I can receive unlimited protection; my parents handed me over to the state.

The Northern Frontier, a Void-Contaminated Zone.

"Pfft!"

Ye Cang's old blade flashed with a cold light as he precisely severed the head of a level 38 "Void Ripper." Black blood spurted out as he sheathed his blade and glanced at the battlefield not far away, which was now in dire straits.

Lin Ziling's mental energy was nearly exhausted, and the elemental shield in front of her was cracked and on the verge of collapse. Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian, the two strongest tanks, were also covered in wounds and on the verge of death under the endless and bizarre attacks of the "Skeleton Demon Infant".

"Is it going to end...?"

Ye Cang gripped the knife tightly, a hint of resentment flashing in his eyes. He still had much swordsmanship to comprehend, and he hadn't yet obtained the [Asura] sword that Lu Yuan had designed for him. He didn't want to die here like this.

Just then, the level 55 "Skeleton Demon Infant" seemed to have grown tired of this "cat and mouse" game. Its eerie, infant-like face suddenly opened its mouth, and a dark energy ball, even larger and more solid than before, began to gather wildly within it! A terrifying aura, capable of destroying everything, instantly enveloped the entire battlefield!

It aims to wipe everyone out in one strike!

Gazing at the dark energy sphere radiating an aura of despair, everyone's faces turned ashen with despair. However, just a second before the energy sphere was about to launch, a sudden change occurred!

Two streaks of light, one golden and one blue, tore through space without warning, like two meteorites from outer space, falling from the sky at an incredible speed, and then landing precisely on the ground in front of Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian!

Those were two enormous, menacing battle axes, one gold and one blue!

When the two enormous battle axes, like divine punishment hurled from the heavens, crashed down in front of Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian, the entire battlefield fell into an eerie silence for a moment. All eyes were drawn to these two suddenly appearing divine weapons, radiating a terrifying aura.

Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian stared blankly at the battle axe stuck in front of them, their minds completely blank.

That axe, entirely dark gold in color and as heavy as a mountain, seemingly capable of splitting the heavens and earth, is the [Creator]!

That blood-blue axe, with a blade as light as the wind, seemingly capable of severing time and space, is the [Thousand Changes]!

Although they had only seen the designs of these two weapons on paper, when they appeared in front of them in their physical form, the strong resonance and desire from the depths of their blood made them recognize them instantly!

This is... a special artifact that Master Lu created exclusively for them!

"It's...it's Master Lu!" Gu Tianye's lips trembled as he looked at the [Thousand Transformations Beast Soul Axe]. His eyes, dimmed by despair, blazed with a fire more intense and ferocious than ever before! "He...he hasn't forgotten us! He brought us the weapon!"

Xiang Batian felt the same way. Looking at the [Titan Axe of Creation] that seemed to be connected to his own blood, he felt an unprecedented and domineering power surge from the soles of his feet to the top of his head! His body, which had been hunched over due to his serious injuries, straightened up again at this moment; his face, pale from blood loss, revealed a smile full of endless arrogance and fighting spirit!

"Great! Here it comes!"

The two exchanged a glance, both seeing the overwhelming joy of something lost and then regained in each other's eyes! Without any hesitation, they almost simultaneously reached out and grasped the handle of their own divine weapon axe!

"boom--!!"

"roar--!!"

The moment their hands gripped the axe handles, two completely different but equally terrifying energy storms erupted from the two of them!

A blinding dark golden light erupted from Xiang Batian's body, his massive frame expanding once more. The mysterious golden Titan patterns on his skin became clearer and more dazzling than ever before! A heavy, immortal aura, seemingly capable of suppressing eternity, emanated from him! The [Heaven-Opening] axe in his hand also emitted a metallic clang that seemed to shatter the heavens, and the earthen-yellow [Earth Barrier] light on its blade flashed and disappeared!

Meanwhile, Gu Tianye's transformation was even more bizarre and violent! Behind him, enormous phantoms of dozens of powerful star beasts he had once fused with, such as the Earth Bear, the Bloodthirsty Ape, and the Thunderous White Tiger, instantly appeared! These phantoms roared silently to the sky, then transformed into streams of light, frantically surging into the [Thousand Transformations Beast Soul Axe] in his hand!

On the blade of the [Thousand Transformations] axe, the previously empty grooves were instantly illuminated! A chaotic and violent aura, fused with the power of dozens of beast souls, surged into the sky from Gu Tianye's body! His body also began to undergo drastic changes: his left arm transformed into a ferocious tiger claw covered in lightning, while his right arm transformed into a giant ape arm burning with raging blood flames. A pair of enormous bone wings made of skeletons even grew from his back!

[Beast Soul Synchronization] activated! Incomplete "Beast God Transformation"!

At this moment, Gu Tianye seemed to have transformed into a stitched-together monster made up of countless powerful ferocious beasts, full of primal, chaotic, and destructive beauty!

