Online Game: Starting with an SSS-Level Plundering Talent

John no longer dwelled on the issue, instead turning his attention to the items dropped by Black Raven and his group. They were all dark attribute treasures—rare, but not of much use to him.

The only thing that caught his eye was the black pearl, and he curiously inspected it.

[Dark Pearl: A rare treasure, formed from the condensation of the Darkness Heaven Law. It contains immense power and can Devour dark attribute energy. It grants the Dark Rift talent and mastery over the power of Darkness Heaven Laws, allowing for refinement.]

This Dark Pearl required the Dark Rift talent to be used.

By chance, after killing Black Raven, John had plundered the Dark Rift talent.

"Let me deal with the current mess first." He wasn't in a hurry to use it. With a thought, he left the World-in-Hand and appeared in Fire Phoenix City.

Boom! Boom!

The city was still in chaos, explosions resounding throughout. Dark Puppets were going berserk, charging forward and self-destructing.

Even Nine Phoenix Emperor and Chaos Emperor were struggling to deal with these creatures.

In addition, large groups of Black Magicians were wreaking havoc, firing Black Demon Bombs at the adventurers in Fire Phoenix City.

"John!" The others exclaimed upon seeing him, visibly relieved.

"Did you... kill Senren and the others?" Nine Phoenix asked in surprise.

John nodded without offering further explanation and immediately rushed toward the Black Magicians.

Nine Phoenix Emperor and the others were stunned, their confidence soaring as they pushed forward, slaying the oncoming Dark Puppets and Black Magicians.

Without the threat of the Demon's Sky Formation, these enemies were no match for them.

"This human is still alive?" From behind the ranks of Black Magicians, the King of Shadows gasped in disbelief.

John's appearance here could only mean that Senren and the others had met their end.

"Has Black Raven fallen as well? No, the remaining Black Magicians are no threat. I must retreat first." The King of Shadows melted into a shadow and silently withdrew from the battlefield, fleeing quickly.

The Black Magicians noticed John and panic gripped them.

"You're still alive? Where is Lord Black Raven?" The leader of the Black Magicians fixed his trembling gaze on John.

John smirked, his voice cold, "He's dead."

"W-what?" The man swallowed hard, staring at John. "Do you know who Lord Black Raven was?"

John sneered, "Just a son of the Celestial Vault. Even if the Celestial Vault itself were here, I wouldn't care."

Buzz!

The hum of sword intent filled the air. John couldn't be bothered to waste words with these people. He summoned the Four Extermination Swords, and a chilling aura of slaughter enveloped the surroundings. The swords transformed into a sea of blinding light, cutting through the Black Magicians' ranks.

"Human, the Celestial Vault will never let you off. Retreat!" The man realized the situation was lost. Without the Demon's Sky Formation, they were no match for the two Emperors. Without hesitation, he ordered a retreat.

Clang!

A sharp buzzing sound echoed through the air. Nine Phoenix Emperor sensed their intentions and shot into the sky, coldly saying, "Not a single one of Dark City's people is to be allowed to escape!"

As she spoke, she transformed into her true form—a massive nine-headed Fire Phoenix. Her blazing wings stirred the air as she charged towards the Black Magician army.

The soldiers of Fire Phoenix City immediately moved to encircle and block their escape routes.

Boom! Boom!

The ground shook with powerful reverberations, and Chaos Force surged—the Chaos Emperor had entered the fray.

With a single wave of his hand, lightning flashed across the sky, jumping wildly between enemies. Wherever it passed, thunderous booms rang out, and the Black Magicians were reduced to nothing but dust.

"How powerful!" John was taken aback. The Chaos Emperor's control over Chaos Force was even stronger than his own.

The battle quickly turned into a one-sided massacre.

The Black Magician army had completely lost their will to fight, being mercilessly slaughtered by the powerful forces of Fire Phoenix City.

The remaining Dark Puppets were no longer a threat to Fire Phoenix City.

Before long, the Black Magicians' forces had been nearly wiped out, leaving the city in ruins.

Seeing this, Nine Phoenix Emperor's rage flared. As an Emperor-level powerhouse, she had always been above others, and this was the first time she had been so openly provoked. If not for the Chaos Emperor and John stepping in, Fire Phoenix City would likely have been destroyed.

This grievance, she swore, would be repaid tenfold, a hundredfold to Dark City.

"My Lord," a soldier approached and reported, "We didn't find the Shadow King. That guy managed to escape."

Nine Phoenix narrowed her eyes coldly. "That's to be expected. He controls Shadow Power. Unless it's an Emperor, no one can stop him from fleeing."

Her heart burned with anger. Shadow, who had openly betrayed them, was even more despicable than Dark City itself.

She issued an order: "Clear the battlefield first."

"Yes, my Lord," the soldier responded respectfully and quickly left.

Nine Phoenix then turned to John and the others and said, "Everyone, return to your territory. In three days, gather in John's desert to attack Dark City."

"Understood." Several of the kings acknowledged and immediately withdrew.

"My Lord, I shall take my leave as well." John found Sini and the others, preparing to say his goodbyes. The Endless Desert had already been refined by him, and he needed to return early to make preparations.

