As Solanky retreated, his understanding of transcendent domains deepened with every passing moment.
He had already grasped the fundamental principle behind them.
A domain was not merely the expansion of one's aura or laws.
It was the projection of one's absolute will upon reality itself, forcing the laws of heaven and earth to submit.
Inside his internal world, which had partially merged with his consciousness, Solanky condensed a spiritual clone using his world energy and spiritual power.
While his true body continued fighting, the clone secluded itself.
Its only purpose was to create the perfect counter-domain.
The time flow within his internal world was extraordinary.
One day in the Beyond Realm equaled one hundred thousand years inside.
Taking advantage of that immense difference, the clone began tirelessly deducing countless possibilities.
The Karma Induction Tracing Arts...
The Forbidden Bewitching Arts...
The Velvet Cloud of Contamination...
One after another, the clone merged these inheritances together, attempting to create a domain capable of countering any Venerable Saint or stronger transcendent entity.
...
Outside, the Saint was on the verge of madness.
He had already sacrificed two of his strongest and most loyal subordinates.
Yet despite everything...
He still could not suppress a mere Peak Entity.
If news of this battle spread throughout the Beyond Realm, he would become the laughingstock of every transcendent expert.
Suddenly...
A sinister aura erupted from his body.
The sound of countless voices echoed through the heavens.
Billions of citizens throughout Abope City began chanting the Saint's name with unwavering faith.
Boundless streams of belief surged toward him.
Solanky's expression immediately darkened.
"This is the worst possible outcome."
Once the Saint completely absorbed the faith of billions of believers, his domain would become vastly more powerful.
There was only a tiny window left.
He had to end the battle now.
Without another thought, Solanky stopped retreating.
Instead...
He charged directly toward the Saint.
The Saint's eyes lit up with excitement.
"So you've finally given up running."
The closer Solanky approached, the stronger the Saint's domain became.
Its effective radius stretched across six light-years.
Within that distance...
Everything belonged to him.
Even death.
At the same moment, Solanky glanced toward the hidden Saint Emperor officiator.
He immediately realized...
She had also decided to make her move.
Without hesitation, Solanky activated Void Shadow Steps.
His figure disappeared.
The next instant...
He appeared directly above the Saint.
The golden spear bestowed upon him by the Forsaken God descended into his grasp.
Without holding anything back, Solanky unleashed his strongest attack.
Collapsing Neutron Star.
A crimson radiance illuminated the heavens.
Even the incomparably stable space of the Beyond Realm began trembling violently beneath the descending spear.
Watching from afar, the officiator's eyes widened.
Excitement and shock flashed across her face simultaneously.
She immediately rushed toward the battlefield.
In only a few seconds, she crossed a distance of ten light-years.
Yet she deliberately slowed herself before arriving.
She refused to alert Solanky by disturbing the surrounding space.
The spear continued falling.
Its speed exceeded even the Saint's reaction.
BOOM!!
The transcendent domain exploded apart.
The invisible currents of belief shattered instantly.
The spear struck the Saint head-on.
His body crashed violently into the earth below.
A crater several kilometers wide erupted beneath the impact.
Dust filled the sky.
At the center of the crater...
The Saint lay motionless.
Eighty-five percent of his total energy had vanished.
His body had suffered catastrophic damage.
His eyes stared blankly into the heavens.
He could not believe it.
Never...
Not even in his wildest imagination...
Had he expected to be defeated by a Peak Entity.
And within his own city.
Before he could recover...
Void Shadow Steps activated again.
Solanky instantly appeared above him.
The spear thrust downward.
Fate-Piercing Thrust.
RIIIP!
The unmistakable sound of flesh and bone being pierced echoed across the battlefield.
Solanky frowned.
"A mediocre Saint indeed."
"Not even a layer of spiritual energy protects his body."
"And he still possesses only the physique of a Half-Step Transcendent."
He glanced toward the rapidly approaching officiator.
"I have to leave."
"That cunning woman is almost here."
Without hesitation, Solanky sealed the Saint's body inside a Velvet Sphere of Contamination.
He had no intention of storing it within his internal world.
Doing so would be suicidal.
If the Saint possessed hidden methods that allowed him to absorb world energy or belief energy to resurrect himself, his internal world would become the perfect breeding ground.
The Velvet Cloud of Contamination erased all such possibilities.
Just like that...
Solanky had slain his very first Saint-level transcendent entity.
Yet there was no joy in his heart.
A far more terrifying opponent was already pursuing him.
Void Shadow Steps erupted once again.
Solanky vanished.
Ten thousand light-years away from Abope City...