"This...this is..."

Lin Ziling, Ye Cang, and the others, watching from afar, were so shocked by the two individuals before them—who seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, their auras increasing more than tenfold—that they were speechless. Were these still the Gu Tianye and Xiang Batian they knew? They were practically two humanoid mythical beasts! And all this change was caused simply because they had obtained those two battle axes personally forged by Lu Yuan?

The abilities of a "divine craftsman" are truly terrifying!

While everyone was still reeling from the transformation of the two, the level 55 "Skeleton Demon Infant" finally recovered from the sudden turn of events. For the first time, a human-like solemnity and... a trace of fear appeared on its eerie infant face. It could clearly sense that these two beings, who had previously seemed as weak as ants in its eyes, now emanated an aura powerful enough to pose a fatal threat!

Can't wait any longer!

The mouth of the "Skeleton Demon Infant" suddenly opened, and the dark energy ball that had gathered to its limit, carrying terrifying power capable of destroying everything, shot out towards the two like a black sun!

Faced with this terrifying attack, enough to instantly kill a B-rank Star Envoy, Xiang Batian merely sneered disdainfully. He took a step forward, shielding Gu Tianye behind him, and then raised the [Heaven-Opening] Battle Axe high in his hand!

"【Earth Barrier】!!"

With a roar, an incredibly thick, earth-yellow, hemispherical energy shield instantly enveloped the two of them, and ancient runes of the Titans even appeared on the shield!

"boom--!!"

The black sun slammed violently into the earthen-yellow shield, and the violent explosion instantly leveled everything within a radius of hundreds of meters! The terrifying energy shockwave even made Lin Ziling and the others in the distance lose their footing and were blown backward!

However, when the smoke cleared, the earthen-yellow shield still stood there intact, without even a crack!

"Wh...what?!"

The "Skeleton Demon Infant" wore an expression of disbelief and horror. Its full-force attack, capable of destroying a small city, had actually... been blocked?

"Is that all you've got?"

Xiang Batian's voice slowly came from behind the shield, filled with boundless arrogance and mockery. "Now, it's my turn!"

He abruptly withdrew his shield, gripped the [Heaven-Opening] axe with both hands, and his eyes, now bloodshot with excitement, locked onto the "Skeleton Demon Infant" in mid-air! The Titan bloodline within him resonated perfectly with the divine axe in his hands, and an unparalleled "momentum" that seemed capable of splitting the heavens and earth began to gather wildly on the axe blade!

"What I pursue is ultimate power!"

"Then today, I'll show you, you ugly monster, what you've got to do!"

"What the hell is this?! That's real power!"

"Secret Technique—"

"The Creation of Heaven!!"

Xiang Batian let out a deafening roar like an ancient Titan god-king, and the dark golden battle axe in his hand, with an unparalleled earth-shattering momentum, slashed fiercely down at the "Skeleton Demon Infant"!

There was no dazzling light, nor any terrifying momentum, only a pure, dark golden axe light that seemed capable of splitting the entire world in two, which flashed by in an instant!

The dark golden axe light appeared so abruptly, and disappeared just as quickly. It didn't have the dazzling brilliance of magic, nor the astonishing power of combat techniques; it was like an absolute law of death that appeared out of thin air, only there for a moment, and then vanished.

But wherever it passed, the space seemed to be cleaved open by this axe, leaving a thin black crack, and time seemed to be stretched out infinitely at this moment.

In the center of the battlefield, the level 55 "Skeleton Demon Infant" froze, its eerie, infantile face contorted with an innocent yet malevolent smile. For the first time, its chaotic thoughts, composed of countless resentments and negative emotions, sensed a clear threat called "death."

It tried to hide, but its enormous body, made up of countless bones, didn't have time to react at all.

"puff--"

A soft, almost inaudible sound, like the tearing of cloth, rang out. Then, in the frozen, stunned gazes of everyone, a perfectly smooth, fine black line silently appeared from head to toe on the enormous, strategically-hardened skeletal body of the "Skeletal Demon Infant."

The black line was initially very thin and faint, but then, as if it had a life of its own, it quickly spread to both sides!

"Click... Click, click..."

A series of teeth-grinding cracking sounds rang out as the once invincible mutated lord-level star beast slowly slid and separated to the sides, its massive body resembling a watermelon cut in half...

"Bang!!"

The two massive halves of the skeleton crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up clouds of snow and dust. Black, corrosive blood gushed out like a fountain from the perfectly smooth cut, turning the surrounding ice plains an ominous black.

Sold out in seconds! Another sell-out in seconds!

A level 55 mutated lord-level star beast was cleaved in two by Xiang Batian's axe!

