A crashing sound.

Ning Zheng broke through the so-called strongest Immortal Path Protection Array in the Nine-State, his figure flashing instantly, piercing through layers of clouds, directly into the nursery, stepping into the capital city.

This time, the Sword Casting Manor's move was not mere showboating or causing trouble.

If the blacksmiths were really just trying to stir things up or play tricks, how could Ning Zheng possibly let these guys leave? Agree to this plan?

It was truly because they had laid out a feasible plan, with a success rate, and had undergone multiple reviews by himself.

Although there were now variables in the plan.

Xin Xichen and the others were more powerful than imagined, yet he still forcibly corrected the course, breaking his Teleportation Array, and using a flash to directly invade his stronghold.

In the very next second, he arrived inside the Imperial Palace in the capital city.

This is the speed divine power of the Nine-State's fastest tree-man.

Absolute speed!

Arriving in an instant.

"1.5 billion, this is practically a gamble. Seize the opportunity to swap 1.5 billion for the Chronicles of Time—a bloody profit. Fail..."

Ning Zheng strode into the capital city, looking at the grand, majestic palace complex.

"How bold!"

"What kind of demon is this!"

"Who dares to attack the human race's sacred ground!!"

In the next moment, countless forbidden army troops from the palace soared into the sky.

These Golden Armor Warriors, standing on various colored clouds, donned standard magical artifact golden armor, wielded various sharp blades while standing at the clouds' summit, supported by soldiers with auxiliary divine techniques beating drums to reinforce these Golden Armor Guards.

Among them, an even mightier presence swiftly rose up, its voice filled with an aloof arrogance, "Where does this wicked demon come from? I am the Ancient God of Firewood, and you trespass the imperial forbidden grounds? Surrender quickly!"

Ning Zheng glanced sideways, showing a trace of surprise.

This was a supremely powerful Self-Transformation Realm being, with an Immortal Spirit Root, with layers of firewood burning. It must be the Xin Family ancestor born from the countless royal tombs of the Xin Family fused together!

Xin Xichen burned past ancestors, yet their ancestors were Earth-bound Spirits that would revive.

And now, their Xin Family ancestor tombs had merged, driven by the same obsession for "pursuing knowledge," so similar compulsions fused together...

Lately, Xin Xichen must have secretly added Xian's flesh and blood to form a concoction resembling the Giant Shell Ancestor Demon God, Tree-man Ancestor Demon God, and others—a composite ember.

Xin Family Ancestor Demon God.

Ning Zheng's expression revealed a peculiar look,

"Indeed, Xin Xichen hid well. As an Emperor of the Nine-State Central Plains, has he paranoia?"

"Never stepping out of the house, now thinking back, he must have been experimenting and researching every day, messing with his embers' techniques library, studying his fusion with the family ancestor."

"This Ancient God of Firewood... its combat power nearly rivals the likes of Cursed, and is a newborn with developing intelligence, with limitless potential."

Ning Zheng knew better than being delayed by this fellow, he stretched out his hand and pressed down.

An all-out explosion.

A massive shockwave roiled violently, the turbulent cloud-like mana surged like ocean waves, dense and overwhelming, directly knocking down the surrounding Forbidden Army Guards.

He swept away these encircling enemies, ignoring them and stepping deeper into the imperial palace.

Boom!

The next second, he collided with a strong and mighty protective shield.

"There's a second layer of protection?" Ning Zheng raised an eyebrow, "But the imperial defense is rigorous, it should be so."

This palace defense array capable of resisting a Self-Transformation Realm Saint's attack was, the next moment, effortlessly broken by Ning Zheng, whose basic power far exceeded the same-tier Self-Transformation Realm by over twenty times!

"Useless, useless, you can't stop me."

Thump thump thump!

Ning Zheng strode into the hall [Between the Embers], gazing at the high central throne, surrounded by ancient mythological golden painted walls, Chronicles of Time, inevitably revealing a trace of sentiment.

Back then, blacksmiths entered the capital to forge weapons in the presence of Emperor Jiushui, feeling the insurmountable oppression, the historical weight brought by the Chronicles of Time.

And now, he had personally broken in.

Though the means were somewhat dishonorable.

Ning Zheng pondered slightly, "Xin Xichen has already been lured out, and with no one to guard the Chronicles of Time in the capital city, caught off guard, it should succeed..."

"But it must be quick!"

"If it were me, I would be over there in the East Sea, pulling out a host of speed divine techniques, transforming into speed Divine Weapons, bringing Phoenix Yi and Cursed to attack."

"I might have less than three seconds now."

Ning Zheng revealed a faint smile, "But it's more than enough."

Crack!

He reached out to touch the heavy painted walls of the Chronicles of Time, a vast, ancient energy surged up, and was extraordinarily intimate, as if encountering another self.

A normal person mastering the first Divine Artifact of the human race of the Central Plains Nine-State, the Chronicles of Time in three seconds is sheer fantasy.

But during the ancient Human God war, the Chronicles of Time leaked, and he sacrificed himself to repair the core Square Cauldron of the Chronicles of Time, sacrificing a life as if it were another self, naturally ingraining a sense of kinship.

This was, in reality, a setup from back then, with part of the control over the Chronicles of Time already falling under Ning Zheng's control.

A crashing sound.

The Square Cauldron emerged.

This Square Cauldron had been forged with Ning Zheng's body back then, the intimacy akin to encountering one's Lifebound Magical Artifact.

He reached out and grasped it, swiftly taking control, effortlessly erasing Xin Xichen's imprint, and immersing his own consciousness into it.

Rumble!

In the next moment.

The sky filled with splendor.

Explosive power, like an earthquake, made the entire capital city shake.

In [Between the Embers] every painting symbolized an ancient tomb, yet at this moment, paintings peeled layer by layer from the palace walls, a piece of bronze-colored copper engraved tomb painting rapidly taking flight, transforming into antiquated, mottled armor pieces, cloaking the body.

Rumble!

The earth quaked, as if the entire human race of the Nine-State sensed the shifting of earth's dragon in the unseen realm.

"What is that!?" In the next moment, the rain and thunder covered the Four Seas of the Nine-State, people from countless towns projected an astonishing scene of the capital city on their retinas.

"Are we seeing the capital city?"

"Who is soaring in the sky over the capital?"

They beheld an unprecedented spectacle in their pupils.

Earth shaking and mountains quivering. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Heaven and earth inverted.

Countless rays of light emerged from the armor, depicting ancient apes roaring, emperors carving out rivers and mountains, mythical histories on the scale armor.

That majestic ancient golden war robe gradually illuminated dot by dot in golden light, repeatedly casting itself into an indestructible golden body bronze statue, containing the utmost powerful wills of ancient perished beings, falling like the Milky Way of the nine heavens.

It was as if the ancient emperor finally reclaimed the indestructible, invincible form that had weathered countless tribulations.

A deep sigh entered the eyes of every commoner and cultivator through the torrential downpour.

"The chronicles cloak me, the age of mankind tucked in my bosom."