《Consuming Earths, Devouring Skies》


 Prologue

    --Fortune Cemetery, Year 12,321 of the Rebirth Era.


    The world was encased in a myriad of black clouds which little light seeped through. The entire surroundings of this world were filled with a rainbow flourish of both fresh and old blood. Corpses of all races, sizes, and colors littered it as if it was a battlefield of old; however, there were still sounds of those in their death throes and those exclaiming their battle-cries. While life and death continued to be unclearly defined within this world of constant struggle, a male youth adorned in white robes stood silently in mid-air.


    The chaos in this world was ignored.


    This individual who seemed like a youth possessed a solemn expression and a powerful aura which caused all those who looked towards him to cower away and try their luck in reaping lives elsewhere, lest their lives are reaped.


    The male youth had waist-length black hair, a slim yet elegant figure, and a set of dazzling silver wings that seemed to illuminate the surroundings, but didn''t possess the standard holy characteristics that these angelic-like wings would typically bestow upon mortals. Instead, these wings held an imposing and tyrannical feel that would cause those who looked upon them to feel their lives were no longer theirs.


    His eyes looked towards a dilapidated palatial door, brownish in color, connected to nothing that stood upright, and untainted by the rainbow blood in its surroundings. It possessed an almost mundane aura, which could be easily overlooked as a lost object of one of the weaker individuals of this world.


    "Ezekiel!"


    A middle-aged man with waist-length silver hair, two silver wings positioned on his back spread wide, seemed to have blinked directly to the male youth''s side. His expression contained confusion and a little reverence as he gazed at the youth beside him.


    "Jeremiah."


    The youth named Ezekiel acknowledged, his gaze towards the door remained unblinking and fixed.


    Those eyes were slightly heated.


    Observing this, the newly arrived Jeremiah remained silent. The youth before him was one of the unrivaled talents of the cultivation world and whatever he decided to do, he held no power to assert any questions. If he did and this angered Ezekiel, it''s likely that even if the gods and buddhas wished for him to keep his life, he''d still lose it here. To be more accurate, even if they begged, the situation would likely be the same.


    This world was a battlefield filled with death, and with Ezekiel here, it became even more chaotic. The level of slaughter performed just a few days ago would leave many psychopaths and cold-blooded murderers to grimace in inferiority. He had little desire to just be another name on his belt.


    Therefore, silent and waiting he remained.


    Luckily, he didn''t wait for long.


    A ripple of almost endless power surged outwards quietly from the door. It swept almost this entire gargantuan world and brought about a sensation of infinite death and calamitous power. Feeling this, Jeremiah''s expression turned so pale that it was as if he''d seen death itself, and death gave him a date. Jeremiah sweated profusely while his eyes widened to the size of suns.


    The world went silent.


    The door opened silently.


    Ezekiel''s eyes brightened to the point where the stars were inferior. Unlike his compatriot beside him, his expression was filled with no hint of fear. He vanished inwards with no hesitation.


    "E-Ezekiel!" Out of sheer fear, Jeremiah shouted. He stood there dumbfounded and fiercely panting. After a long while, he felt the auras of many that were both his equal and his inferior surge from the eight directions. Gritting his teeth so hard that blood dripped from the sides of his mouth, he followed after Ezekiel.


    <hr>


    --Sirius Titan Realm, Year 12,323 of the Rebirth Era.


    A dense light filled with brilliant sharpness sliced downwards towards a silver-robed male with unprecedented speed. The male responded with a slight smirk underneath his hood and a wave of his sword, completely denying the light any choice in its continued existence as it was swiped into destruction.


    "Cease this, Ezekiel." A rough masculine voice demanded.


    A middle-aged man whose eyes were crimson red, muscles brimming to the brink upon his deep black body, and a great sword larger than his own body within his hand that resembled a wolf''s fang appeared almost out of thin air. His expression was filled with imperial malevolence as he calmly eyed Ezekiel from afar.


    "You can not escape, accept your death." He added. His tone was filled with a calmness and arrogance that could cause the heavens to feel insulted.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Ezekiel, the youth in silver-robes, lifted his hood from his head to reveal a face so handsome that it seemed it was sculpted by the gods themselves. He held an arrogant smirk filled with absolute confidence. Whether it was in his own abilities or other factors, no one knew.


    "With just you?" Ezekiel responded.


    The middle-aged man looked calmly at Ezekiel as if his words or tone were the antics of a fool. As if on cue, many different auras of all types of intensity surged from the horizon in all directions. They seemed to be honing their flights towards this direction at top speed. Ezekiel''s eyes didn''t move from the man as his smirk never faded.


    "It''s truly unfortunate, Ezekiel. Your legend, your life, it''ll end here. Return that which you stole, and your end shall be one without pain. I give you my word." The middle-aged man said with a slight shake of his head, disregarding Ezekiel''s false bravado. He''d already considered every scenario and locked out every conceivable way for him to escape. There was nothing left but death for this talented youth.


    "You sure about that?" Ezekiel slightly laughed as he pulled out a compass-like object with eight orientating arrows pointing in the eight directions.


    Witnessing this, the middle-aged man''s eyes rose in curiosity, but suddenly this surprise turned into one of fierce panic and fear. An expression this man had not known for millennia. He reached out with his palm and grabbed, the world fiercely quaked, and it seemed that the very heavens would collapse and the skies would rend.


    However, it was too late.


    With a flash of brilliant white light and a quiet ripple of power emitted from the compass, Ezekiel''s body, under the collapsing of the heavens and the skies, blipped out of existence. The man''s expression changed harshly as the space that was originally inhabited by Ezekiel shattered into oblivion, but Ezekiel was already gone.


    <hr>


    --Crimson Devil Realm, Year 12,330 of the Rebirth Era.


    "Ar-Ariel...w-why?" Ezekiel, the silver-winged youth, struggled with all his might to utter those words between his heavy panting and upheavals of the chest. His once gorgeous wings were tainted with black gases that seemed to seep into his soul. Inside the eyes once filled with unlimited confidence were unwilling disbelief, soul-deep pain, and sheer disappointment - the disappointment directed mostly towards himself.


    His gaze never left this once-so familiar figure.


    A grey-skinned, crimson-eyed girl dressed in a crimson knee-length dress with the visual appearance of a 17-18-year-old girl slowly muttered. She stood in mid-air with the air of an empress, and her gaze looked as if all beneath the heavens were under her control. This gaze contained deep contempt and disdain as she looked towards this once proud figure of the myriad realms. Now, he was nothing more than an individual waiting for his death.


    "You brought this upon yourself. Your foolish ambitions and wanton desires towards me." Her words were harsh, and to Ezekiel, this was the first time he''d heard her speak in such a tone. She, who he trusted wholeheartedly. She, who obtained his heart. Heralded as the heavenly pairing of this millennia, but it seems men presume and the heavens laugh.


    Ezekiel couldn''t help but laugh at this realization of her words and the reason for her actions.


    Seeing this laugh, Ariel simply said, "I never loved you. I have always wanted to kill you, and now...I''ve done so." A sort of peaceful serenity was revealed in her voice.


    Ezekiel was silent at this. He was currently inflicted with a soul-decaying technique which he could not dispel with his cultivation. At this moment, almost ninety percent of his soul had been corroded, and it was damage that''d take centuries to repair. He calmed himself down and stood upright like a spear in mid-air as if saying: ''Even if you or the world wants me to die, I''ll die on my feet.'' However, his eyes spoke even further volumes.


    Even if the heavens want me dead, they must be willing to pay the price. If you want me dead? Ha, you''re not worthy, and I''m not willing!


    A surging ghostly blaze exploded from his eyes, and it seemed as if his entire cultivation was burning up as if to detonate his entire existence to take her with him to the netherworld.


    "I, Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora, shall not die today. You, wash your neck. I''ll take it someday, along with the others." His words were filled with no hint of exhaustion or pain and filled with undying resolution.


    Seeing this, Ariel''s beautiful face scrunched up in an ugly fashion and darted away to avoid dying from Ezekiel''s self-detonation. However, unlike what she thought would happen ¡ª a violent explosion ¡ª instead, it was as if Ezekiel''s physical body was evaporated into air revealing only his soul form that was filled with black gas. It flickered in and out of existence as if only a light blow would snuff out his soul.


    A white light, emitting an aura of both extreme life and extreme death ¡ª Samsara ¡ª emitted from the core of his soul. The black gas was rid of almost instantly, revealing a weakened soul form of Ezekiel''s silhouette in the world, and in his hand was a compass with eight orientating arrows.


    Ariel''s expression turned into one of absolute disbelief at the series of events that had just played out. With her utmost speed, she rushed with blazing light surrounding her towards Ezekiel''s form, her hand formed a blade and slashed out in an attempt to destroy whatever Ezekiel''s intentions may be.


    However...it was too late.


    With a flash of brilliant white light and a quiet ripple of power emitted from the compass, Ezekiel''s soul blipped out of existence.


    Ariel''s eyes widened as the words previously spoken of by Ezekiel resounded in her mind and very soul. Surprisingly, this girl''s eyes dripped with wet tears.