"I... Holy crap..." Gu Tianye stared at the scene before him, a veritable miracle, his mouth agape, wide enough to fit a fist. He knew the weapon Master Lu had designed for him was incredibly powerful, and he knew that Xiang Batian, this brute, would become stronger after obtaining the divine weapon, but he never dreamed it would be this ridiculously powerful! One axe strike instantly kills a level 55 mutated lord? Who the hell would believe that? Even a B+ level Ice Blade Commander couldn't do that, right?

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!" Xiang Batian stared at his masterpiece for a full three seconds before bursting into a deafening laugh filled with boundless arrogance and exhilaration! "Awesome! That's fucking awesome!" He raised the [Heaven-Opening] battle axe high in his hand, feeling the immense power flowing from the axe through his veins, and felt every cell in his body trembling with excitement!

Is this... the feeling of power? Is this the power of a divine artifact crafted by the "Master Craftsman"?

He turned his head and glanced at the completely dumbfounded Gu Tianye beside him with a victorious air, his face full of smugness: "Gu, did you see that? This is what real power is! Your fancy transformations are nothing compared to my Heaven-Opening Axe!"

"You...!" Gu Tianye was provoked by his words and immediately became unconvinced. Although he admitted that Xiang Batian's axe strike was indeed incredibly cool and terrifyingly powerful, he didn't want to hear his [Thousand Transformations] technique be considered flashy and useless!

"roar--!!"

Just as Gu Tianye was about to argue with Xiang Batian about whose "divine weapon" was more powerful, a roar filled with endless resentment and madness suddenly came from the two halves of the skeletal corpse that had been split open!

Everyone was startled and hurriedly looked over. They saw that although the "Skeleton Demon Infant" had been split in two, it was not completely dead! Countless fleshy tentacles and pale white bone spurs were writhing and growing wildly on its two broken halves, like two evil plants with life!

[Bone Regeneration]! This monster's special ability has activated! Its two halves are actually trying to rejoin each other!

"Damn it! How come this thing is still alive!" Xiang Batian's expression changed when he saw this. His axe strike had almost drained all the power from his body, and he was currently in a weakened state, unable to unleash a second "Heaven-Opening" attack in the short term.

"Hmph! Unkillable?" Gu Tianye looked at the monster that was frantically regenerating, his face showing no fear whatsoever, but instead revealing a bloodthirsty, cruel smile. "Perfect! Saves me the trouble of finding a new target!"

He glanced at Xiang Batian, who was still showing off beside him, and curled his lip in disdain: "You brute! Watch closely! What the hell is real skill now!"

After saying that, his body, which had already "transformed into a beast god" and was half tiger claws and half ape arms, suddenly moved! The pair of huge bone wings on his back flapped violently, and his whole body turned into a blood-blue afterimage, like a predator rushing out of hell, and instantly appeared above the two halves of the skeletal corpse that were healing!

"Master Lu said the core of my weapon lies in 'transformation'!" Gu Tianye's eyes flashed with a crazed light as he raised the [Thousand Transformation Beast Soul Axe] high in his hand. "Since you like regeneration, then I'll let you taste what it's like to be ravaged by ten thousand different forces!"

"[Soul of All Beasts]! Full Power Unleashed!"

"Secret Technique - Night Parade of a Hundred Beasts!!"

With a roar, the dozens of "Beast Soul Cores" already lit up on the blade of his [Thousand Transformations] Battle Axe shone brightly! The earth-shattering power of the Earth Bear, the ferocity of the Bloodthirsty Ape, the swiftness of the Thunderous White Tiger, the eeriness of the Shadow Wolf, the corrosiveness of the Venomous Lizard... Dozens of distinct and powerful beast soul energies, guided by his will, surged wildly into the battle axe in his hand!

Then, he slashed down fiercely at the monster below that was regenerating wildly!

"roar--!!"

This time, what erupted from the axe blade was no longer a simple axe light, but a chaotic and violent torrent of energy composed of countless energy lights of different colors! Within that torrent, it seemed as if thousands of ferocious beasts were galloping and roaring: giant bears were shaking the earth, demonic apes were beating their chests, fierce tigers were thundering, and venomous pythons were biting!

That was no longer an attack; it was a grand symphony of death performed by countless destructive forces!

"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"

A violent torrent of energy instantly engulfed the two halves of the skeletal corpse that were healing! Destructive power raged wildly in that area, the earth groaned, and space itself distorted!

The once arrogant "Skeleton Demon Infant" couldn't even utter a complete scream amidst the "death by a thousand cuts" performed by thousands of ferocious beasts. Its prized [Skeleton Regeneration] ability was utterly useless against the relentless onslaught of dozens of different types of destructive energy! Newly regenerated flesh was instantly burned to charcoal by lightning, and newly formed bones were frozen to dust by ice in the next second!

Its vitality is rapidly fading away at a speed visible to the naked eye!

As the violent torrent of energy gradually dissipated, only a huge crater over a hundred meters in diameter remained. The crater was charred black.