How can I have a heart of a demonic god in my body?!

The layout of the Evil Moon Sect's black palace was somewhat similar to the "Blood Moon Hall" that Chen Yu had first encountered in the Kunyun Realm.

Even the sect's symbol felt almost the same.

Perhaps there was indeed some connection between the two.

Boom!

The black palace landed directly at the rear of the building complex.

Subsequently, figures of both men and women emerged from within, each with powerful, unnoticeable auras and impressive appearances, most of their talents inscrutable from the surface alone.

Leading the group were two women, one dressed in black with dark skin and deep eyes, exuding a mature and alluring aura, sporting a black moon mark on her brow.

Beside her, another woman in white, with skin as smooth as cream and a faint smile on her lips, bore a white moon mark on her brow.

"Yin Yang Twin Moons!"

A man's gaze focused intently on the two women, who appeared different yet uniquely captivating.

The two women walked slowly without emitting any distinct Cultivation Technique aura. On one side of them, it was dark and gloomy, while on the other, it was bright and clear.

Side by side, one dark and one light, they presented a stark contrast yet an inexplicably harmonious aesthetic.

"These twins practice the Evil Moon Sect's 'Yin Yang Moon Technique.' When alone, each is among the top ten of the 'Heavenly Pride List.' However, if they join forces, their strength might be comparable to the 'Fallen Moon Venerable' from the Evil Moon Sect."

"By the way, where is the Fallen Moon Venerable? Why haven't I seen him?"

Fallen Moon Venerable, a once-in-a-millennium prodigy of the Evil Moon Sect, was second in the last ranking battle of the Heavenly Pride List.

After two years of closure, he reappeared in the Southern Domain and conquered the former number one in ten moves, taking his place!

To this date, the Fallen Moon Venerable had occupied the throne of the Heavenly Pride List's number one for three years.

Just at that moment—

From behind the crowd, a startling and sharp Sword Intent burst forth.

Swoosh!

A figure in white floated forward from the rear and landed on a solitary stone.

Her black hair flowed like a waterfall, her eyes were serene, and though she held no sword, invisible Sword Rays wandered around her. The stone beneath her feet and the surrounding ground suddenly displayed terrifying Sword Marks.

This scene shocked the people nearby. What was this unseen sword about?

"Guan Aoxue, don't tell me you want to challenge us before the ranking battle?"

The Yin Yang Twin Moons spoke in unison, their overlapping voices creating a strangely mesmerizing yet eerie illusion.

The arrival was the popular top-five candidate, Absolute Sword Immortal Guan Aoxue!

At that moment, the three exceptionally beautiful women seemed to be engaged in an invisible skirmish.

"Is that the Absolute Sword Immortal Guan Aoxue?"

Chen Yu couldn't help but scrutinize her carefully; he had heard numerous rumors about her during his travels.

Suddenly, his mind conjured up an image of a figure in white.

"There's some resemblance… I wonder how Ye Luofeng is doing now..."

Seeing Guan Aoxue reminded Chen Yu of someone, a piece of the past, stirring a flood of emotions in him.

If Ye Luofeng were safe, she should have gone to the Eastern Domain with that unreliable, handsome man—Chen Yu wondered how she was faring now…

"Engaging me now, you still stand a chance, but in a one-on-one ranking battle, you're bound to lose."

Guan Aoxue's voice was cold and provoking, yet it carried no emotional fluctuations.

The eyebrows of the Yin Yang Twin Moons furrowed at the same time, finding Guan Aoxue, a person devoid of emotions interested in nothing but the sword, exceedingly dull.

Unable to witness a fight between the three women, the bystanders also felt quite regretful. The Absolute Sword Immortal and the Yin Yang Twin Moons were both top contenders in this ranking battle, not to mention top-tier beauties.

Guan Aoxue's gaze passed over the Yin Yang Twin Moons and many of the talented members of the Evil Moon Sect, settling on the black hall.

Before the hall stood a man with his hands behind his back, his features rugged, his eyes an eerie yellow, conveying a sense of vast antiquity.

"Fallen Moon Venerable!"

Luo Qiumei and Shen Ji also directed their gazes toward him.

Fallen Moon Venerable stood in the distance, far away yet exuding an invisible oppression over all the prodigies, causing their inner energy to stagnate and making them involuntarily hold their breath.

Fallen Moon Venerable's gaze lightly swept across the crowd before retracting, his face revealing a bored expression.

Then, he returned to the grand hall.

"This guy only thinks we're not worth observing or talking to, doesn't he?"

Shen Ji's expression turned slightly angry, his fists involuntarily clenching!

"But he has the capital to do so."

Luo Qiumei's eyes showed a touch of disappointment.

Compared with the four-star ruling power, Fallen Moon Venerable, she was like a firefly next to a bright moon.

"Is this the legendary number one of the Heavenly List?"

Chen Yu was continuously shocked.

Fallen Moon Venerable felt less like a peer and more like an old predecessor.

Clearly, Fallen Moon Venerable's cultivation was solid, his Cultivation Techniques profound, and his spirit equally vast and powerful—in all aspects, nearly flawless.

Only a very few prodigies on-site could match him in individual aspects.

Overall, Chen Yu hadn't found anyone who could equal Fallen Moon Venerable.

Although the Heavenly List ranking battle hadn't yet begun, Chen Yu had already witnessed all kinds of talents from the Southern Domain, his emotions rising and falling.

"This ranking battle, I just need to give it my all."