    Tears of fear and despair.


    <hr>


    --Xiantu Realm, Year 12,330 of the Rebirth Era.


    Ezekiel soul form blipped into existence above a minor world and surged downwards. His eyes filled with unyielding determination and surging killing intent. With his physical body destroyed, his cultivation had been lost, and his soul form was severely weakened. However, he still possessed his personal possessions.


    He glanced at the ethereal ring on his finger that seemed attached to his soul. It emitted slight spatial ripples. With this and his experience, it wouldn''t be long before he returned to his previous strength. When that happened, his revenge will be swift on all those who betrayed him. On all those who hunted him. On all those he wished to kill!


    For now, he simply needed to find a physical body to host his soul, so that he can begin reconstructing a proper body for himself. As he plummeted downwards, his eyes caught sight on the grassy knolls of the hillside a boy youth running away. His eyes gleamed with unyielding resolve. Without hesitation, he directed his soul form to descend rapidly towards this youth. He will wipe out his soul, and start anew!


    Unfortunately, men presume and the heavens laugh.

 Chapter 1 - Yan Zaizen

    "Not like this!"A youth hysterically shrieked.The youth who shouted as if the skies were falling was currently putting the pedal to the metal on his internal engine as he dashed ferociously across the grassy plains.Originally, these plains and knolls were hissafe haven, but today,itseems likeitmay be his death sentence.His head, in curiosity of his impending status of death, couldn''t help but turnbackwardsslowly in anticipation of presumed safety.However, what welcomed his eyes were sights far more disastrous than originally believed.


    Ameteor!


    A crimsonmeteorof almost blinding light was descending from the skies atunimaginablespeeds.A few secondsago, thismeteorseemedto have the destination of a far-off scene, and all the youthwantedto achieve was to avoid any possible fallout from itsdescent.Unfortunately for hislittlelife, themeteorseemedto have eyes and a mission as it shifted directions ever so slightly andseemedeven closer than before.


    "What thefu-!"He couldn''t help but curse the heavens forwantinghislittlelife.What did he everdoto deserve this?


    Thinking aboutit, perhapsitwasn''t entirelyunwarranted.


    This youth, named YanZaizen, was amber-eyed,scrawnyinphysique, messyshortblack hair, no more than sixteen years of age, and possessed a face that was neither distinctively attractive orovertlyugly for the eyes.Currently, he cursed his life choices.Staying in an isolated plain with nearby knolls to get away from it all left him in his current predicament.The nearest human lifewastens of miles away from him, so outrunning this hell-bent meteor seemed to be a sweet dream of impossibility.


    The meteorreached evercloser until he couldfeelit radiating a sensation of distinct death.


    His life flashed before his eyes so vividly at that moment.


    YanZaizenwas just anormalboy in a place called Meteorite City.It was namedthusnotbecauseof the constant meteorites that would land near the city, butbecausea thousand years ago, tens of thousands ofmeteorsculledthe entire population-human and beastalike. Themeteor showerspanned a thousand miles, and Meteorite City was created with its epicenter hoisting the largest existingmeteorto date.Sincethen,onlymeteorsthat had a size that would be small and harmless upon entry to the world would fall.They were nolargerthan a basketball, and that''s always been the case since the culling shower.


    However, it seems like YanZaizen''s luck will forever be bad.


    YanZaizenoriginatedfrom one of the strongest familyclanssituatedin the city and should be enjoying immense favor ashewas a grandchild of the currentclanhead from his mother''s side, and for a time that wasabsolutelyhowhewas treated.That was until his talent, at the age of five, was decided to be the lowest grade possible in both Body & Qi cultivation.This set off a series ofeventsthat soon lead toevenmore unfortunateevents.It didn''t help that beforehewasevenfive, both of his parents had already left this world and were now buried in the family''s sacred cemetery, andthushepretty much had to rely on himself from then on.


    Misfortune tends to be followed by even more misfortune, and his life was a superb example of that.At the age of seven,hefell for a girl named YaQinqan.Itwas child-level infatuation.She had the dream of entering one of the five great sects¡ª Water Veil Sect ¡ªit had high standards for cultivation and age requirements to enter.Italso had one ironclad rule:Females Only!Recognizing this,hetriedtoaidhertheonlywayhecould think of,hegavehera majority of his ownclangiven resources.


    TheYaClanandYanClanwere allied forces in Meteorite City, but theYaClanare direct subordinates of theYanClanand one of the lesserclansin the power standings;therefore, the given resources of someone, even one talentless and devalued, but in the descendants line of the clan head was vastly superior in both quality and quantity of what a normal member of the Ya Clan would receive.Not to mention, he still held the status as one of the grandsons of theclanleader.


    To put it in perspective, he received far more resources than the direct descendants of the Ya Clan with exceptional talent!Let alone a basic member.


    The difference was just too vast-heaven and earth essentially.


    After this was done, his own cultivation into body & qi coupled with his lackluster innate talents put him at the bottom of the ladder as a cultivator out of all of the city''s youths.YaQinqan''s cultivation, however, explosively rose as she already possessedgreaterinnate talents than many and coupled with the resourcesgiventoherby YanZaizenand the onesgiventoherby her own clan.With that, she directly entered the top ten of her generation in the city at the age of ten.


    This, however, lead to even more problems for poor littleYanZaizen.


    Firstly,YanZaizen''s decisions and lackluster results lead to the clan notgivinghim sufficientresourcesanymore at the age of ten, but the pigs fat had already been eaten.YaQinqan, unbeknownst to her clan about theresourcesgiventoher, had received the utmost attention from her family and was given top qualityresourcesthatcouldrival the totalYanZaizencouldgive.They essentially funneledalltheir hopes and dreams intoher,heraldingheras a genius, andfurthergivingherallsorts ofearthly treasures with heavenly waters.They spared no cost.This caused her cultivation to explode evenfurtherand talents to befurtheraccentuated.Even worse, although YanZaizenwas givengreatlyreduced resources,hestill gaveherwhathecould to convey his determination and feelings forher.Itwas as ifhewas saying:''EvenifIbecame a uselessperson, as long as thepersonIlovesucceeds, beitdisdainful gazes or dirty curses,Icanbearitall!''


    Obviously, this didn''t work out well for thescrawnysap.


    At the age of thirteen, an incredibly talented and direct descendant in line to be the next clan leader,YanJinzen, had declared his love forYaQinqanand with the approval of both theYaandYanfamily, they were engaged.The standard of engagementwasthirteen years of age, but actual marriage happened at fifteen.YaQinqanandYanJinzenwere the same age asYanZaizenand got married one year ago.They had alreadyconsummatedtheir commitment andYanZaizenhad, at that moment,losteverything.His future, his girl, and even his dignity.


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    Nothingwenthis way, and It didn''t stop there.


    YanJinzensoon learned about YanZaizen''searlierattemptsat trying to court YaQinqan, hesawhisattemptsas if anunworthytoad wanted to taste his swan''s meat, and since then has suppressed him further withinthe clan.With his father asthe clan''s elder ofresourcesand finances, YanZaizenwas suppressed to the point where his living situation, the number ofresourcesgiven, and even his standing inthe clanwasabsolutelythelowestof thelow.For an entire three years, despite conventional practice, his cultivation and even his body had become rather poor compared to his age whichexplainsthescrawnyappearance of his.


    "Please, up above, if you spare thislittlelife of mines, I''llchangemy ways!I''ll stop stealing meat from UncleLouzen''s storage!"Hismind swirled in his thoughts asheprayed to the heavens for mercy, willing to give up his pleasures in turn for this little life of his.However, asheran forward,hecouldseethe silhouette of the meteor inching ever closer,unrelentingas if on a mission to claim whatwashis.


    His pupils constricted as afrightfulsensation of death stroked his mindcausinghis hair to stand, his skin to crawl, his blood to turn cold, his scalp to tingle, and a sudden loss of breath.Tears slowly came from his eyes, but his legs didn''t stop.No!They became like lightning of the horsehewished to be andheexerted over three hundred percent of his top speed, completely defying hisnaturallimits and causing his bones to crack as a result.YanZaizenwas an individual that was absolutely terrified at the thought of death, especially whenhe''d done so little if nothing at all with this life of his.


    He hadn''t tasted all the gourmet foods of the world, hadn''t gotten so much wealth that he could go into an auction and purchase every last item with hearty laughter, andhadn''t even lost his virginity!That was beyond important andcovereda majority of his regrets.Hecouldn''t help but continue to pray and bargain as if to make a deal with the Gods and Devils in the sky for his life.


    "I will give up peeping!On...the weekends.I''ll even give back the stuffI''ve taken from AuntyQinlan!"Histhoughts wentintoa spiral, but then his expression turned odd as he later addedintohis prayers, "Maybe...actually, nevermind.I''d rather die."Asif the heavens were angry at his half-hearted plea, the meteor-like object wasnowmere inches away from hisbody, and even thesweaton hisbodyfelt like it was producing its ownsweat.The bones in his legs were long since shattered from the intense pressureheplaced upon them asheran, and if not for his Qi Cultivationsupportingit,he''d already have flopped on the ground as a cripple andacceptedhis fate.


