Gu Jianlin attempted to switch to the Ghost Slayer Path for the first time. In the state of Divine Speed Force, he could seemingly feel the torrent of time rushing past him, while the world before his eyes shattered into pieces, riddled with ghastly fissures.

This was the blessing of Divine Speed Force, allowing him to perceive the fractured world.

It felt as though he had been reborn, with a spiritual awakening that transformed his very essence—a brand-new experience.

When the spirituality within him broke through its shackles, he ascended to the First Order within the Ghost Slayer Path.

First Order Ghost—his awakened extraordinary ability was Virtualization.

As the name implies, he could consume spirituality to virtualize his own existence, making him immune to physical attacks and allowing freedom to traverse the material world, albeit with certain time limitations.

However, his Ghost Slayer Path was naturally different. The power he gained was from devouring the Candle Dragon Bone, which inherently set his potential apex at its peak—the extraordinary ability had the capacity for evolution.

This phenomenon mirrored his experience as the Qilin Venerable: during every human state advancement, his extraordinary abilities evolved similarly.

After ascending to First Order Ghost, two passive abilities were strengthened. The fractured world before him appeared incredibly clear, down to the most minute details. Meanwhile, his speed accelerated further under the Divine Speed Force state, with the roar of the rushing torrent of time echoing in his ears like a flood.

Simultaneously, his body became ethereal like an illusion, resembling a transparent soul spirit!

In that moment, Si Wei'an shuddered inwardly, abruptly turned around, and raised his hand to condense Negative Energy.

But it was already too late.

Amidst the uproar of fleeting time, Gu Jianlin stepped into the domain of time stoppage without hindrance!

This was the gift brought by Candle Dragon Venerable.

Thank you, good sister.

In the Virtualization state, the Doomsday Pocket Watch's domain had no effect on him!

Si Wei'an's gaze nearly exploded!

He's come in!

How did this person get in!

A Third Rank Great Fate Master—how did he achieve this!

In a flash, Gu Jianlin extended his hand.

His virtualized finger landed on the Doomsday Pocket Watch.

At the same time, the virtualization dissolved, and spirituality was infused.

The Doomsday Pocket Watch suspended mid-air was infused with his spirituality, and the barrier of time stoppage collapsed with a thunderous roar!

"Strike!"

Gu Jianlin shouted lowly.

At the moment the time stoppage barrier shattered—

Tang Ling swiftly blocked in front of him, flipped her hand, and gripped the White Bone Great Sword as a streak of thunderous lightning flared to life!

Meanwhile, the mysterious man unleashed countless streaks of blood-red light that tore through the void with piercing shrieks!

With a loud explosion, an immense pitch-black skeletal spiritual body materialized in front of Si Wei'an, only to be shattered beyond recognition by the charging blood-red light, before being ripped apart into fragments by a streaking thunderbolt!

The blood-colored sword radiance and scorching lightning struck again!

Crack!

Si Wei'an's hands were severed simultaneously, and blood spurted wildly!

The overwhelming pain elicited an unwilling and furious howl: "Why ambush me here!"

Pale Ghost Fire erupted, ravenous as it devoured the Life Force of the earth.

Under his command, a swarm of headless corpses surged forward to buy him time!

"Hand over the Qilin Wedge and I'll spare your life!"

Tang Ling performed a Thunder Slash that resembled a thousand chirping sparks, obliterating the headless corpses with bursts of flashing lightning!

"The Qilin Wedge isn't in my possession!"

Si Wei'an roared furiously and angrily: "Damn it!"

"You've been plotting for eight years; how could you possibly fail?"

The mysterious man pursued relentlessly, stabbing a sword through his abdomen!

Si Wei'an spat out a mouthful of blood, but the most agonizing pain was not from the wound piercing his abdomen.

It was an unprecedented sense of frustration and wrath.

Because the Qilin Wedge truly wasn't in his possession, yet these people camped out at the underground relics' exit, accusing him of taking the treasured artifact. He couldn't clear his name, even if he had a thousand mouths to explain!

This humiliation and anger felt like a powder keg ready to explode!

"Damn it! The Qilin Wedge is not with me! As soon as Jing Shangxiu from The Order of the Hidden touched that artifact, he died. I suspect it was the Qilin Venerable who took it—you've killed the wrong person!"

His enraged shout shattered the night as he turned to flee towards the lakeshore.

A streak of blazing lightning slashed behind him, leaving a horrifying burn mark on his back!

"Oh? Then how did you survive? The Sorrowful Corpse Cycle is merely a trivial trick—a child's toy before an Ancient Supreme. You have absolutely no reason to still be alive." Tang Ling sprinted swiftly, gripping the White Bone Great Sword tightly in both hands, summoning boundless lightning with grandeur.

"Unless that Ancient Supreme's mind was addled."

The mysterious man sneered coldly: "But clearly that's not the case. I'm more inclined to believe you defected to the Qilin Clan and conspired to kill The Order of the Hidden. Facing death, why not Qilinize already?"

Gu Jianlin: "..."

Wait a moment, who's being insulted here?

I haven't provoked any of you, and yet somehow now I'm being dragged into this mess.

In that instant, he once again realized the vast gap between himself and a true Ancient Supreme.

Knowledge!

Knowledge is power.

Still, this turn of events exceeded his expectations. He had been fretting about the aftermath concerning the Qilin's Wedge Fragment, but now someone had already taken on the blame for him.

Si Wei'an spat out another mouthful of blood—this time, not from an injury, but out of sheer anger.

His mind buzzed furiously—this was an outrageous miscarriage of justice!

"This is your last chance. Hand over the Qilin Wedge! Or reveal its whereabouts."