Chen Yu's mind suddenly steadied, and he walked into the Demon Horn Warship, no longer affected by external influences, fully focusing on preparing for the coming battle!

Just then, within the Carefree Palace camp, Fang Yanling's gaze landed on Chen Yu.

"Thief, I must avenge my brother!"

In Fang Yanling's calm eyes, a cold light suddenly appeared.

"Fang, did you see that person?"

Next to her, a handsome man in a blue robe walked out.

As the leader of this excursion to the Carefree Palace, at his inquiry, the Master had informed Chen Yu of the relevant matters and instructed him not to disclose them.

Upon hearing of Chen Yu's connection with the Carefree Palace, Li Wenyi felt a slight undulation in his heart.

He had not expected that the Carefree Palace, to which he belonged, had once clashed with a nobody from a minor realm and suffered a disastrous defeat!

Fang Yanling nodded slightly without speaking.

"This time at the Heavenly Pride Ranking Battle, I will definitely defeat him."

Li Wenyi's eyes brimmed with utter confidence.

In the secret room, Chen Yu calmed his heart and sat cross-legged on the Earth Element Crystal, sensing the universe.

Two hours later, his mental state suddenly soared, reaching a new height!

"My mental realm has also reached the Peak of the Early-stage Sky Sea Realm!"

Chen Yu could not help but smile.

This included the auxiliary effects of the Blood Star Holy Pill, Moon Spirit Ore Mother, and the Earth Element Crystal, as well as the pressure Chen Yu faced from the ranking battle.

In any case, his strength had advanced a step further.

He looked forward with anticipation, to see where he could reach step by step...

Time slowly passed by.

In the final moments, only a very few individuals, either grouped or alone, arrived.

The next day.

At a certain moment, an elder in a gray-black robe flew out of the black palace of the Evil Moon Sect, his beard dragging along the ground, holding a wooden cane.

The appearance of this man disturbed the heavens and the earth, changing the colors of the sky and causing invisible forces to stir up the space.

"The Southern Domain Heavenly Pride Ranking Battle begins now."

A simple phrase thundered like a clap of lightning.

Swoosh—

From many buildings, figures dashed out, everyone looking up towards the sky simultaneously.

The moment had finally arrived!

"Right ahead is the site for the first stage of the Heavenly Pride Ranking Battle, 'Heavenly Pride Garden'."

In that enormous circular building in the distance, the power of the Array suddenly activated, and a layer of colorful membrane emerged.

Through the membrane, one could see a magnificent new world inside!

This feeling was wondrous, as if viewing another world in the water from land, except the proportions of the two differed.

"This is a land demarcated by the top powers of various major sects from the Southern Domain using supreme Divine Skills in the desolate ancient lands, serving as the site for the first stage of the Heavenly Pride Ranking Battle!"

An elder from the Black Demon Valley explained.

Using supreme Divine Skills, they had captured a piece of land and merged it with the Array to form a separate space!

Chen Yu listened, his mind shaking with awe, suspecting that perhaps not even a single Condensed Star King could achieve this.

"The first stage of the Southern Domain Heavenly Pride Ranking Battle begins now!"

The long-bearded elder from the Evil Moon Sect solemnly announced.

"Just touching the Array will enable entry into the competition site of the first stage."

An elder from Canglei Palace stepped forward and spoke.

The grand comparison of the Southern Domain's Heavenly Pride involved a joint effort of various powerful factions, where sects rated three stars and above could participate, though less powerful sects had lower discursive power.

"The competition rules are simple; upon entering 'Heavenly Pride Garden,' each of you will receive a mark, and the rule is to rob others of their mark."

"Once the number of people with marks drops below five hundred, the first stage ends!"

The first stage aimed to eliminate all the idle participants among the gathered prodigies, reducing the count to five hundred.

The vast extent of the Southern Domain was indescribable, teeming with countless sects and families, far exceeding even five thousand individuals.

The main purpose of the first stage was to weed out the numerous filler participants who came just for the excitement.

"The first stage seems quite dangerous; the desolate ancient lands are known to be one of the perilous places in the Southern Domain, with no fewer than ten forbidden areas; forget it, I won't participate."

"I think the danger isn't the desolate ancient lands, but those bloodthirsty elite prodigies; the first stage didn't say killing isn't allowed..."

Immediately, some chose to give up.

Yet in that moment, countless others leapt up, approaching the massive Array.

Chen Yu and Tu Zhixiang, without any hesitation, flew toward it.

Buzz!

The moment Chen Yu touched the Array, an enigmatic force pervaded his entire body.

He saw someone nearby approach the Array and promptly get shocked away by it; that person awkwardly departed.

"It seems this Array also possesses the ability to check age," Chen Yu mused silently.

After all, this was the only unchanging rule of the Heavenly Pride Rankings.

Buzz!

A beam of light materialized, turning into a white pentagon and imprinting itself on the back of Chen Yu's hand.

In the next instant, Chen Yu's form, enveloped in a brilliant dazzle of colors, vanished without trace.

Simultaneously, an additional figure appeared within Heavenly Pride Garden.

Chen Yu stood in a forest, the ancient, mottled scent of primordial air flooding his nostrils.

He looked up; the sky appeared normal, only the external world was out of sight.

However, this was preferable—if they could see innumerable spectators upon looking up, it might have caused pressure instead.

"In the first stage, as long as I retain the mark, I won't be eliminated. But the purpose of the mark must be more than just that; otherwise, would it not make the robbery of marks meaningless?"

"There must be other roles associated with the number of marks in the first stage."

Chen Yu thought deeply.