    Whoosh!!!


    The impact didn''t initiate a massive explosion as expected, nor did it shatter his body into a billion bloody pieces.It did, however, cause his body to be surrounded by a bright crimson glow, and the whites of his eyes could only be seen as he dropped face first on the ground.Completely unconscious.The invading crimson light wiggled its way inside hisbodylike a parasite, but when it reached his core of existence¡ª the soul ¡ªa switch seemed to have been flippeddeep-withinYanZaizen.An earth-shattering noise that seemed to come from an ancient existence erupted from hisbody.YanZaizen''sbodystartedto vibrateerraticallyas ifexperiencinga seizing episode.


    Something had been awakened.


    A resplendent blacklightexploded from deep within YanZaizen''s body, alightthat seemed tooriginatefrom his very soul.Itwas accompanied by the painful screams of another man''s voice, which seemed to be in absolute agony at the moment, anditkept getting more intense."What?Thisweakbody is tryingto devourmy soul?!How?!"Thevoice was obviously alarmed by the sudden, unprecedented development. "I can''t escape, stop!STOP!"Thevoice grewmore and morefrantic, anditevenresorted to begging ourscrawnyhero.


    Upon YanZaizen''s glabella was tiny blackswirlthatseemedto contain infinite darkness andevenlightseemedto be consumed byitwhole, giving theswirla slight glimmer of brightlightaround its edges.Despite it being no more than half an inch inradius, it possessed a tyrannical aura that seemed to outdo even kings of great nations.


    "Please!I''llgiveyouanything, just stop whateveryou''redoing, please!Ihavethings todo, people to slaughter, soIcan''t die like this!PLEASE!!!"Thebegging tones could obviously be seen as somethingthisvoice wasn''t used to, but at the moment, it seemedthateverything was out of its control andthatcaused adeepfear to be ingrained into every single syllable spoken.


    However, how wasthisvoice,thisremnant soul, supposed to know that even YanZaizenhad no way to controlthishorrific black light that seemed to wish to devourall.Hewas unconscious, sohealso had no idea what was even happening.


    The crimson light almost instantly disappeared as it seemed to be sucked suddenly into the black swirl on YanZaizen''s glabella.There was no little last struggle or further words shouted.The spirit that had flown from the sky like a meteor descending from the heavens and enteredthisboy''s body had no longer existed inthisworld, or at least its consciousness didn''t.


    The black lightslowlyreceded, and all of YanZaiXen''s injuries produced by theearlierevents startedto healat a visible rate.A perfectly snug silver ring appeared on his middle right-handed finger as if it was always there andmadesolely for him, while countless crimson streams surrounded by black lightslowlyinvaded his meridians before travelingbackintohis glabella.His eyes that were fully white beforeslowlyreturned to having that amber color to it.Luckily too, as those eyes were his most recognizable and personal favorite feature of hisentirebody!


    Three whole days passed.The sun rose, and a new story of a legend was born!

 Chapter 2 - Alive! Ring?

    It was three days until YanZaizentwitched into consciousness, with dirt-filled coughs.His position was rather awkward, his head laying face first into the grassy dirt while his arms and legs were spread out at odd angles.His outline was reminiscent of a murdered victim shot violently in the back.As for himself?He felt like one.


    ¡°Wha¡­?¡±YanZaizensoftly exclaimed ashegothis bearings, sitting upright atop the grass with a little bit of struggle.Feeling the painful pulsing sensation in his foreheadcausedhim to rubitvigorously.Itwasn''t long beforeitdawned on him asheplaced his palm towards his face thathewas alive.Hewas ALIVE!


    Heyelped in excitement.


    ¡°Haha,takethat!Think you cantakethistoughlife?Ha, look at yourself in the mirror to see if you''re worthy.¡±Jumpingup and giving the middle-finger to no one in particular, YanZaizencame to a realization that, besides being slightly dirty,hewas relativelyfine.Don''t seem to make sense that he got hit by a meteorite from the sky and simply can walk it off.Washeimmortal?Hepatted his body all over, not to just remove the dirt, but checking to seeifhehadany holes orifanything was missing.Checking his crouch first,hesighed in relief.


    At least that wasn''t harmed.


    Wait.


    Hechecked his legs.Upon doing so,hecame to a realization thathehad no broken bones.From his memories, that was incredibly vivid still,hewas supporting his fleshy body with Qi due to the shattering of his leg bones from excessive force.However, that didn''t seem to be the case.Itgavehim a feeling as if he justimaginedtheentirething.Itwas slightly surreal.


    Looking around, hefoundno evidence of a meteor hitting, as ifitwas all truly a part of his imagination.The situation kept getting weirder as he noticed a silver ring resting tightly upon his middle-finger.This ring seemed tofithim perfectly, with no discerning marks but just plain silver-band, as if it wasalwayshis.Hetraced it with his finger.


    Nothing happened.


    In his confusion,hecouldn''thelpbutcheckhis body again for any other thingshemay have stolen in his sleep.I mean,not stolenbutacquiredwith theluckof a finder.However, nothing else was there.Assuming that he wasn''t going insane, then the meteorite existed.It targeted him.Hebrokehis bones dashing for hislittlelife and then was hit.In that case, perhaps...it wasn''t a meteor?He looked at the silver-ring once more.He gazed intently at it.


    Could itbe...?


    The ring was the meteorite.Was this some unearthly, heavenly, and supreme god-tier treasure?For it to descend upon the skies and chose him of all people.Itchosehim!


    ¡°You have extraordinary judgment meteor ring.¡±He nodded in approval like a teacher appraising his student for hisgoodset of eyes.Meteor Ring?Yeah,he''ll nameitthat.Seeing how that was all said and done,hecontinued tostudythering, and even tried to takeitoff his finger.Hecame to the realization that theringwas stuck like a mountain on the surface-itjust won''tbudge.


    He tried using his Qi to interact with the ring, but all it did was shine slightly with the resplendent light of his Qi.Then, he tried flicking it with his fingers.Then,bringitup to the sun and maybeit''ll illuminate some secret.Then, talkedtoitlike a lover in hopesitwould say something in response.


    ¡°Baby, come on, you don''t have to stay asleep.Let your manseewhat you cando.¡±


    Aftertryingeverysingleconceivable methodhecould possibly think of, outside of shattering his precious,hefell on his butt in exhaustion.Not physically, but mentally.Perhapshis Cultivation in Qi was justtoolow to urge to Meteor Ring toawaken.Currently,hepossessed a cultivation base at theInitial-Stageof the QiRevolving Realm.Even ifitmay below,itstill meanthewas an official cultivator.


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    TheQi Realms, as he knows of it, were divided into the six Core Realms, three Foundational Realms.TheCoreRealmsconsisting ofQiFoundation,Qi Revolving,EssenceFormation,QiUnification, OriginCore, and TrueEssence.These are therealmsthat typicallydeterminesone''s combatprowess, while the foundationalrealmsdeterminethe depth of theCoreRealms.AfterEssenceFormationRealmis the first two FoundationalRealm-DantianRefinement &Pathway Expansion respectively.


    DantianRefinement is as it seems, one refines theDantian¡ª that which holds Qi ¡ª to contain moreQiwhich enhances one''s endurance. Pathway Expansion refines the meridians &Qipathwaysto enhance the speed of absorption ofessence, refinement ofessence,pathwaysdurability,Qicirculation, andQirecovery.


    The third FoundationalRealmis after the True EssenceRealm, the Crimson StarRealm.Which further refines one''s heart into a newly developedDantianto hold moreQi, enhancing its durability and storage to act as a secondDantian.Which leads to themetamorphosisof the heart, producing a True Heart Star.Each of theRealmsis divided into four stages-Initial, Mid, Late, and Peak.However, FoundationalRealmscanachievea breakthrough into the next realm at simply the initial-stage, making them unique, but by doing so onelosesthe ability to enhance their Qi Foundation forever.The average Cultivator ignored the FoundationalRealms due to the high costs for progression.


    Therefore, perhaps to urge the Meteor Ring, YanZaizenrequireda much higher cultivation base than the initial-stageQi Revolving.A soft sighresoundedfilled with resignation and grievance.Currently, his lackluster cultivation was due to actions in his younger years.YanJizen& YaQinqanwere at the Initial Essence FormationRealm, whileheremainedan entireRealmbelow despite being the same age as them.He''s remained stuck in this stage for eight years, and nowhe''s sixteen.


    Recalling all of these events that lead up to this result made him descend into depression once more.Helowered his head in sadness.It was why he liked to be alone, away from the mocking sneers, the harsh insults, and the glaring¡ª almost blinding ¡ªeyes of disappointment.It was as ifhehad a distinctive stench of failure.The stench of trash.


    Suddenly, he rapidlymovedhis lowered head to the side, almostreflectively.A wasp with a mission just attemptedtostrikehim with its sharp stinger right in the face.However, instinctively, he dodged.His eyes turned tothiswasp that seemed hell-bent on striking him buzz around in wild patterns.Helooked atthiswaspin amusement."You want to harmthisdaddy?"Just ashewas about to sendthiswaspto itswaspafterlife,hestopped.


