t raced. The power required to create such beings must be immense.

The elder continued, “Once, I fought against the forces of nature to become the ruler of not just the world but the universe. Unfortunately, I was betrayed at the pinnacle of my success.”

The elder's eyes dimmed, not wanting to dwell on the past. My curiosity got the better of me, “May I ask, Senior, what happened?”

Waving his hand dismissively, the elder sighed, “Very well, I’ll tell you. As I was about to become the world’s ruler, I was betrayed by my most beloved disciple, Northern Palace. My trust in her led to my downfall.”

I thought, “If someone as powerful as him could be betrayed so easily, a mere mortal like me could be killed a thousand times over in an instant.”

The elder reminisced, “I was ambushed and suffered a backlash from the world itself, leaving me on the brink of death. I separated the Azure Dragon, Black Tortoise, Vermilion Bird, and White Tiger from my body and sent them to find the ‘Chaotic Body’ to pass on my life's work. To my surprise, even a fragment of my soul could find you. What a joyous occasion!”

He then pointed to the four divine beasts, saying, “From now on, you must serve Qiyun diligently and help avenge me. Fulfill my lifelong aspiration.”

The four divine beasts nodded in unison and returned to my body. I was still in shock when the elder said he wanted to take me as a disciple. Overjoyed, I asked him thrice to confirm, “Do you really want to take me as your disciple?”

The elder laughed, “Would you refuse?”

“I’d love to!” I nodded enthusiastically, nearly shaking my head off.

“What is your name, Master?”

“I am the Bloodthirsty Divine Sovereign,” he declared, exuding an aura that made my heart race.

“Master!” I called out, finally realizing, “Where am I?”

“Qiyun, this world is vast. You are just in a small world among many. Don’t be disheartened; you will understand in time,” said Master, with a wave of his hand, a book, a sword, and a space ring flew toward me.

“This book contains my lifetime of knowledge, called the Path of Bloodthirst. Follow me and live; oppose me and perish. Absolute ruthlessness is essential for dominance, but remember to kill only those who deserve it. This sword, the Divine Demon Sword, can slay gods and demons. It is not complete; its spirit vanished to save me during my battle with the heavens. You must find it.”

Listening to all this, my hands trembled. “These are precious treasures,” I thought.

The elder added, “If the Divine Sword from the demon realm can merge with the Divine Demon Sword, it would be perfect. But don’t worry about that now. For now, these are beyond your current abilities.”

Once again, my lack of strength made me more determined. 

“Qiyun, focus on your training here. My fragment of a s

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