BOOM! The colossal Ancient Chariot, radiating brilliant Divine Radiance, streaked across the void like a divine mountain. Wherever it passed, the very fabric of space trembled and twisted, manifesting a dazzling path of Dao Patterns that stretched towards the heavens.

Xuanji Holy Lord, clad in a flowing purple gown, her figure exquisitely beautiful, reclined casually on the Ancient Chariot. Her long, slender Jade Legs were draped over the side, revealing fair, snow-white calves and delicate Jade feet, upon which petals of Divine Radiance shimmered.

Lu Xuan, in his signature white robe, was leisurely reclining behind Xuanji Holy Lord, utterly unconcerned.

Xuanji Holy Lord's eyes flickered, a silent acknowledgment. She understood Lu Xuan's intentions perfectly. Leaving the Southern Wilds for now, they were strategically creating immense prestige for Ye Chen.

Though the Demon Lord had fallen, several Supreme-tier factions in the Southern Wilds still harbored treacherous ambitions. But after Lu Xuan's decisive appearance, no one would dare to openly target Ye Chen or use their superior strength to oppress him. This was a crucial window, a period of grace for Ye Chen to grow.

Meanwhile, within the desolate halls of the Demon Court, Tian Nu Old Ancestor, Feng Wanshan, and a host of powerful demons gathered, their faces etched with grim fury.

Tian Nu Old Ancestor's face was a mask of savage fury, his Killing Intent erupting like a volcano. "That damned White Robe Supreme!" he roared, "How dare he display the Demon Lord's head for all to see? This is an insult beyond measure!"

Feng Wanshan, too, felt a profound, burning shame. The White Robe Supreme had repeatedly humiliated their Demon Court, but this act was the ultimate, most blatant insult. The very foundation of their three Supreme-tier powers had been utterly and publicly disgraced!

Tian Nu Old Ancestor, his Killing Intent blazing like a wildfire, rounded on Feng Wanshan. "Are we truly just going to sit here and let this stand?" he snarled. "My suggestion is to storm the Grand Dao Sect at once! Kill! Let us burn it all down, even if it means our own destruction!"

Feng Wanshan slowly shook his head, his gaze steady. He knew Tian Nu Old Ancestor was blinded by his rage and Killing Intent. "Our ultimate goal is to Attain Emperor," he reminded him, his voice grave. "We cannot allow a temporary setback to drive us to madness. That would only lead to far greater losses."

Feng Wanshan's gaze turned solemn as he looked out into the desolate expanse beyond the hall. "With the Demon Lord's death, the entire Southern Wilds will now fear Ye Chen, fear the White Robe Supreme, and fear the Grand Dao Sect. Yet, the White Robe Supreme never explicitly claimed responsibility for the Demon Lord's demise." He paused, his voice dropping. "Who killed him isn't the point. What matters is the White Robe Supreme's utter disdain. The Demon Lord's death, to him, was clearly too trivial to even mention. More importantly, he is truly creating immense prestige for Ye Chen! Ye Chen is already a Nine-star Great Emperor, and the White Robe Supreme's ultimate goal is almost certainly to groom him for greatness."

At this, Tian Nu Old Ancestor erupted in a fresh wave of fury. "What?!" he roared. "Is this Ye Chen going to use us as stepping stones to Attain Emperor?!"

Feng Wanshan closed his eyes, deep in thought. "There's an old human adage," he finally said, "that when faced with a great crisis, one must maintain a calm heart. Now, more than ever, we cannot afford to act rashly."

Tian Nu Old Ancestor's voice was grim. "Prepare the inauguration ceremony. I shall become the new Demon Lord."

Feng Wanshan nodded slowly. "Indeed. The Demon Court cannot remain leaderless for a single day!"

And so, the Demon Court began its preparations for the inauguration of its new Demon Lord.

Meanwhile, Xuanji Holy Lord continued to drive the Ancient Chariot, traversing the vast void between domains. BOOM! CRACK! The very air shrieked and tore wherever they passed, a heaven-reaching power roaring like an endless, raging ocean.

Throughout the domains, powerful cultivators looked up at the void, utterly stunned. It was Xuanji Holy Lord herself, the formidable Holy Lord, driving the Ancient Chariot! And behind her, the White Robe Supreme stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his back to the boundless azure, an unmoving, invincible figure.

The myriad states were utterly shaken. Lu Xuan's voice, amplified by an unseen power, boomed across the lands: "In a while, I will no longer be in the Southern Wilds. If any of you harbor grievances against me, now is your chance. Come, face me directly!"

Yet, not a single one of the eight Supreme-tier factions dared to make a move. Lu Xuan's Ancient Chariot, driven by Xuanji Holy Lord, brazenly swept past the Supreme Profound Sect's very gates, and still, no one dared to challenge him.

Within the Supreme Profound Sect, several Old Ancestors gnashed their teeth. "The White Robe Supreme is utterly insufferable!" one spat. "Does he truly believe that with the Demon Lord gone, the Southern Wilds is devoid of powerhouses?"