    Then, his eyes widened!


    Impossible!


    He didn''tnoticeit before, but hissenseshad beenenhancedto an almost unnatural degree.Although Cultivators typically hadenhancedsenses, this mostlyrelatedto energy perception, but notrelatingto the fivesenses.Only Body Cultivators, who refine their bodies, typically haveenhancedsight, sound, smell, hearing, and touch.YanZaizenwas no Body Cultivator, evident by hisscrawnyappearance.


    Then...


    Hiseyes widened into the size of suns, and he now realized that he could observe his entire surroundings.Not just visually see in front ofhim, but FEEL what''s aroundhim.


    ¡°...Spiritual Sense?"

 Chapter 3 - Spiritual Sense?

    The sensation of omnipresence, no matter how limited, was extraordinary to anyone.YanZaizen, likemanycultivators of his city, did not practice Soul Cultivation formanyreasons.Yet, hepossessedspiritualsense. Spiritual sense maintains a direct connection while transmitting the information to the mind in real-time. This would give one an often mistaken sensation like their five sensory perceptions have been enhanced but in truth, it only gives that impression.


    However, SoulCultivationrequiredspecific materials or soul-attributed essence.Unlike standard essence liquid or crystals, which utilizes the world''s all-present and variedessencestocultivate qi, SoulCultivation''s soul-attributed essencewas far rarer and more difficult toobtain.


    If you hada variantsoul, thencultivatingthesoultypically had otherrequirementsthat could be filled rather than soul-attributed essence. Unfortunately, he did not possess one - at least to his knowledge.


    So one can imagine his bewilderment.


    The angrywaspdidn''t seem to forget its intentions as it dived towardsYanZaizenwith fury,littledidYanZaizenknow that whenheranearlier,hehad almost stomped thislittlewaspto death.However, whenhewent unconscious and startedglowingwith an unknownglow, thewaspturned tail and ran without even conceiving the notion of revenge.Then,YanZaizenwoke up and thewasphadfoundhis enemy once more.Unlike before, he didn''thavethe black light surrounding him,thusit decided to strike!


    Unfortunately for the wasp,due toYanZaizen''s enhanced perception and current cultivation, it was far from beingYanZaizen''s match.A wave of the hand and a surge of Qi later left the wasp without its life.


    "Incredible!"Still shocked by his discovery,hecouldn''t help but direct his gaze to the Meteor Ring.Was itbecause ofthis?Being unfamiliar with the concept of Soul Cultivation,hedidn''t know how muchhe''d progressed, buthecould actively sense hissurroundingsof up to one hundredmetersaround, and passivelyfeelthesurroundingsof about three to fourmeters.Ifhefocused in asingledirection, even reaching five hundredmeterswas possible!


    Unfortunately, only grass and hills were around and noprettygirls, otherwisehe''d hope to use this new perception for...betterthings.However,hefully intendsto doso whenhereturns.A mischievous grin couldn''t help but form on his face.


    An ideaformedin hislittle headafter a while.Perhaps...


    He sent his newly acquiredSpiritualSense into thering, and suddenly felt that his surroundings were no longer filled with just grass and hills, but a myriad ofcolorfuland random assortmentof items.It was like his perception was split, one outside and one inside thering.Hissoulform, a characteristic that only Soul Cultivators possess, seemed to take shape inside thering.SoulForms is classified as the body of yoursoulanddeterminesits structure, characteristics, and status of yoursoul.Seeing hissoulform, he felt odd.


    He was like a thinlight.There was no silhouette of himself, but more so just a thin, squiggly line of light.He could see around theinsideof the ring and even move at almost unsurpassable speedsinside, but it felt a little underwhelming being a line oflight.Was this his soul?He''d never seen storage ring where one can send their soul into.Most storage rings were constructedusingspatial-attributed essence and materials to create a smallpocketworld, thispocketworldcan then be interacted withusingone''s Qi.Spiritual Sense wasn''t required.


    However, this ring obviouslyrequiredit for usage.


    From what little he didknowofSoulCultivation, it was divided into three aspects:SpiritualSense,SoulForm, andSoulFlame.SpiritualSenseisawareness,SoulFormis one''ssoulbody, andSoulFlameis the energy source that powers theSpiritualSenseand allows one''sSoulFormto maintain itself.TheSoulFlameis an essential aspect ofSoulCultivation, asitdeterminesthe strength of one''ssoul, and anydamagetoitessentially meansdamageto one''s core existence.


    Hecouldn''t see hissoulflame in this form.Itdidn''t surprisehimmuch, causehedidn''t knowmuchabout cultivation relating to thesoul, butitstillgavehima start.Hedecided toputthis at the back of his mind, and focus elsewhere.


    Like, the stuff in the ring.


    The ring seemed to be boundlessly vast, but only a verysmallarea was occupied.Looking around,hecould see a myriad ofdifferentitems.From liquids to crystals,torandomstuffhedidn''t recognize like a piece of inky black wood, acompassthat radiated a slight white light and a few books.The inky black wood gave him a sensation of death, sohestayed away lest heloseshispoorlittlelife carelessly.As for thecompass,itwas odd, whenhepickeditup using a strand of soul energy,itopened and revealed acompasswith six orientating arrows.Typically, acompassonly has one-pointing north.This one pointed in all directions except directly east and west.Itwas as ifitwas missing a double-sided arrow.


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    ¡°Odd,¡±heplaceditdown gently, trying to notdoanythinghe''d regret.Turning to the books,hepickedone up and they all seemed to radiate a sensation of ancientness, anditgavehim aweirdfeeling.I mean, how many timesdoesone actually feel ancientness?The first book was titled in a language he didn''tunderstand, butithad a violet cover and only a single silver dot at its center.Flipping through it and feeling uneducated, he tossed it aside and picked up another.The second was the same.Once again, feeling like thesebookswere mocking him for his lack of knowledge,itwas thrown to the side.


    The followingbooksall meet the same fate, each one was more violently thrown in frustration than the other.Until hecame acrossthe lastbook.It had a muscular malefigureon the cover, but thefigurewas entirely white as if shaded thoroughly.The characters on the top read:Immortal Herculean Method.Immortal?!


    That word shot into YanZaizen''s mind like a firework.Did this book lead to immortality?Hedidn''t hesitate toopenit.Whenhedid,hefelt like someone played a prank on him.The book was blank.Each pageheldnothing but blank whiteness that left one frustrated.Itwas as if the greatest secrets of the world were written on the page and someone wipeditclean.


    "Shit! You bastard, if I get my hands on...wait." He realized he was inside the Meteor Ring, and well, wouldn''t that mean the Meteor Ring was the one who wiped it? He let out a sigh of resignation. Well, since it was useless, he was going to toss it aside very violently. He pumped his soul energy into the book to get a good grasp of it so he could chuck it to the edges of this boundless space. However, the moment he did, the book vanished from his soul form''s grasp and sank deep into his soul form.


    "What?"Bewildered, he looked at his soul form to see a small white crystal located within.Initially, it just stood there.After a while, he started spinning rapidly within his soul form dispersing little motes of light into it.Surprisingly, there wasnopain,nosensation outside of feeling a little full.Thus, heremainedcalm.


    It had been about an hour before the crystal stopped its spinning.It shot out of his soul, leaving countless motes of light, and turned back into that once blank again book.During this hour,hejust went about and explored the area.Outside of the odd itemshecouldn''t conceive,herealizedhewasstupidrich.Yes, stupidly rich.


    The liquids and crystals in the ring were Essences!


    Essence is a vital part of cultivation.Essentially, everything hasessencewithin it.WorldEssenceis theEssenceof the World and the mostcommontype ofEssencethat is in abundance throughout the entire myriad realms, even in the air.You have elemental-types ofessence, which containsessenceof thenaturalelements or laws.Condensedessencehas threeforms-air,liquid, andcrystal.Eachformhasdifferent grades, ranging from Low, Mid, and High.


    World Essence Liquid was the mostcommonformof currency in the myriad realms.Typically, the liquidformisusedto recover energy, enhance one''s cultivation, strengthen one''s bodyusingvarious methods, power formations/arrays,usedin alchemy and armament creation.While crystals were even more valuable, let alone World Essence that is attributed, those are worth beyond one''s imagination.They could beusedtogreatereffect than liquid essence.A substantial part of the resources withheld from him by the clan was predominantly essence liquids.


    TheQiRevolving Realmrequiresanabundantamount of World Essence to convert it intoQi, enlarging one''sQi Revolving and strengthening one''s cultivation.It was this detail that left him stranded in the initial-Stageof theQi Revolving Realmfor eight whole years.Ifhepossessedabundantresources, disregarding his lackluster talent, reaching the peak-Stageof theQi Revolving Realmwould''ve been quite easy in those eight years.However,he''d given up his resources to YaQinqanfor less than a decade of his life,leavinghim stuck with this weak cultivation base.


    Now,however,hewas beyond wealthy!


    There must be almost ten thousand drops of liquidessenceand one hundred crystalessence.To further his excitement, he can tell that none of these essences were of the Low-grade!He wasrich, baby!

