I reign supreme in the Western fantasy world for eternity.

Ji Tian was speechless upon hearing this.

Abstract doctrines bordering on the absurd, the "Killing Apostle" of the Civil War's phantom god, and a church spy who infiltrated for three years to become the "Shadow Apostle"...

It's truly remarkable that the Order of Light has managed to survive until now.

"Do you know where the Killing Apostles usually operate?"

Shadowpin thought for a moment and pointed to the northwest: "About forty miles northwest of the capital, there is a black pine forest that is rarely visited by people. There are many wild animals in the forest, and occasionally adventurers or lost travelers will pass through. He is most likely there."

"Even if the Slaughter Apostles are ruthless, they wouldn't dare to openly massacre people near the capital, but they can't control their bloodlust and can only hide in such places to vent it."

"If you are going to look for him, please be careful. Although he is not very bright, he is extremely strong. Even a Grand Magister might not be able to escape unscathed in a direct fight."

Ji Tian nodded slightly, releasing the suppression on the Shadow Nail. "You can leave now."

Shadownail struggled to his feet from the pit, hurriedly patting the dirt off his body. He didn't even dare to ask which faction had sent him, but simply bowed and said, "Yes, I'll take my leave."

He turned and disappeared into the shadows, vanishing along with the re-formed nightmare warhorse.

Ji Tian stood on the wasteland, watching him leave.

The other party most likely imagined their own identity, but whether they were royalty or an academy student remains unknown.

Forget it, let's focus on cultivation first.

……

翌日清晨，天光微亮.

Ji Tian flew directly to the black pine forest northwest of the capital.

The black pine forest covers a vast area, with tall, dense trees and gnarled branches, and is perpetually shrouded in darkness.

The forest was filled with a damp, rotten smell, and the ground was covered with a thick layer of dead leaves that felt soft and spongy underfoot, somewhat similar to the Western Mountains.

Ji Tian spread out his divine sense and quickly locked onto the target.

Deep in the woods, on a cleared area, a burly man, shirtless and covered in scars, squatted on the ground, his hands stained with blood.

Before him lay a black bear, dismembered beyond recognition, its internal organs scattered on the ground, its flesh mangled and bloody.

The burly man had bits of flesh hanging from the corner of his mouth, his eyes were murky dark red, and his pupils were filled with pure, primal killing intent.

He seemed to sense something, abruptly raising his head, his cloudy eyes staring straight in the direction Ji Tian had landed. "People are coming, huh... huh! I was just thinking one bear wouldn't be enough to fill my teeth!"

If they are truly members of a cult, they may even practice cannibalism.

He stood up, standing seven feet tall, his muscles bulging like the roots of an old tree, his fingernails worn down to sharp bone spurs, with dried scabs clinging to them.

Ji Tian landed ten steps ahead of him, his white robes standing out starkly against the dim forest. "You're the Apostle of Slaughter?"

The burly man grinned. "You know my name and still dare to come? Fine! Fine! I'm in a good mood today, I'll spare your head!"

Before he finished speaking, a shallow crater exploded in the ground, and withered leaves and soil flew everywhere like shrapnel. The burly man's body turned into a blurry black shadow and rushed straight at Ji Tian.

Ji Tian raised his hand and slapped the fist that was coming at him.

"boom--"

A dull thud echoed through the forest, the shockwave spreading outwards and snapping more than a dozen pine trees, each as thick as a bowl, in half.

The burly man was sent flying backward, crashing into three trees before barely managing to regain his footing.

His right arm was twisted and deformed, with bone fragments protruding from the flesh, and blood was dripping from it.

The Killing Apostle looked down at his arm, grabbed his right arm with his left hand, and pulled hard, snapping the dislocated joint back into place.

He looked up, a hint of seriousness appearing in his cloudy eyes for the first time. "Such strength! Much stronger than those so-called 'strongmen' I've chopped down. What's your name?"

"Too lazy to speak, not to listen."

The burly man narrowed his eyes slightly. "What a strange name... Never mind, I can't be bothered to say it. Today is your death day!"

After saying that, he pounced on him again.

