Michael's frown deepened.

Even from thousands of meters away, his eyesight remained terrifying. After absorbing so many memories recently, he immediately recognized eight among the standing figures.

Eight of them were direct descendants of the Emperor. The remaining three were unfamiliar, but judging from their position and aura, they were clearly not ordinary individuals either. Most likely direct descendants of the Emperor as well.

The moment Michael saw them, realization immediately struck him. "So that's what you did…"

A rare trace of disgust appeared on his face.

The Emperor had sacrificed them. Their blood. Their vitality. Their essence. Everything. All of it had been fed into himself.

The bloody aura flooding the heavens suddenly made sense. The instability. The violent fluctuations. The mixture of countless presences. Michael finally understood why the aura had felt so strange earlier. It was because it was no longer entirely the Emperor's. It was a fusion. A forced amalgamation created through sacrifice.

Far below, many of the empire's experts reached the same conclusion.

At the center of the ruins, the Emperor slowly raised his head. His eyes had become completely crimson. The bloody aura around him surged violently. Then his gaze locked onto Michael.

A vicious smile slowly spread across his face. "You forced me to this point."

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

The eleven corpses instantly collapsed into dust. The Emperor's aura surged once more.

Michael felt his heart sink slightly. "Beginning!!!"

He had only just shouted the giant's name when a figure suddenly appeared barely ten meters away from him. The speed was so absurd that Michael's pupils contracted instantly.

Too fast. Far too fast.

The Emperor's crimson eyes locked onto him. A vicious grin stretched across his face. Michael felt death descend upon him. Every instinct screamed. Even his soul seemed to freeze.

This attack would kill him.

Just as the Emperor's claw-like hand was about to reach him, TWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!

The heavens exploded with sound. The Demonic Supernatural reacted first. The first string of the Sovereign Pipa vibrated violently. A concentrated sonic burst erupted forward. The attack struck the Emperor's side.

KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOOM!!!

The Emperor was blasted sideways. The sonic wave distorted space itself.

Unfortunately, Michael was just as close. The shockwave swept over him as well.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

Michael felt as though an entire mountain had smashed into him. His body spun uncontrollably through the air. Several of his ribs cracked. Fresh blood sprayed from his mouth. A cold sweat covered his back.

Fortunately, he was still alive. If not for the Demonic Supernatural's intervention, he would already be dead.

Meanwhile, Beginning had already reacted. The giant's eyes locked onto the Emperor. Without hesitation, he threw a punch.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

A fist larger than buildings descended toward the Emperor. Yet this time the Emperor did not run. Instead, the bloody aura around him erupted and his body suddenly began changing. His human form rapidly distorted as he entered his bloodline state.

Beginning's punch landed.

Just as the Emperor's claw-like hand was about to reach him, TWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!!!

KRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABOOOOOOOOM!!!

The Emperor crossed his claws. The collision shook the entire capital. Shockwaves flattened countless buildings. Space shattered.

However, seeing the Emperor's transformation, not only were the empire's experts shocked, even Michael's eyes widened.

The creature standing before him no longer resembled the two-hundred-meter serpent from before. No. It looked frighteningly familiar. Massive wings. Draconic claws. A scaled body. A long tail. A powerful neck. And a head that carried both serpentine and draconic characteristics.

It looked eerily similar to his undead High Drake. Not identical, but close enough that Michael immediately recognized the connection.

The Emperor slowly lowered his claws. Purple flames dripped from his mouth. His crimson eyes glowed with madness. The aura rolling from his body became increasingly unstable, yet it was undeniably powerful.

Realization struck Michael.

Just as he had done with his Rank 4 undead High Drake, the Emperor had also used the Black Serpent bloodline to push the purity of his bloodline further.

The Emperor looked toward Michael and laughed. The sound was completely unhinged.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

His wings expanded. A pressure even greater than before swept across the capital. Countless people collapsed to their knees. Even many Rank 3 experts turned pale.

Before Michael could fully process the Emperor's transformation, Beginning had already moved. Unlike everyone else present, Beginning did not care about bloodlines. He cared about one thing.

The Emperor's face.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

The giant vanished. The Emperor's newly transformed eyes narrowed slightly.

Fast.

Beginning appeared directly before him and threw a punch. The Emperor immediately counterattacked. His claw descended. The collision shattered the surrounding sky.

For a brief moment, both figures froze. Then the Emperor's claw tore straight through Beginning's shoulder. Purple flames erupted. Half the giant's upper body exploded apart. Blood rained from the sky. The surrounding spectators gasped as many dodged or sought shelter.

Even Michael's expression changed. That attack had been devastating.

However, the Emperor's expression suddenly became strange. Unlike others who had fought Beginning, he sensed that the attack could have been blocked, yet seemed to have been taken deliberately.

And as expected, KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

The Law of Brutal Rebirth activated. The flesh around Beginning's injury immediately began regenerating. And as the healing completed, Beginning's aura rose significantly.

The Emperor frowned. "What?"

Beginning answered with another punch. This time the Emperor was forced backward. The capital grounds shook.

The Emperor's expression changed. The previous attack had not possessed this level of force. Yet before he could think further, Beginning attacked again. The Emperor met him head-on.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

A claw pierced through Beginning's abdomen.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

A flame blade sliced across his chest.

KRAAAAABOOOOM!!!

Purple flames exploded throughout his body.

Any one of those attacks would have severely injured an ordinary Rank 4 being. Beginning endured all of them.

Then once again, KRAAAAABOOOOOOM!!!

His injuries healed. The gigantic holes disappeared. The severed flesh regenerated. The burns vanished. And his aura climbed again.

The Emperor's confusion deepened. The stronger he injured Beginning, the stronger Beginning became.

"What kind of monster are you?"

Uncertainty appeared in the Emperor's voice. Beginning remained silent. The giant merely looked at him. A strange light flickered within his eyes.

The Emperor felt like Beginning seemed almost satisfied.

Michael suddenly realized what Beginning was doing. His expression immediately changed.

"Wait…"

Unfortunately, he was too late.

The Emperor suddenly felt a chill spread through his body. A very familiar one. The same chill the Scroll Sovereign had felt before his death.

Beginning slowly raised a hand. Darkness spread outward. The surrounding air became heavy. The Emperor's pupils contracted.

"What is this?"

The darkness continued spreading. Beginning's voice finally sounded. Calm and emotionless.

"Trial."

_Drakon