 Chapter 4 - Immortal Herculean Method

    "Shit! Why you doing this to me, baby?!" He looked towards the ring on his fingerwith frustration between his brows. Just when he thought he''d struck it rich with the essences in the ring, he realized one major problem - he had no means to remove it. He racked his head repeatedly in an attempt to extract the objects out of the ring, even to the point where his newly acquired soul energy ran out, ejecting him from the ring, and giving him one hell of a headache. This put a damper on his dreams of enjoying immense wealth.


    He even had a dream of walking into an auction one day and bidding on everything while laughing. As the frustrated stares of the poor looked towards him in anger while their gazes contained heavy envy at his capability. All of that seems to be like a joke now.


    He sighed in resignation and noticed daylight was fading as the sun descended down the horizon. It was time to return home. Yan Zaizen didn''t realize that he''d spent three full days out in the middle of nowhere, and thus wasn''t really in a rush to go home. Rationalizing it up to this point, he decided to walk fairly slowly back to Meteorite City.


    He felt exhausted anyhow, especially in regards to his soul. He''d never felt exhausted spiritually before. It was fundamentally different than physical or mental exhaustion. Physical makes it feel like your body burns at parts from overexertion, while mental feels like you''ve been hit with a bountiful injection of need-to-sleep. However, spiritual exhaustion felt more like a tingling feeling all-around and lack of awareness. Before, he could sense the surroundings rather clearly, but now things were slightly blurry and discombobulated. Like, the sky was obviously above him, but he felt like it wasn''t.


    It was simply a strange sensation.


    It wasn''t one he liked, but it wasn''t so bad. He could still walk, albeit slouched, and his physical body and mental capabilities were still functioning. In truth, Yan Zaizen assumed mental and spiritual had little difference until he unlocked his Spiritual Sense. To him, it''s like Spiritual Sense was connected to the five senses, but the five senses weren''t connected to Spiritual Sense. If he used his Spiritual Sense to observe his surroundings, he''ll receive what he''d normally see with his eyes. But if he looked at something with his eyes, he wouldn''t be perceiving it with his sense. It was definitely something one had to get used to.


    He had a lot of time to think about things, including the Meteor Ring. After some time, he finally remembered the motes of light that were emitted into his soul by the book. He couldn''t figure out what those motes of light were or why the book-turned-crystal sent them into his soul. Earlier, he was too distracted by the concept of wealth and how quickly it was out of his reach that he didn''t put much thought into it.


    Looking back, those motes of light originated from the book and entered his soul. Speaking logically, perhaps the contents of the book that had blank pages entered his soul. If so, what does that mean? How can he get access to it? Thinking deeply, he decided to revisit his Spiritual Sense, even if he felt spiritually exhausted. His Spiritual Sense turned inwards. That felt beyond weird. It was as if he was peering into his body and soul. He could observe his heartbeat, the pulsations of his lungs, the inner-workings of his intestines, and even the light thumping of his brain. He learned quite a bit about the human anatomy on that alone. He almost felt like he was observing another person rather than himself.


    He had one word for that: Incredible.


    Putting his miraculous discovery of self-observation aside, he put more emphasis on his Spiritual Sense on his soul form - that squiggly line. He could see the motes of light. With a thought, the sense surged inside the soul form and touched the motes of light.


    Almost immediately, he stopped in place.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    A flood of information surged from his soul to his spiritual sense to his brain. It was that sensation from before, where he felt like his spiritual sense was connected to his brain, but his brain wasn''t connected to his spiritual sense or otherwise - the soul.


    "Immortal Herculean Method, first level: Nascent Herculean Physique. Immortal Herculean Method, second level: Grand Herculean Physique.'''' He whispered the information he received from the motes of light. They detailed the Immortal Herculean Method and its subsequent training practices and characteristics. However, what really drew his attention was the first description of the technique: ''Become an Immortal Herculean! Exceed the heavens, and shatter the sky!''


    How tyrannical!


    To exceed the heavens! How many people can put that into their technique''s description. It felt ludicrous even thinking about it. Yan Zaizen, however, was ecstatic. Body Cultivation was seen through the myriad realms as an auxiliary form of cultivation, similar to alchemy, soul cultivation, or armament creation. Essentially, it''s done often but rarely do people focus purely on it. Qi Cultivation has always been the main form of cultivation in the myriad realms, every race across all realms use Qi Cultivation, even if they may have different names for it, they all primarily cultivate energy.


    Even Yan Zaizen has done the bare minimum of Body Cultivation, and albeit it''s not much, it has helped him enter the QiRevolving Realm. Unlike Qi Cultivation with clearly defined limits of strengths and weaknesses, Body Cultivation is unique to each method in its strengths and weaknesses. They are typically divided by levels, but levels are not equal. For example, if the Immortal Herculean Method was as heaven-defying as it seems, then the first level may exceed another method''s seven levels.


    Looking at it more, it seems the Immortal Herculean Method was divided into five levels and four stages of success. The stages are classified as Initial Success, Minor Success, Major Success, and Perfection. The Immortal Herculean Method sure was incredible. As he continued to mentally perceive the instructions and characteristics of this method, he couldn''t help but gasp and rapidly pant.


    The Nascent Immortal Physique was a method where one directly wrested control of their body''s natural limiters and removed them. This would enable one''s physique to reach a state of perfection, and different races had different levels of strength in regards to each stage of success. However, from the Initial Success Stage was determined to, at a minimum, be as strong as a Peak QiRevolving Realm Cultivator! That was just the first stage! Not to mention the entire level.


    If one reached Perfection, their strength would rival a Qi Unification Cultivator. This was the same level as the upper echelons of his own clan. The true caveat of the entire method was its description of possessing the ability to accelerate healing.


    He couldn''t help but laugh loudly. He felt exceptionally good at the moment. This method of cultivation required no special resources or physique-type, simply the will and proper method. That meant he could just jump right into cultivating the method without any delay and advance all the way to the Perfection Stage without any external support.


    He didn''t take to heart the part that required an exceptional will and its emphasis on it. Yan Zaizen was simply lost in his own thoughts of greatness and how he''ll soar the skies with dazzling majesty. The peasants beneath his feet will shiver at his strength. The women would quiver at his sight in excitement.


    "Hahaha!" He couldn''t hold his laughter any longer and faced the sky with an overly pleased expression. If one saw it and knew his thoughts, they may want to just walk up and slap him - harshly.


    "Hm?" His laughter stopped abruptly as he turned towards the horizon. He felt a strange sensation in the air, like a sensation of imminent death. Yan Zaizen had never felt this sensation so clearly, even while he was being chased ferociously by that meteor. It was like his instincts, his very soul, was firing on all cylinders to inform him of impending danger. However, there was nothing for miles. Deciding to be cautious with his little life, he started to pick up the pace, but doing so had the opposite effect. He felt even more danger.


    He sped up and the sensation increased. He transitioned from a fast walk to a jog to a run to a full-blown sprint and finally, it was as if he was flying across the surface of the grass. His Qi urged to the maximum of its capabilities and fueled his mad dash to safety, but nothing worked. He wished he had cultivated the Immortal Herculean Method at this moment, but if one wished for it then one simply doesn''t have it.


    Abruptly, a flash of resplendent silver light appeared over the horizon.

 Chapter 5 - Trapped!

    The silver light over the horizon caused YanZaizen''s eyes to constrict and his heart to palpitate.He knew where his sensation of imminent crisisoriginatedfrom.However, upon seeing the silver light, hisbodyfroze.He tried urging his body to move, to survive, but it refused to budge.It was almost as if his soul was telling hisbodyto stay still and obey its will.The feeling was almost asstrangeas the self-observation from earlier.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!Stillwish to run?!¡±Laughterfilled with malevolent will surged across tens of miles in distance.YanZaizenurged his utmost strength toturnhis head toseeits source, only toseeseveral blips of light from the horizon speeding towards his direction and becoming larger.


    ¡°Shit!¡±YanZaizenshouted.Atthismoment, his struggles to rid himself ofthisstrange paralysis intensified only to be met with failure.His bones uttered cracking sounds, but his body didn''tbudgean inch.He could only watch as the blips of light flew over to reveal what surprised him even further.


    A group of people wearing similarmartialattireswere being chased by adirtyold manwho laughed at the sky with a scythe in hand.Thedirtyold manwas dressed completely in black, his eyes seemed overly sunken and almost unhealthy shade of pale-whitecoveredhis face, but his body released a tyrannical aura.His teeth were sparkling white, lips thin, and body seemed to be frail-reminiscent of YanZaizen''sscrawnyphysique.The most notable feature was the glowing orb emitting resplendent and pulsating smoky light into the air from the man''sdantian.


    Origin Core Realm!!!


    His heart released erratic heartbeats from this realization.


    Meteorite City was a relativelylargecity with influence in the country ofPresba, and not asinglemember has reached the Origin Core Realm.InPresba,hecould only imagine the top clans and sects in the country would possess such domineering experts.The upper-echelons of his clan, even his grandfather, were only at the peak of the Qi Unification Realm.The Origin Core Realm was essentially a legend in his eyes andnot once didheever thinkhe''d witness one with hiseyes.Their status was lofty;their strength,insidiouslypowerful.


