Beast Divine Land, Tenth-Order Beast God

The fact that Alchemy Emperor City remains unscathed proves that the Blood Slaughter Hall has failed.

Whatever the reason may be, everyone now understands that even if the Immortal Alchemy Emperor's health is compromised, he is not someone to be trifled with.

Thus, the prestige of Alchemy Emperor City will only grow stronger, not weaker.

"You excel in everything, but your temperament is a bit too reclusive."

"Had you shown even a fraction of ambition back then, Alchemy Emperor City wouldn’t be what it is today."

"You could have easily built it into a supreme power—given your influence, it would have been effortless."

Hearing Chen Chang'an's words, Yao Niming nodded in agreement. It was indeed time for some changes.

"Lie Zhankuang, why don’t you stay and help out? It’s not like you have a home to return to anyway."

"Besides, aren’t you still itching to settle the score with Long Wuqi?"

"Sticking close to the Alchemy Emperor will bring you plenty of benefits," Chen Chang'an said with a smile.

Hmm...

Lie Zhankuang pondered for a moment. Given his current circumstances, he truly had nowhere else to go. On top of that, the Dragon Emperor Palace was hunting him relentlessly.

"Fine, I’ll stay," Lie Zhankuang agreed with a nod.

Now, with Kuang Zhongtang and Lie Zhankuang—a genuine Great Emperor-level powerhouse—by his side, Yao Niming's safety was far more assured.

"I’ll stay too."

"I want to join Alchemy Emperor City."

Before Chen Chang'an could even ask, Fan Yi already knew his choice. Joining Alchemy Emperor City would indirectly tie him to Chen Chang'an.

It was a foolproof deal. Moreover, given his injuries, staying here was the best option.

Besides, Alchemy Emperor City needed someone like him—a strategist capable of handling affairs, not to mention his own formidable strength as a Great Emperor.

Otherwise, with just Kuang Zhongtang and Lie Zhankuang around?

Chen Chang'an glanced at Yao Niming, and seeing no objection, he nodded in approval.

"Leaving again?"

"You just got back."

Yao Niming looked at Chen Chang'an, well aware that once arrangements were made, he would likely depart once more.

"Yeah, born to be busy."

"No helping it," Chen Chang'an replied with a chuckle.

"Where are you headed this time?"

Where indeed?

Truth be told, Chen Chang'an had no clear direction. The whereabouts of the fetal beads had become an enigma, with no leads whatsoever. Even the Chen family’s records offered no clues.

"Say... haven’t we missed a lot of places?" Chen Chang'an turned to Da Huang.

"The Central Heaven Domain is vast. We’ve barely been out for long—of course there are plenty of places we haven’t been."

"Are you thinking of... trying your luck?" Da Huang asked curiously.

"Yeah, might as well explore those places."

Chen Chang'an’s only hope of finding the fetal beads lay in these uncharted territories.

But the Central Heaven Domain was enormous. With so many unexplored regions, where should he even begin?

The odds were scarcely better than finding a needle in a haystack.

"Chang'an, have you heard of the Beast God Continent?"

Beast God Continent?

Chen Chang'an had heard of it but never visited.

Rumors said that in the Beast God Continent, the dominant cultivation method was beast taming. Practitioners not only cultivated themselves but also sought out compatible demonic beasts to aid them in battle.

Typically, they chose beasts that either compensated for their weaknesses or complemented their fighting style.

In the Beast God Continent, one’s status was directly tied to the strength of their tamed beast.

Moreover, the Beast God Continent was insular, rarely interacting with the outside world. Its inhabitants seldom ventured beyond their borders.

Mysterious, to say the least.

This unique system existed primarily because the Beast God Continent was home to the Beast God Mountain Range—the origin of its name.

"You want to go to the Beast God Continent?" Chen Chang'an asked.

"Yes. I’ve heard stories about it from my elders and I’m curious."

"Since we’re traveling anyway, why not check it out?" Gu Fengyao gazed at him expectantly.

Though Chen Chang'an intended to wander, his journey wasn’t aimless—he had a goal in mind.

The Beast God Continent was isolated, with few outsiders visiting and even fewer of its people leaving.

Was it possible for the fetal beads to have ended up there?

"Young Master, what’s on your mind?"

Noticing Chen Chang'an’s prolonged silence, Gu Xian'er couldn’t help but ask.

What was he thinking?

Chen Chang'an was reviewing the Chen family records, searching for any connection to the Beast God Continent.

After much deliberation, he found no mention of it whatsoever.

"I’ve been to the Beast God Continent once before."

"Back then, it was to find a rare herb for alchemy."

"They say the true powerhouse there is the Beast God of the Beast God Mountain Range. Rumor has it that the Beast God isn’t just at the peak of the ninth rank—it’s broken through to the tenth."

"The Profound Mystic Realm hasn’t seen a tenth-rank demonic beast in ages."

"But whether it’s true or not, who knows?"

Initially, Da Huang had scoffed at the idea of a so-called "Beast God." If it held that title, it was only because Da Huang hadn’t been in the Beast God Mountain Range. Otherwise, who would dare claim such arrogance in his presence?

But upon hearing that the Beast God might be a tenth-rank entity, Da Huang grew intrigued.

The tenth rank—that was the barrier Da Huang had longed to break through.

When he first met Chen Chang'an, Da Huang was already at the peak of the ninth rank. Yet, after all these years, he still hadn’t taken that final step.

He always felt like something was missing, some elusive piece of the puzzle he couldn’t grasp.

Seeing Da Huang’s expression, Chen Chang'an knew his companion was tempted.

Da Huang had been by his side all this time. If this journey could offer him a chance to touch the threshold of the tenth rank, Chen Chang'an wouldn’t hesitate.

After all, time was the one thing he had in abundance.

"Let’s go, Da Huang."

"To the Beast God Continent," Chen Chang'an said with a smile.

"I knew it. You’re the worm in my gut—you always know what I’m thinking."

Da Huang grinned toothily. Between them, there was no need for formalities. Understanding was enough.

"Shut it, mutt. If you can’t speak properly, keep your mouth closed," Chen Chang'an shot back with a glare.

The journey from Alchemy Emperor City to the Beast God Continent was no short trip—far longer than the distance to Famous Sword State.

Without further delay, Chen Chang'an and his companions set out the very next day after a night’s rest at Alchemy Emperor Manor.

Three months passed in the blink of an eye.

Traveling at a leisurely pace, they drew closer to the Beast God Continent with each passing day.

"By my count..."

"The second update of the Human Rankings should be coming soon, right?"

Chen Chang'an gazed up at the sky. The last update had been when they left Alchemy Emperor City for the Fengtian Imperial Dynasty.

Now, here they were again, departing from Alchemy Emperor City—this time bound for the Beast God Continent.

Going in circles, it seemed. Had an entire year really been spent orbiting Alchemy Emperor City?

Upon hearing Chen Chang'an's words, both Gu Xian'er and Gu Fengyao felt a hint of nervousness.

The Human Ranking—was it finally about to be updated again?

Over the past three months, they had pushed themselves to the limit in cultivation. Just three days ago, both of them had broken through to the first level of the Cave Void Realm.

Though they had caught up to Chen Yunxuan's cultivation level, who knew if he had made further breakthroughs during this time?

"No matter the ranking, this time, I’m certain I can break into the top five," Gu Fengyao said excitedly.

Before her words even faded, golden light once again erupted across the sky, spreading over the entire Profound Realm in an instant.

Everyone raised their heads to gaze upward.

With the experience of the past two updates, they all knew what this meant—the Human Ranking was about to be refreshed once more.