At the moment Gu Jianlin grasped the Qilin Wedge, his consciousness seemed to traverse into another world.
A world shrouded in darkness, where pitch-black clouds spread like ink.
The nightscape expanded endlessly, immersing sky and earth in utter blackness.
It seemed to be a realm within the Qilin Wedge, not belonging to any specific Ancient God Realm, but rather an isolated space permeated by a dense black mist. Deep within the fog were countless black holes, as if glimpses of the primordial void of the universe could be seen—countless silent celestial bodies floating within a desolate galaxy.
Standing alone amidst the mist, he gazed into the darkness ahead.
Before him stood a heavy coffin of Mo Jade, its body semi-transparent.
Within the coffin, a faintly discernible ghostly presence could be seen.
It was a dark golden Dragon Bone, immersed in scalding molten lava!
For a fleeting moment, Gu Jianlin believed he was hallucinating.
In truth, inside the Mo Jade Coffin was not a Dragon Bone.
But rather a peerlessly stunning woman, silently slumbering within.
Upon first laying eyes upon her, the Black Qilin within Gu Jianlin's mind abruptly opened its blazing, furious golden eyes, revealing an unrestrained hunger and greed that burned in the depths of its pupils, exposing its most primal instincts!
Inside the young man's mind, it was as if millions of souls were desperately screaming.
Relentlessly commanding him.
Devour this Dragon Bone!
"I see now. This is what the Qilin Venerable took from the Candle Dragon Venerable, forcing her, over two thousand years ago, to abandon her battle against the Human World and instead hasten to the East Sea, initiating the Supreme War."
Gu Jianlin murmured softly, "The Candle Dragon Venerable sought to stop the Qilin Venerable from devouring the Dragon Bone!"
So it was, everything became clear.
The First Generation Qilin Venerable had been imprisoned in the deepest recesses of the Immortal Palace, cut off from the outside world.
And the Qilin Wedge had already been shattered, sealed in various parts of the Immortal Palace.
The ancient Supreme being had been imprisoned, unable even to sense the Wedge's existence.
Indeed, after several hundred, perhaps a thousand years, it might still resurrect.
But clearly, due to certain circumstances, it deemed it couldn't wait and forcibly summoned the Qilin Immortal Palace into existence.
Thus weakening itself to the extreme.
It was an unsolvable deadlock.
Until Gu Jianlin's arrival.
Gu Jianlin had inherited the Qilin Venerable's power, allowing him to act in the real world, effectively shattering the stalemate.
Now, as long as someone awakened the Qilin Wedge, he would be able to sense it and summon it to his hand!
And thus, claim the Dragon Bone!
Everything interlocked seamlessly, one link after another.
"No wonder, when the Kui Dragon Ancestor discovered my presence, the Candle Dragon Venerable immediately descended, even waiting for me in the dimensional tunnel of the Qilin Immortal Palace. She couldn't fathom how I escaped, nor understand how I managed to traverse between the Ancient God Realm and reality repeatedly."
"The Candle Dragon Venerable must have used the restraints she left behind back then as an anchor to locate me. Now she must be deep in thought, wondering: If those restraints still exist, how did I get out?"
"It's not something divination or fortune-telling could decipher. No matter how weak I might be, I possess the rank of Supreme, and matters concerning two Ancient Supremes—no one can predict the outcome."
"That's right, the Candle Dragon Venerable is acting this way because she's panicked."
Gu Jianlin pieced together everything, sensing he had uncovered a world-shaking secret.
Because the authority of the Qilin Venerable lies in devouring.
"I suspect this space can be opened, but without the Qilin Venerable's consent, no one can take the Dragon Bone away. Thus, the Candle Dragon Venerable is left with nothing but empty threats and temptations, with no alternative. That old monster doesn't worry about others obtaining the Wedge, as they cannot take away the Dragon Bone nor possess the ability to devour it."
Gu Jianlin paused: "But I can. The Qilin Venerable can."
Following the instinct of his soul, he approached the Mo Jade Coffin step by step.
With each step, through profiling, he could perceive the malicious intent of the First Generation Qilin Venerable.
It wasn't directed at him.
But toward the old monster!
Hostility aimed at the Candle Dragon Venerable.
In the unseen depths, it was as if he could hear the venomous laughter of the First Generation Qilin Venerable.
"How utterly insane! How deeply hateful!"
Gu Jianlin gazed at the Mo Jade Coffin.
The Black Gold Dragon Bone immersed within molten lava seemed to come alive.
At that moment, Gu Jianlin raised his hand to his face, and the dark Ink Jade Mask coalesced, a majestic, menacing Qilin Horn rose above his head, his body was covered in pitch-black Dragon Scales, and his golden eyes ignited fiercely.
In his hand, a spectral black broken sword appeared out of thin air, which he reversed and plunged into the Mo Jade Coffin.
The lid of the Mo Jade Coffin shattered abruptly, dissipating into darkness.
The Qilin Wedge in Gu Jianlin's hand continued its descent, finally landing on the Dragon Bone submerged in molten lava!
From his palm, an immense black hole vortex seemed to expand, suddenly devouring the Dragon Bone!
In the very instant, the Black Qilin deep within his consciousness roared aloud.
Within its golden, vertically slitted eyes that blazed like the sun, appeared a blood-red tint of demonic allure!
The roar echoed like a Dragon's Cry!
Gu Jianlin observed the Black Qilin, its ancient, majestic form remained unchanged, yet it now resembled a black dragon soaring into the void—the Dragon's Roar pierced through the depths of his soul!
At the same time, the Divine projection in his consciousness trembled and flickered wildly.
Silently, a different apparition split off entirely!
It was a blood-soaked youth, his body riddled with gruesome scars inflicted by countless blades, as if treading upon heaps of corpses, the scent of blood unbearably intense.