    Hedidn''thavemuch time to think on this revelation any longer as the group of experts who were running stopped just above him several hundred feet in the air, andtheyignoredhis existence like a humanignoresan ant.Don''tgethim wrong,helovedthis, but hated thattheyhad tostopwherehewas.Dotheywant totakehislittlelife in their battle?


    The experts'' expressions were odd astheystopped,theylooked around here and they thenturnedtheir eyes towards thedirtyold man, whostoppedjust a few dozen meters from them while laughing.They seemed to be surprised, and their eyes hid a deep-seated level of fear.One of the experts spoke, ¡°A formation?¡±Thisexpert, unlike the others,hadonlyvigilancein his eyes-no fear.


    ¡°You like it?¡±Thedirtyold mansaid with relaxed and laughing expression.It would seem as if he was justaskinganoldfriend about how they liked his new tool or home.However, the expert couldn''t help but retort, ¡°HanGenji,doyou really wish to go against my Soaring Cloud Sect?!¡±Histone held a hint of arrogance and aggression.


    Soaring CloudSect?!


    YanZaizenknewof the Soaring CloudSect, just like heknewof the Water VeilSect.Theywere, with three others, apartofthe Five Great Sects ofPresba.The Soaring Cloud Sect had extraordinary prowess in cultivation and had a varied and agile number of methods.Theyweren''t the weakest of the Five Great Sects either, andtheydefinitelyhadOrigin Core Realm experts holding the fort.


    The Five Great Sects ofPresbawere the Soaring CloudSect, Water VeilSect, Earthly TitanSect, Vanishing FiendSect, and Solitary SwordSect.With the Solitary SwordSectat the forefront of strength,theywere extraordinary enough to possess enormous influence over theentirecountry.However, the fivesectsdidn''t just inspire awe inside YanZaizen, but also a little bit of sadness.If recalled, YaQinqan''sdreamof entering the female-only Water Veil Sect led to himgivingher everything hehadtorealizeherdreamonly to marry another.YanJinzenwas also attemptingto jointhe Soaring Cloud Sect.Thus, his feelings were undoubtedly complex.


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    In response to the Soaring Cloud expert''s words, thedirtyold mansimply flashed his teeth in a sinister smile that seemed to send a cold chill down one''s spine.


    Witnessing this, the Soaring Cloud expert expression fell, and the others around himhadthe fear in their eyes intensify.Now they were caught in his formation, and it just meant their current predicament had been a premeditated act.Escaping with their lives mayverywellbe a dream unless they werewillingto pay an exceptional cost.


    ¡°Fine.I,GaoShiyan, shallfightyou to the death.¡±Ashe said this, a sword inexplicablyrevealeditself in his hands.The tightening of the hilt of his blade only revealed his fluctuating emotions, despite his calm expression.However, thedirtyold mansimply laughed, "Withjust you?Hahaha!" Theothersrealizedthe situation and adjusted their positioning rather quickly; each of them glowed with a resplendent smoky silverlightthat interconnected with eachother, and then abrighterlightpoured intoGaoShiyan''s body.GaoShiyan''s expression turnedevencalmer, and his grip on his sword tightened to the point where itresoundedevento YanZaizen''s eyes.


    However, seeing this, the dirty old man¡ª named HanGenji¡ªsimply shook his head.His eyes brimmed with playful amusement and a hint of pity.Unaffected by their attempts atestablishinga formation, he began to finally take the initiative to speak.¡°Youall chased me under the shade of beingrighteousand ridding this world ofevil, but didn''tyoujustwantmy life for your own gains?Now that I''veascendedto the Origin Core Realm,youwant to retreat and even bargain for your lives?How laughable!Whatagooddream,what agood Soaring Cloud Sect!¡±


    His tone held grievance, and it seems like he had a thousand words to say, but could only say these.GaoShiyan, however, just readied hisQi.From YanZaizen''s perspective, he wasfamiliarwith the level ofQipulsation, itwas at theQiUnification Realm, and likely not at the initial-stage, but a realm excellently cultivated.Normally, YanZaizenwouldn''t be able tonoticethe difference, but with his soul having properlyascendedto a cultivated status, it allowed his memory and sensations of before to become more vivid.


    The others aroundGaoShiyanalso possessed a similar aura ofQiUnification, butconsiderablyweaker.Likely, they were at the Initial or mid-stage.


    At this point, YanZaizendetermined a few things from their exchange.Firstly, he was currently in a formation.Itmakes sense that rarely any lifeforms were in this area except ratherweakones, and why no one even comes to these isolated plains.Itwassimplythat he neverperceivedit.Secondly, this formation has trapped not only him but also them.Itseems he''s been restricted from moving due to his low cultivation while they are likely weakened and understood running away was an impossibility within this formation.Third, they were going to fight to the death right here.


    Lastly, it''s likely he''lllosehislittlelife in theensuingchaos.

 Chapter 6 - Absolute Slaughter

    YanZaizenwanted tocrybutno-wait, he wascrying.The tears flowed from his eyes at his misfortune of today.First, a meteor with a mission chasedhimdown like a criminal by the authorities.Then, a wasp triedto stinghimin the face for god knows what, and albeithedid get his revenge for that act,hefelt that the world was againsthim.Not to mention, whenhefoundan almost heaven-class fortune, but could only weep ashehad no way toobtainit.


    Now, this.


    Who wouldn''t cry at all this?It was like the heavens were taunting him one after another for fun.Well,screwthe heavens!Screwthisdirtyold man!Screwthisformation!Screwthisring!He felt beyond aggrieved like abeautifulvirgin taken forcefully in the night by a bandit.Why did thishaveto happen to him?


    Regardless of his aggrieved state, not asingleperson in the area paid attention to him or his wallows.Han Genjilooked towards the Soaring Cloudexpertswith a slight smile filled with sinister intentions as he brandished his scythe of death.


    The time for talking was over.


    Seven Qi Unificationexpertsversus one Origin Core Realmexpert.Thiswill be the highest form of combat that YanZaizenhad ever witnessed, so sincehewas goingto die, either way,hedecided topayfull intention tothisshow andawaitthe time when one of the ripples of energy wipes him out in body and soul.


    However, man presumes and the heavens laugh.


    HanGenjivanished like a shadowdissipatingin the sun.GaoShiyandidn''t panic but radiated a unique oppressive aura around himself that pressed against the surroundings.The grassdirectlybeneath him was pressed tightly to the ground, and YanZaizenwho weredirectlybelow them felt this overwhelming force.Gravity!Itwas a Gravity-based Art.Luckily,itseemsitwasn''t toostrongandthusYanZaizenwasn''t crushed to blood paste.


    HanGenjididn''t reappear, and this obviously leftGaoShiyanfurthervigilantof his surroundings.Currently, he was in the formation of his opponent.Thislefthim at anobviousdisadvantage, even if one disregarded HanGenji''s cultivation.


    ¡°Ahhhhh!¡±A shriek of intense horrorresoundedin the surroundings, causing all the cloud experts to look towards the source.What they saw left them in utter horror.


    One of their members had his body split in half.Not horizontally, but vertically.He was still screaming somewhat as the two halves of his body slowly lost their support in mid-air.


    Eh?


    YanZaizen, the one who was watching this all, was genuinely surprised.Then, horrified.


    As a cultivator, one experiences danger, and quite often.However, what horrifiedhimwasn''t the battle or gruesome sight of the person''s organs and blood spraying all overhim.No, that did surprise and terrifyhimto the extreme, but what trulylefthimquite literallypissinghis pants was the Soaring Cloud experts.


    BesidesGaoShiyan...none of them noticed that their heads were spinning!


    They had curious andvigilantlooks, but not one of them released asinglesound of their beheading.It was as if they didn''t realize their lives were reaped.


    What thefuck!


    These were Qi Unification experts!The same level of cultivation as his own elders of his clan, and yet this happened.He couldn''treconcilehis mind, and his scalp numbed at the sight.His breathing became exacerbated by the events andcausedthe flowing blood from the air thatfelltofall intohis mouth.What more, he didn''t evenrealizeit himself.Pantspissed, organsfallingfrom the sky, blood flowing like a river towards him, and he was paralyzed.This situation felt like a nightmare.


    It was only a few seconds later thatGaoShiyannoticed his beheaded companions when he saw several geysers of blood spray upward from their necks violently.Blood,a lot ofit, splashed on him due to theircloseproximity.His expression went from calmness to curiosity to comprehension to surprise and finally, absolute horror.A reminder,GaoShiyanhad his aura surrounding the area, and he didn''t even perceive their deaths.This left his scalp tingling and his heart pulsating with fear.


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    As a veteran expert,hedidn''t even consider fighting this monster any longer.Heknew without hisallies,hehad zerochance, and the fact that they died under his watch meant even with them there was a zerochance.Heneededto survive.Tohellwith anything and everything else.Hisbodylit up with a resplendent brown-gold glow filled with the essence of gravity as he burned his Qi Essence.It was as if hisbodywasonfire-a brown-goldfire.His aura pressed so hard that YanZaizen''sbodyimmediately laid flat on the ground and his bones continuously being fractured.