He finally slowed down.
He turned around.
Was she still following him?
Before the thought could finish...
Space beside him suddenly split apart.
A graceful leg emerged from the rift.
BOOM!!
The kick struck Solanky's back squarely.
His body shot across space like a meteor.
Golden blood sprayed from his mouth.
He instantly lost nearly forty percent of his total energy and life force.
He steadied himself and looked toward the torn space.
The officiator slowly stepped out.
She looked completely calm.
"I have taken an interest in that Half-Step Nine Peak Turns spear."
"Hand it over."
"And I'll spare your life."
Rage surged through Solanky.
Without hesitation, he hurled the spear with every ounce of his strength.
Fate-Piercing Thrust.
The spear pierced through space with terrifying momentum.
Unfortunately...
The officiator had already anticipated the attack.
She casually sidestepped it.
Her figure blurred.
She immediately pursued Solanky.
Using the brief opening created by the throw, Solanky fled while frantically stabilizing his chaotic internal energy.
His injuries were severe.
Yet before he could gain any distance...
The officiator appeared directly in front of him.
She stretched out one elegant hand.
The surrounding space instantly condensed.
The outside world disappeared.
Solanky had been imprisoned inside her Absolute Domain.
His eyes narrowed.
If he hesitated now...
He would die.
There was only one remaining trump card.
Finger of Terror.
He spat a mouthful of golden blood onto his charred black fingers.
The blackened fingers instantly emitted an eerie glow.
He pointed directly at the approaching officiator.
Sizzle!
An invisible beam shot forward.
Its speed was so terrifying that even space failed to react.
The beam pierced directly through the officiator's left shoulder.
Her entire left arm was severed instantly.
Blood scattered through the void.
A scream of agony echoed across space.
The invisible attack continued eroding both her flesh and spirit.
Because her concentration had faltered from the sudden pain, the Absolute Domain imprisoning Solanky weakened.
Without wasting the opportunity, Solanky rapidly formed a series of seals.
His cold voice echoed toward the injured officiator.
"The day I become a transcendent entity..."
"...will be the day you leave this world forever."
The officiator's expression darkened.
After witnessing everything Solanky had displayed...
She knew his threat was no empty boast.
That day...
Might arrive far sooner than she wished.
Suppressing the excruciating pain spreading through her body, she lunged toward him again.
But she was one step too late.
Solanky had already entered the internal space of the golden spear.
The weapon instantly vanished without leaving behind the slightest trace.
The officiator searched the surrounding void for several moments.
Finding nothing...
She finally abandoned the pursuit.
Her injuries demanded immediate treatment.
She disappeared into the depths of space.
...
Inside the spear's internal world, Solanky remained cautious.
Even after escaping, he refused to lower his guard.
He immediately activated the Karma Erasure Escape Method.
Every karmic connection...
Every hidden mark...
Every invisible trace that might have been placed upon him...
Was severed completely.
Only after ensuring his safety did he search for a place to recover.
He chose not to return toward Abope City.
There were simply too many uncertainties.
The officiator might expand her Absolute Domain across the entire region to search for him.
The slain Saint might also attempt resurrection through the faith of his countless believers.
That possibility was exactly why Solanky had sealed the corpse inside the Velvet Sphere.
After traveling billions of light-years away, Solanky located one of the Saint's weaker subordinates.
He quietly controlled the cultivator's mind.
Then he altered the man's appearance, transforming him into a monkey-like humanoid with a long tail.
Solanky concealed himself within the subordinate's internal world.
Under his command, the puppet traveled toward a volcanic region several kilometers away.
Upon arriving...
The subordinate obediently stopped.
Solanky emerged from the internal world.
With a single strike, he killed the controlled cultivator.
His body fell lifelessly into the wasteland.
Without hesitation, Solanky plunged into the volcano itself.
The blazing magma there was powerful enough to melt an ordinary Mid-Stage Entity.
He descended all the way to the bottom before sitting cross-legged within the volcanic sea.
The violent flames continuously washed over his body.
Rather than resisting them...
He absorbed their energy.
To accelerate his recovery, Solanky retrieved a Transcendent Pill of Eternity that he had refined long ago.
He wrapped it in spiritual energy to shield it from the overwhelming volcanic heat.
Then...
He swallowed it.
His internal energy and spiritual power immediately began circulating throughout his body.
Half a day later...
Every injury had completely disappeared.
His strength had returned to its absolute peak.
Only then did Solanky wave his hand.
The Velvet Sphere floated before him.
His gaze settled upon the corpse of the Saint sealed within it.
It was finally time...
To inspect his first Saint-level trophy.