Even beings like Du Ling and Ling Yun had left behind contingencies for resurrection, laying the groundwork for their eventual return. It was only natural for God King Yan Hao to have done the same. He was the true owner of this skull, the original master of the Ruin Realm. As a God King, he was qualified to rival even the will of the bizarre mist. Though he had fallen, and his divine consciousness no longer held independent will, traces of his existence could still resurface under the right conditions. If fortune favored him, he could even return to his former peak, reforming both his body and Divine Persona. This was one such time, with the Sanctum of Godly and Demonic Genesis, the projection of the Rank Thirteen World Tree, and Pang Jian's attempt to ascend as a Sovereign through the creation of life. One of Yan Hao's dormant life seeds awakened alongside the forming insects, avians, and beasts. The convergence of the power of creation, alongside the influx of solar and fire energy, brought Yan Hao's new body to life, forming a young boy in mere seconds. The laws of the Ruin Realm recognized the aura radiating from Yan Hao and immediately resonated with him. Pang Jian's expression shifted sharply. That dark-red-skinned youth, though still fragmented in soul and clouded in essence, exuded a threatening aura that caused Pang Jian's instincts to flare. Pang Jian could feel his connection to the Ruin Realm waver with the emergence of the youth. "That's God King Yan Hao!" Mu Duo warned, having made up his mind to side with Pang Jian. "Don't let him return! Bind!" The Divine Persona between Mu Duo's brows flared with dazzling light as he unleashed his secret techniques. His Celestial Wood Staff flew from his hand in a graceful arc, streaking toward the star where the youth stood and plunging straight into the heart of the bubbling volcano. Mid-flight, the staff transformed into a gnarled, ancient vine. Its tendrils lashed out like steel serpents, aiming to strangle Yan Hao on the spot. Unleashing his divine domain, Mu Duo manifested a phantom realm teeming with towering trees and flourishing greenery. Verdant lights of pure life energy formed in the air and surged into the vine birthed from the staff, infusing the lashing tendrils with divine power. "Where am I?" asked the reborn Yan Hao. Sparks of ancient wisdom flickered within his sun-like eyes, as if trying to recall forgotten memories. "Who am I?" All Yan Hao knew was that this realm of chaotic yet order-bound laws filled him with a comforting tranquility. He felt as though he were the true master of this realm, but could not remember anything beyond that. The meridians within his body were being tempered, and crystal bloodline chains flashed rapidly within his chest. The blazing sun in the starry region above the bizarre mist stirred at the sound of his voice. Its radiant light and searing flames dimmed as tiny characters, no larger than a fly, appeared around the sun, encircling it like chains. As the minuscule characters absorbed the solar flames, they swelled rapidly, revealing themselves as the ancient script of the Flame and Radiant Races. "Yan." Tʜe sourcᴇ of thɪs content ɪs 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚫𝙣𝙚𝙩 Two ancient characters descended like plummeting suns, plunging into the Ruin Realm with terrifying momentum. One struck the ancient vine formed from the Celestial Wood Staff, and the other blasted into Mu Duo's divine domain. A cataclysmic inferno exploded like the collapse of the heavens. The unimaginable destructive might of the two characters had obliterated Mu Duo's divine domain, reduced the massive ancient vine to ashes, and left Mu Duo grievously wounded, all in the blink of an eye. "Ahhh!" the high-ranking God of the Wood Race screamed in agony as blazing radiance surged through his sea of consciousness and ignited his Divine Persona. Through the torment, he watched in horror as the two ancient characters, refined from the blazing sun, fused into Yan Hao's body, sending his aura surging to new heights. "God King!" Mu Duo howled in despair. Even in his reborn state, Yan Hao still wielded world-shaking divine might, far beyond what a high-ranking God could contend with. The anomalies unfolding inside the Ruin Realm also alarmed the Outer Gods in the bizarre mist outside. "Those characters are written in the ancient language of the Flame and Radiant Races! They contain the fundamental truths of heaven and earth!" "Has Pang Jian already comprehended Yan Hao's Dao? Is he on the verge of stepping into Sovereignhood?" "Pang Jian! If you still refuse to show yourself, we'll kill Ying Yue and Han Yi!" Following the characters "Yan" and "Hao", other characters like "Sun," "Day," "Radiance," and "Fire" also descended upon the skull, piercing through it and plunging deep into the Ruin Realm. The Outer Gods had no idea a profound transformation was already underway within the Ruin Realm. They assumed that Pang Jian's silence meant he did not care whether Ying Yue and Han Yi lived or died, and was wholly focused on breaking into Sovereignhood. "This is the man you gave your loyalty to?" Yan Lie mocked coldly, voice rumbling like thunder across the sky. "A mere human from the Abyss moved your hearts, but ask yourself, has he ever shown the slightest concern for your lives?" Yan Lie casually waved his hand, and the crimson bolts that had been lashing at Han Yi abruptly withdrew, vanishing into the surging inferno. He also signaled to the Outer Gods surrounding Ying Yue to back off. All he wanted was an answer. Once he was convinced that Pang Jian cared not for Han Yi or Ying Yue, the Fire God saw no point in continuing to use them as bait. Han Yi sat on her glacier-like divine platform in silence, utterly drained from her brush with death. She had survived, but Yan Lie's cutting words still left a scarring sorrow in her heart. Does he truly not care? Han Yi wondered. No, that can't be... Off to the side, Ying Yue's beautiful face remained unreadable, her thoughts hidden beneath her icy expression. Mu Ya let out a mocking laugh, her words laced with spite. "Those True Gods of the human race have always hated us Outer Gods. You two are fools to think otherwise. Wiping them out is the only way to end the threat. That's what serves all our interests." Meanwhile, in the Ruin Realm, ancient divine characters continued to descend one after another, fusing into Yan Hao's ever-evolving body. "Sun-Refining Art," Pang Jian called, "Nine Suns Strike the Heavens!" Pang Jian stepped forward and appeared above the star where Yan Hao stood. The character for "Heaven" was just about to merge with Yan Hao when he reached out and caught it mid-air. The "Heaven" character, forged from solar flames, seemed etched with the essence of the Heavenly Daos. It radiated dazzling brilliance and embodied the truths Yan Hao had once comprehended, serving as a wellspring to enhance his divine power. Unleashing the Primeval Demon Fusion Art, a devouring vortex formed on Pang Jian's palm, pulling in the character for "Heaven" and refining it in an instant. A second character then appeared from beyond the Ruin Realm. Pang Jian caught it with the Primeval Demon Fusion Art and refined it the same way. "Who are you?" Yan Hao, having grown into a young man, stared at Pang Jian in confusion. "Why are you stealing my stuff?"