Later, when the five God Emperor Realm experts see that Ling Ye is ignoring them, their expressions turn cold.
"Heh, if you won't take the initiative, then we will," one of them sneers.
The five exchange glances before launching their attack. After all, once they set their sights on a target, there is no escape. Even if Ling Ye were to hand over all his treasures, they would never let him leave alive.
Swish!
The powerful aura of five peak God Emperor Realm experts surges toward Ling Ye from behind, converging in a devastating blast.
But Ling Ye doesn't even turn around. He doesn't spare them a glance.
Boom!
A massive surge of blood-colored energy erupts from his body, sending a shockwave rippling across the seventeenth floor.
The moment they feel that terrifying energy, the five experts freeze in terror. Their pupils shrink. They have never felt such overwhelming pressure before.
At that instant, they realize the truth—they have provoked someone they never should have.
But it's too late.
Under the crushing force of Ling Ye's aura, the five peak God Emperor Realm experts are obliterated on the spot.
Their souls are shattered.
Before dying, their horrified gazes lock onto Ling Ye's unmoving back.
He didn't even lift a finger. Just the mere release of his aura turned them to dust.
How powerful is he? Who is he?
They die without ever learning the answer.
But in their final moments, they understand one thing: the man they foolishly challenged is far beyond their reach—an existence at the peak of the Extreme God Realm.
Boom…
As the blood energy dissipates, silence returns.
The five leave nothing behind. No bodies, no remnants—only ashes scattered into the void.
Ling Ye doesn't waste time on insects. But if insects insist on biting him, he will crush them without hesitation.
With those nuisances dealt with, Ling Ye descends toward the eighteenth floor.
Hum!
A deep hum resonates as everything around him turns pitch black.
This lowest level is much smaller than the others.
So small… that it contains only four prisons.
Four ancient, crumbling cells with shattered doors and thick, broken chains still clinging to the walls.
What kind of beings were once imprisoned here?
In the center of these ancient ruins, a stone platform glows with the light of a burning furnace.
Clang… Clang! Clang!
The rhythmic pounding of a hammer echoes through the darkness.
A massive figure stands beside the furnace, his broad back illuminated by the flames.
Each time he swings the hammer, an eruption of fiery-red spiritual energy explodes into the air, shaping the molten divine iron beneath his hands.
Strike after strike, he tempers the metal, forging it with relentless precision.
Slowly, a massive black broadsword—three meters long and as wide as his back—begins to take shape.
"You changing weapons?"
A deep, rumbling voice breaks the silence as Mad Asura finally acknowledges Ling Ye's presence.
In the past, this warlord wielded nothing but the hammer in his hands. But now, that very hammer is being used to forge a new weapon.
"These chains… they're the most unique material I've ever seen." His rough voice carries a strange fascination as he strides toward the nearest prison, reaching for the ancient, dark chains that still dangle from its walls.
One by one, he pulls them free.
"I'm forging them into a mad blade," he declares.
"It's called an Empty Lock," Ling Ye says calmly.
"Is that so?" Mad Asura muses, examining the chains in his hands. "Then this weapon… shall be called the Empty Blade."
He returns to the forge, hammering the chains into molten submission, reshaping them with each strike.
At this moment, he looks like nothing more than a quiet blacksmith.
Not the feared Mad Asura—the warlord of carnage.
But those who know him understand one truth: when his madness ignites, no force in the heavens can stop him.
And Ling Ye knows it too.
"You spend your days here… doing this?" Ling Ye asks, watching the relentless pounding of metal.
"What else is there to do?" Mad Asura replies without looking up.
"I need a lieutenant."
Clang!
The hammer comes to an abrupt halt.
Mad Asura looks up. "You're recruiting?"
"You've heard about Ye Tian?" Ling Ye asks.
"I heard he's planning to fight you. I also heard he's on the verge of reaching the Boundless Realm," Mad Asura says.
"Yes." Ling Ye nods.
Mad Asura studies him for a moment before speaking. "I don't believe someone like you will lose to him."
"I won't," Ling Ye replies. "But this time… I won't be able to win either."
Mad Asura lets out a low chuckle.
"If he reaches the Boundless Realm, even if I stand beside you, it won't make a difference."