"Wait." Nine Phoenix stopped him and asked, "Did you kill Black Raven?"

John nodded, not hiding the truth.

Nine Phoenix continued, "Do you know his identity?"

"Yes, he's the son of Celestial Vault." John answered calmly, not showing a hint of fear. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

Nine Phoenix's gaze toward him became even more approving. She spoke, "Celestial Vault will not let you go. Here's what I'll do: I will carve out a space for you within my territory. Don't return to Endless Desert."

John was puzzled and asked, "My Lord, aren't we planning to attack Dark City? Four of the Lords have already fallen, and are we still not strong enough to face Celestial Vault?"

He glanced at Chaos Emperor, guessing that the man would also join the battle.

With two Emperors working together, and the four Dark City Lords already fallen, only Celestial Vault remained. Could they really go against two Emperors?

Fire Phoenix shook her head slightly, her expression serious. "You underestimate Celestial Vault's power. Among the two major forces in the Realm of Chaos, Celestial Vault and the Church of Light far exceed our Emperors. This operation is merely a demonstration of our stance. We can't openly clash with Celestial Vault, but with me protecting you, they won't dare act openly against you."

Hearing her words, John furrowed his brow in deep thought.

Nine Phoenix's territory was essentially her World-in-Hand. He had too many secrets, and didn't want to reveal them just yet.

He spoke up, "I appreciate your kindness, my Lord, but I've still decided to stay in Endless Desert. If Dark City proves to be too much for me, then I will move to your territory."

Nine Phoenix frowned. "Are you sure? If Celestial Vault suddenly makes a move at the edge of Dark City, I won't be able to reach you in time to help."

John nodded confidently. "Even if I'm not a match for Celestial Vault, it won't be easy for them to kill me."

At this point, Chaos Emperor spoke up, "Kid, if you don't like Nine Phoenix's territory, you can develop your power in mine. I can open up a space for you there as well."

John was taken aback, about to respond, when Nine Phoenix's temper flared. "Chaos, are you out of your mind? You're openly trying to recruit my people in front of me?"

"I'm merely making a suggestion," Chaos Emperor said indifferently. He then turned to John and continued, "Kid, do you want to consider it carefully? I can sense that you have some control over Chaos Force. In my World-in-Hand, you'll surely gain new insights."

John's eyes lit up, and he was indeed somewhat tempted.

He noticed Fire Phoenix Emperor was about to lose her temper and quickly spoke, "Thank you, my Lord, but I've still decided to build my own power in Endless Desert. If I truly encounter danger, I will consider both of your offers."

"Alright, you decide for yourself." Chaos Emperor stopped trying to persuade him.

"Hmph!" Nine Phoenix Emperor snorted coldly, shooting him an unhappy glance.

John bowed and said, "In that case, I'll return to Endless Desert first. I will await both of your esteemed presences."

The two Emperors nodded, watching him leave.

Nine Phoenix Emperor spoke, "Chaos, I will need your help once again. Even if we can't kill Celestial Vault, Dark City must still pay the price."

"Of course, no problem." Chaos Emperor nodded in agreement. He had long been dissatisfied with Dark City.

"By the way," he suddenly remembered something and asked, "I sensed an Emperor-level Thunder Tribulation appearing in Endless Desert. Do you know what's going on?"

Nine Phoenix looked puzzled. "You sensed it?"

She had hidden the traces of the Thunder Tribulation, but Chaos Emperor had felt it. This likely meant that the other two Emperors had noticed it as well.

She didn't hide anything and briefly explained the situation.

Chaos Emperor's expression grew serious. "This kid might not be able to withstand it. You should know, this world isn't just made up of us four Emperors. If things get traced back, it could become problematic."

Nine Phoenix furrowed her brows, realizing that the situation had been rushed.

After a moment of contemplation, she replied lightly, "If it comes to that, I'll just admit to it openly. I don't believe those fools will dare to come after my life."

"Let's hope they won't take action," Chaos Emperor still seemed a bit concerned.

...

Three days later, John returned to the Endless Desert where he had previously been.

Here, only a narrow stretch of desert remained, bordering Dark City.

From time to time, adventurers clashed with Black Magicians, and battles erupted incessantly.

Sword Demon looked at the chaotic scene and said, "John, are you really sure you want to establish your territory here? I think Nine Phoenix Emperor's suggestion was quite reasonable."

"Don't worry, I'm confident," John glanced around and spoke indifferently.

Then, he focused his mind on his World-in-Hand, communicating with it, and brought forth the desert portion of it into reality.

Boom!

A massive rumble echoed as powerful Spatial energy surged. A vast desert suddenly appeared, stretching as far as the eye could see, with an expansive oasis beneath his feet, teeming with life.

This was still the same Endless Desert.

However, it had now been refined by him. Unlike the Serpent King Medusa from before, John had absolute control over this desert.

Anyone who stepped into it would not be able to hide from him. If Dark City tried to make a move against him, he would sense it immediately.

John turned to the others and instructed, "I'll enter closed-door cultivation within World-in-Hand. If Nine Phoenix Emperor or anyone else arrives, notify me immediately."