. Xu Hei preferred to believe the elder had ill intentions, trying to trap him.

But did the elder really think Xu Hei would fall for it?

Thirdly, the appearance of Xiao Chou was too coincidental. Meeting by chance in the vast sea of people, while possible, seemed to bear traces of human orchestration.

With all these complexities, Xu Hei's simple mind couldn't comprehend them. But over the past ten years, the more Xu Hei experienced, the more he felt something was off.

"Perhaps I'm overthinking," Xu Hei thought to himself.

Three days later, Xu Hei entered a city, now part of Le Kingdom's territory, bringing Le Kingdom's traditions here.

However, upon entering the city, Xu Hei noticed something strange.

The city, once filled with laughter and joy, suddenly became eerily silent. Whether in gambling dens, theaters, streets, or among the nobility, there was no sound of laughter.

Funeral processions on the roadside were somber and lifeless.

Some cried, some were angry, some were melancholy. Xu Hei scanned everyone in the city, and they all seemed to have lost the emotion known as joy.