Tai Chen Old Ancestor, however, waved a dismissive hand. "Endure!" he commanded. "Wait for the Holy Maiden to fully refine her inherited power. The White Robe Supreme's momentum is overwhelming right now, and do you truly believe he acts alone?" His eyes narrowed. "He is fishing! Taiye Old Ancestor already perished on the Supreme Path; we cannot afford to lose any more of our peak combat strength."

Nangong Baixue looked up at the void, where Lu Xuan's Ancient Chariot blazed like a second sun. Her face was a mask of icy coldness, her lips pressed into a thin, furious line. "White Robe Supreme," she hissed, "your time is running out. Once I have fully refined my inheritance, your death will be upon you!" Her voice hardened, ringing with absolute conviction. "The Supreme Profound Sect has never feared the Grand Dao Sect! We are, and always will be, your ultimate nemesis!"

Three days later, Lu Xuan departed the Southern Wilds, leaving a final, audacious declaration that echoed across the entire domain: "This generation's Supreme Path is the trial ground for my disciple, Ye Chen." He paused, a hint of casual generosity in his tone. "However, all of you are free to enter. After all, bathing in the power of the starry sky can only benefit your comprehension of the Dao."

Lu Xuan's pronouncement, carried by the vast networks of human merchant associations, spread like wildfire across all domains. The collective shock was palpable. The White Robe Supreme... was not entering the Supreme Path again? Was he truly forsaking this generation's ultimate trial?

Back in the Demon Court, Tian Nu Old Ancestor, now crowned the new Demon King, was consumed by a furious rage. He swore a solemn oath to the heavens: "This White Robe Supreme is utterly insufferable in his arrogance! I will kill him! If I fail, may I never Attain Emperor!"

Meanwhile, Lu Xuan and Xuanji Holy Lord had already arrived at the formidable World Barrier.

The Southern Wilds' World Barrier was a sight to behold—an irregular, heaven-reaching chasm, as if the very fabric of reality had been rent by a colossal blade. It stood like an impassable heavenly curtain, brimming with profound and obscure Supreme-tier Dao Patterns that shimmered with immense power. This colossal barrier separated the Southern Wilds from the Central Domain, the Western Desert, and the Eastern Wilds. A single, shimmering wall, yet it allowed direct passage into all three domains.

Xuanji Holy Lord's beautiful eyes gleamed with determination as her slender Jade hand struck out a heaven-reaching palm towards the World Barrier. The attack surged like a silver river, sweeping through the void, capable of tearing heaven and earth asunder. Yet, when it impacted the colossal barrier, it was like a clay ox entering the sea—no ripples, no tremor, only a faint shimmer as the barrier's own profound Supreme-tier Dao Patterns pulsed in response, utterly negating her power.

Lu Xuan turned to Xuanji Holy Lord. "How much do you know about the Eastern Wilds?" he asked casually.

Xuanji Holy Lord replied, "The Ji Family of the Eastern Wilds is an absolute overlord, having produced no less than four Supremes throughout history. Beyond them, there are other Supreme-tier factions such as the Sikong Family, the Ancient Chen Family, and the Cloud Sword Sect."

Lu Xuan offered a faint, knowing smile. The Ji Family. He recalled his third disciple mentioning that several of their Old Ancestors had once pursued his fourth disciple. Even the current Old Ancestor of the Ji Family, Ji Yue, was known to be one of Xuanji Holy Lord's many admirers.

Lu Xuan then asked, "Baili, have you completely refined the Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone?"

Xuanji Holy Lord extended a delicate, snow-white Jade palm. Upon it, a wisp of brilliant Divine Radiance pulsed, interwoven with countless shimmering threads and a distinct aura of Rule Power. The Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone had been completely refined by her, its very essence now under her control!

Lu Xuan nodded, a rare hint of satisfaction in his voice. "Excellent."

A moment later, Lu Xuan activated the mysterious Spirit Art gifted to him by the Heavenly Dao Avatar. With a mere thought, an incredibly profound power surged around them both, merging seamlessly with the Great Dao, shimmering like countless stars. BOOM! Without further ado, they stepped directly into the World Barrier, vanishing from sight.

Lu Xuan's divine sense swept across the vast expanse of the Eastern Wilds. He immediately perceived that this domain was several times larger than the Southern Wilds, teeming with powerful auras that belonged to the Supreme-tier factions Xuanji Holy Lord had described. However, what truly caught his attention was that the entire Eastern Wilds was almost entirely swept by Eerie Power, making it akin to a massive, living Ancient Desolate Forbidden Zone. Eerie Power permeated nearly every corner of the land!

Lu Xuan's gaze sharpened, instantly locking onto the nearest Supreme-tier faction in the Eastern Wilds. "The Sikong Family," he mused. "Perfect. Let Xuanji Holy Lord begin absorbing the Eerie Power and cultivating right within their territory."

BOOM! Their figures slowly materialized from the shimmering World Barrier. With a mere thought from Lu Xuan, heaven-reaching spatial array patterns erupted, instantly propelling them towards a deep abyss near the Sikong Family—a place where Eerie Power churned with terrifying intensity.

Simultaneously, within the Sikong Family's Eerie Abyss, Lu Xuan and Xuanji Holy Lord's figures descended as if on a breeze. Xuanji Holy Lord frowned, her senses immediately picking up on something amiss. "Something isn't right here," she murmured, a hint of caution in her voice.