This time, he no longer charged recklessly. He threw out both fists at once, each punch carrying a strong bloody aura. The wind from his punches was like a knife, tearing through the air and emitting a piercing shriek.

Ji Tian stood still, one hand on his forehead and the other to brush his hair back, using one hand to deal with the opponent's various moves.

He parried, deflected, and countered, each palm striking precisely on the side of the opponent's fist, redirecting the immense force elsewhere. The burly man's fists grew faster and stronger, yet he could never touch the hem of Ji Tian's clothes.

"All you can do is hide?!" the burly man roared, slamming his fists into the ground.

The ground exploded, and countless fragments of rock and dirt flew outwards like cannonballs, with a violent shockwave spreading in all directions from him.

Ji Tian lightly touched the ground with his toes, his body rising like a willow catkin, dodging the shockwave while pressing a palm down on the burly man's head.

"boom--"

The burly man's body suddenly sank, his legs sinking into the ground, his knees and below completely buried in the soil. His head was pinned down by Ji Tian's palm, unable to move, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"You... how is this possible!?"

Ji Tian tightened his grip slightly. "You're no match for me. Where's the missing page?"

The burly man made a gurgling sound in his throat. He suddenly opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood mist, which contained a black bone spur that shot straight at Ji Tian's face.

Ji Tian turned his head, and a bone spur flew past his cheek and embedded itself in an old pine tree behind him. The pine tree withered instantly, its bark cracked, as if its life force had been drained.

"It seems he doesn't want to talk about it."

Ji Tian no longer held back, his spiritual power surging into his palm, shattering the strong man's consciousness.

Soul Search.

Fragments of memory emerge, revealing bloody, frenzied, and murderous scenes.

Ji Tian quickly filtered the information and found information about the fragment: The illiterate Killing Apostle had only recently learned of the value of the [Seven Pages Book], so he gave the [Seven Pages Book - Fragment] to the Cursed Apostle, whom he couldn't defeat yet, in exchange for a large amount of cultivation resources.

He is a promising talent for cultivating strength.

Ji Tian exited the Soul Search with slight disappointment and looked down at the burly man who had already fainted.

No wonder the other party didn't sense the fluctuations of the [Seven Pages Book - Fragment] when I actively released them; it turns out the pages weren't in his hands at all.

This person had no interest in the "Seven Pages Book"; he pursued pure physical strength. Otherwise, he wouldn't be without even a single fragment.

In a sense, he was a pure "martial artist," but he had taken the wrong path.

Ji Tian finished him off with a single palm strike, then used the remaining page to deliver the final blow, confirming that his soul had completely dissipated.

"Two left."

After cleaning up the scene, Ji Tian burned the strong man's body to ashes and turned to leave the Black Pine Forest.

……

Over the next few days, Ji Tian cultivated while waiting at the sect's largest stronghold in the capital.

He had dismissed most of the believers in the stronghold, leaving only a few obedient deacons to deliver messages.

One day, two days, three days.

No other apostles appeared.

Ji Tian's divine sense covered most of the capital city day and night, but he did not detect any suspicious magical fluctuations.

The apostles seemed to have vanished into thin air, leaving no trace.

Ji Tian sat on the windowsill on the second floor of the stronghold, gazing at the silhouette of the royal capital in the twilight in the distance. "It seems they've already realized something's wrong."

The Thousand-Faced Apostle was replaced by himself, the Demon Sword Apostle died, the Illusion Apostle died, the Slaughter Apostle also died, and the Shadow Apostle was also sent away by himself.

With four apostles going missing one after another, even the most oblivious of the remaining two should realize that someone is hunting them down.

The Cursed Apostle, who lives a secluded life, is very likely already in hiding; the Light Chaser is of noble birth and has another identity as a cover, so he probably won't appear as an "Apostle" again anytime soon.

We can't wait any longer; we have to take the initiative.

Ji Tian stood up and dusted off his robes.

He needs more clues.

The Apostle of Light—who might be of noble birth and control the Order's businesses—could perhaps be found through clues within the noble circles of the capital.

And the best entry point to finding nobles is...

Ji Tian took a step into the air and flew into the sky.