    GaoShiyandidn''t hesitate and executed what seemed to be a forbidden art as hisbodygrew older in seconds, and like a comet of light, he shot outwards withimperceptiblespeeds.YanZaizencouldn''tseehim any longer, and from the beginning to end, he didn''t evenseethat dirtyold man, HanGenji.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!¡±A scream of horrorresounded, one that obviouslyoriginatedfromGaoShiyan.One unbefitting a veteran expert in YanZaizen''s imagination.Unfortunately, hecouldn''t look back due to the pressure on his body andthuscouldonly hear the constant screams ofGaoShiyanfrom behind him.Hecould, however,hearhis words.


    "Please, HanGenji, don''tdothis!We can come to an agreement!"His pleading tone grewmore and moredesperate as his blood-curdling screams didn''t stop one bit.However, all YanZaizencould hear besides the screams was amalevolentlaughter that seems to want to send one''s soul down the cold-embrace of hell.


    Then, nothing.


    The screaming and laughterstopped, even the pressure on YanZaizen''s bodystopped.His bones were in a mess, andhe couldn''t even move if he wanted to.His Qi was gone at this point, using every last ounce of it to resist the pressure from earlier.Theonlyreasonhedidn''t lose consciousness at this point because of his soul cultivation maintaining his awareness.


    Suddenly, a plop sound resounded near his face.He could see in front of him was a still beating heart like someone had just torn it out of someone''s chest.The still-beating heart pumpedbloodand splattered morebloodon his face.His pupils turned into a needlepoint.A sensation of danger emerged in his heart.


    ¡°Oh?¡± HanGenji''s voiceresounded.Ithelda bit of curiosity and interest.YanZaizencouldn''t help but want to look histo-be-murdererin the eyes, sohestruggled with all his might toseethe man''s face.However, when he did, he felt like his entire being had just descended into hell.This dirtyold mangave him the feel of a death god.His life and death were no longer under his control, and this wasaneerie sensation.One he had neverfeltbefore.


    ¡°Initial Qi Revolving?Hm.¡±HanGenji''s sunken eyes looked at him, andhefelt like thathewas completelynaked.His entire existence was laid bare by those eyes.For a second, he was even thinking of pleading for his life, hoping someone of HanGenji''s status wouldn''t wipe out his existence.He knewitwas wishful thinking, and if you wished forit-it''s unlikely to happen.


    ¡°Soul Cultivator?Nascent-Level...Advanced?!¡±Thosewords caused YanZaizento be surprised.Nascent-level?Advanced?What did thosemean?Did that mean his soul was advanced?


    A laughter broke him out of his stupor, and asheregarded HanGenjionce more,hecouldn''t help but be in disbelief.Hecould see...excitement in his eyes.What did thatmean?

 Chapter 7 - Kidnapped?

    This can''t be happening!YanZaizenthoughts were in a state ofcompletechaos.He couldn''t help but recall what just happened earlier.HanGenjisimply laughed, grabbed him by the neck with a claw of the hand, and took to the skies.The surroundings that were once filled with grassy plains and knolls sped past in a blur.Despitethat, with his bodyalreadybeing brokenalready,hedidn''t even feelthathewas flying in the sky.In truth, it was slightly lackluster.


    It wasmorelikehewas a passenger on a fast-moving train, which confused him evenmore.To his knowledge, onlythosewhosereached the Qi Unification Realmcanachieve flight, and althoughthosein the Essence Formationcanlevitate-theycan''t do so for long.Sohealways had fantasies about flying, but upon experiencing,hefelt it truly was a little disappointing.


    Just when YanZaizenintendedto blurtout a questionthosethis dirtyold manhauling him towards the unknown like a baby chick, HanGenjispoke.¡°To have a Nascent Soul Form, and at the Advanced Stage no less at your age is interesting.¡±


    YanZaizenwas surprised by his words once more and further confused.Nascent Soul Form?Advanced Stage?He simply was unfamiliar with soul cultivation besides the most rudimentary-level of knowledge;thus, these words were no different than another language to him.He didn''t know where Nascent Soul Form was at or what Advanced Stage meant.For example, Qi Cultivationhad4stages(Initial, Mid,Late, andPeak)but the Immortal Herculean Methodhad4levels of success(Initial, Minor,Major, andPerfection).As for soul cultivation?Lord knows what Advanced Stage meant.


    HanGenjiturnedhis sunken eyes towards YanZaizen, only to witness his distinct confusion.He furrowed his brows incontemplation."It seems you don''t know anything aboutcultivatingthe soul.Haha, how interesting.Many would love having your level of soul cultivation, but you don''t even understand its significance.¡±Hewas obviously amused atYanZaizen''s ignorance which leftYanZaizenfrowning in dissatisfaction but continued, "Soul Cultivation is divided into fivelevelsand three stages.Nascent, Aurora, Astral, Divine, and Immortal are the fivelevels.Initial, Advanced, and Perfectionarethe three stages.¡±


    Immortal?Does that mean onehasan immortal soul?!YanZaizen''s thoughts spurred at his words.If hecultivatedboth theImmortalHerculean Method to perfection and reached theImmortalSoul Level...would hehavean immortal body & soul?!Can immortality be achieved like this?One canimaginewhy his mind was filled with these thoughts-who wouldn''t want immortality?


    Looking at YanZaizen''s odd expressions caused HanGenjito loudly laugh.¡°SoulCultivation is divided into three aspects:SoulForm,SoulFlame, andSpiritualSense.¡±Takinga pause to gather his thoughtswhileensuring YanZaizenwas listening, he continued, ¡°SoulForm is the body of your soul anddeterminesits structure, characteristicsandstatus of yoursoulwhileprotecting yourSoulFlamefrom external forces.SoulFlameis the flame of yoursoulandallits energy is emitted or drawn from it, andallthe essence of you, memories, feelings, and whatnot are stored here.If damaged or destroyed, well goodnight.Spiritual Sense is one''s awareness of the world outside of the confines of one''s five normal senses, directly connected to them and transmits to the brain.¡±


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Hearing all this, his understanding of hissoulstrength and characteristicsheexplored earlier made a lot more sense.Buthecouldn''thelpbut feel grievances whenhelearned thatsoulformdeterminesthe structure and characteristics of one''ssoul.Wouldn''t that mean hissoulwasaweakthin squigglyline.Hepouted.


    Wait.


    He just realized he hadn''t felt an ounce of pain since his neck was seized by this dirty old man, otherwise, how could he be so leisurely at the moment?His bones were shattered.Heunderstood notfeelingit at the moment due to shock and adrenaline, but nowhewas absolutely calm.¡°My body?¡±


    HanGenjicouldn''t help but laugh even louder than before.¡°Don''t worry, I can''tletyou die just yet.¡±


    Hearingthose words, YanZaizencalmed down a little.It seems that HanGenjiwas doing something to his body wherehewouldn''tfeelthe excruciating pain from hisbrokenstate.Hewas slightly thankful, but then realized the latter part of his words-just yet.


    Hesighed in resignation.


    When your life and death no longer belongs to you, it truly makes one depressed.


    Recognizing the situation going this direction, he decided to look at this dirty old man with resolve.¡°Please make my death painless,¡±Hebegged.It''s not thathewantedtodie, but he just didn''twantto suffer a painful death-quick and painlessgreatlypreferred.


    ¡°Hahahaha!Killyou?Are you even worthy?¡±HanGenjilaughed with utter disdain as his request.It was as if killing a little Qi Revolving Cultivator personally would taint his status as apowerfulcultivator.


    YanZaizen''s eyes lite up in response.Heoriginally hoped that HanGenjiwould spare hispoorlittlelife due to his strength and status, but this confusedhimfurther.Ifhewasn''t goingtokillhimlater, then why didhesnatchhimand evenremovedthe painheshould be experiencing?¡°Then, what do youwant?¡±Cautiously asking,heobservedthedirtyold man''s expression only to find outhesimply smiled and continued laughing.


    Doesthisdirtyold manever stop smiling?Itwasn''t likeitmade him look anything butcreepy.


    ¡°Simple.You''ll be my Ninth Disciple.¡±


    What?


    Why?


    ¡°Why?¡±He blurted out subconsciously.


    HanGenjistopped smiling and looked at him with a sharp gaze that sent shivers down his spine.Then, once again, a sinister smile liftedonhis lips, ¡°Because I desire it.Unless...youhaveobjections?¡±


    No.No.No.


    Objections?


    Do you mean death wish?


    Sir,Ihave none of that, andIwantnone of it.


    YanZaizenshook his head vigorously in response.


    ¡°Good!Good!Hahaha!¡±Thisdirtyold manhad more faces than an Asura.

 Chapter 8 - Arriving Home

    Yan Zaizen''s feelings were rather complex at the moment. For most cultivators, they should feel ecstatic for being chosen as a disciple of an Origin Core Realm cultivator; however, he didn''t feel happy. If anything, he felt more so helpless. Happy that his little life was safe for the moment, sad that he was essentially being kidnapped and threatened, while scared if this dirty old man would see through his fortune, albeit not obtainable by him, and rob him of it. So complex that his nerves were essentially being chopped to pieces with each random chuckle or flashed smile from this dirty old man.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Home.¡± Han Genji replied.


    Home? Where was this home?


    Another helpless sigh resounded as he recalled that his home was getting further and further away.


    Han Genji''s brow perked up, as he looked to the east. He directly pressed some of his Qi into Yan Zaizen''s body which directly and deliberately made him lose consciousness. Since his life and death were in Han Ganji''s hands, Yan Zaizen didn''t even feel his consciousness being silenced.


    ¡°You talk too much.¡± Han Ganji muttered while frowning. Han Genji ceased his high-speed flight and maintained his status in mid-air. He silently waited, only moving Yan Zaizen''s position from being dragged around by his claw-hand to putting him over his shoulder like a sack of sand. He looked indifferent to the fact that Yan Zaizen was drenched in fresh blood which still dripped towards the ground below.


    A while later, a figure radiating a faint trace of fiendish black light appeared from the eastern horizon. The speed of this figure was astonishing, only taking it a few seconds before directly appearing in front of Han Genji.


    The figure was revealed to be a fiendishly handsome man looking no less than 25-26 years of age. He wore violet robes, had short black hair, violet pupils, and had a familiar shade of pale. If one looked rather closely, despite the violet pupils, the rest of this man''s facial features were slightly reminiscent of Han Genji''s. His aura, however, felt more akin to a demon who escaped hell. It was very difficult to feel safe around someone emitting such a demonic aura.


    ¡°Elder Brother.¡± Han Genji''s words were sharp and carried ahint of indifference. From this, one could tell their relationship weren''t friendly. However, in regards to this tone, it seemed that this older brother - Han Zhenji - didn''t take it to heart.


    He only replied lightly with, ¡°Did you obtain it?¡±


    Han Genji and his brother, Han Zhenji, stared at each other for quite some time. The tensions between them gradually started intensifying, and one could definitely see a hidden story between them.


    ¡°What do you think?¡± Han Genji countered. His words caused Han Zhenji''s eyes to light up with excitement. Seeing this, Han Genji couldn''t help but sneer in contempt. He waved a hand producing a sleek black box. The box was small, small enough to fit only a ring, but it radiated a powerful pulsating aura of the world''s essence. A quick toss sent it flying to Han Zhenji, whereby he prompted received it. His eyes looked towards it with traces of elation and, if one looked very closely, anticipation.


    The box vanished in a flash, stored properly within his spatial ring. ¡°Haha, little brother, I must thank you.¡± It was only after obtaining what he desired that he turned to look at the bloodied figure being hauled by Han Genji like a sack of sand. "This is?" He inquired.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.


    ¡°My disciple.¡± Han Genji''s tone started growing cold. Sensing this, Han Zhenji inquired nothing else but smiled lightly, radiating an aura of a friendly elder brother with good intentions. ¡°Advanced Nascent Soul, it seems like my little brother has found quite a talented one this time. Haha, I must give you my congratulations!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Still not perturbed by his brother''s attitude, his dantian lit up with the shadow of an Origin Core, but one which radiated an aura even greater than Han Genji''s. Han Genji''s eyes grew even colder in response, his Origin Core''s shadow revealed itself, radiating pure energy, and resplendent black light faintly surrounded him.


    Whoosh!


    Han Zhenji turned around and departed quicker than he arrived.


    ¡°...¡±


    --------------------------------------------------------


    About one thousand li away from Meteorite City was a location called the Eight Calamity Range. It was named such because it was surrounded by disaster beasts and eight tall mountains. Therefore, it was beyond dangerous. It was considered to be within the top three of danger zones in the entire country of Presba, situated firmly at number three in the rankings. The main reason for that was because there was a multitude of rank five and six disaster beasts that considered it their home.


    Disaster beasts were ranked from one to nine, with one and two being equivalent to Qi Revolving Cultivators, three and four equivalent to Essence Formation Cultivators, five and six being equivalent to Qi Unification Cultivators, and seven through nine being equivalent to Origin Core Cultivators. This meant there were beasts that could rival even the Yan Clan''s upper echelon in Meteorite City, and thus the danger could be imagined.


    There are even rumors of there being a rank seven disaster beast ruling over the entire Eight Calamity Range.


    Han Genji flew towards the 3rd mountain to the left, disregarding the myriad of different roarsresounding beneath him. For others, this may be considered a danger zone, but to Han Genji - someone in the Origin Core Realm - this was his safe haven, his home. It was his home back when he was still in the Qi Unification Realm, let alone now.


    The mountain range stood roughly 3 li high and was pointed with rough edges like a jagged blade. One could tell that battles had taken place around and even atop this mountain. It was called Kaija Mountain. It was named after a disaster beast that once lived there, but longmet its demise.


    Han Genji arrived at a particular spot on the mountainside that seemed ordinary. As he walked towards the mountain, his body seemed like it was entering a body of water, and he vanished from the world. A slight ripple appeared at that spot, the only evidence that something unnatural occurred. Even that only lasted several seconds before returning to calm.


    Perfectly concealed in the mountain was his home. The walls were wide with all sorts of ornaments and pillars. The entire inside didn''t seem like a carved cave, but more like a palace hall. The floor was flat and smooth, and there was a soft rug line that laid at the entrance of the cavern to a large black door. Almost as if it was welcoming its owner back, and bringing him to his room.


    The cave itself was incredibly spacious. It had to be about three hundred meters wide, and twenty meters tall. The walls were adorned with a multitude of similar black doors - simply smaller in size, and even the atmospheric essence in this room was incredibly dense. The doors themselves weren''t lined up linearly, some were even atop other doors as if it there was a second floor, and a third, and a fourth. One''s first impression, if unfamiliar, would think this was a maze of doors.


    When he arrived, two doors from both sides opened revealing two youths - a male andfemale. The male wore a smile that seemed ever present as he yelled in greeting, ¡°Welcome back, Master!¡± The female followed behind to give her greeting but in an indifferent and cold voice.


    ¡°Your Ninth Brother is here. Take him to the Earthly Wood Spring.¡± Han Genji said, his mood obviously not at its best. He chucked Yan Zaizen towards the male as if chucking a piece of garbage. The youthful male reacted quite quickly, using his Qi to stabilize Yan Zaizen''s body to retrieve him. ¡°Yes, Master.¡±


    ¡°I''m going into seclusion. Inform me when he wakes up.¡± After saying those few words, he walked straight towards the largest door and entered. The male looked towards the female only to receive not even a glance as she returned back to her quarters. Looking at the mangled and broken Yan Zaizen in his hands, his eyes glinted sharply with suspicion. However, he was diligent in his duties and immediately departed without delay.

 Chapter 9 - Shin Xuanji

    ¡°Ugh,¡± Yan Zaizen slowly awoke from state of forced unconsciousness. His entire body felt both itchy and wet as he opened his eyes to survey the room. Observing the room, he saw an emerald color room with a black door that stood out considerably. The room itself was quite large, and even with a glance around, he felt that he couldn''t see it all. He was situated in a rather shallow pool of liquid.


    ¡°What''s this?¡± He lifted up his palm to find green liquid seeping through his fingers. It was reminiscent of water but thicker. It smelled of a unique fragrance that made him feel relaxed and safe, like entering the embrace and solace of nature. Despite the itchy feeling on his body, he didn''t feel like it was uncomfortable, but more so like that itch was constantly being scratched.


    ¡°I''m surprised. With your injuries, I thought it''d take longer.¡± A voice said from behind him. Yan Zaizen''s pupils constricted to a needle as he immediately turned around causing soft waves to ripple in the pool.


    ¡°Who?!¡± He loudly asked.


    ¡°Shin Xuanji, Master¡¯s eighth disciple. It''s a pleasure, Ninth Brother.¡± Appearing before Yan Zaizen with soft steps, Shin Xuanji held a slight smile emitting friendliness. This smile of friendliness made Yan Zaizen feel odd, and his instincts were tingling at the sight of this youth.


    Shin Xuanji looked to be around 19-20 years of age, incredibly handsome, soft black eyes that brimmed with intelligence, and long shoulder-length black hair. He wore black robes in a similar fashion to Han Genji, but they weren''t dirty or torn, and instead looked rather decent. The dirty old man looked like a bum off the side of the street, but this man looked like a handsome young master of some clan.


    ¡°Where am I?¡± He cautiously inquired, staying at the edge of the pool away from Shin Xuanji. For some reason, he kept feeling odd looking at that harmless smile of his.


    ¡°Home, Ninth Brother.¡± He answered.


    Yan Zaizen frowned at this. It seems like this youth and that dirty old man was more alike than he realized. They both loved to give cryptic answers. Decisively deciding to ignore this youth, Yan Zaizen inspected his body with self-observation of his spiritual sense. He exclaimed in surprise upon finding out a majority of his injuries were almost healed completely. There were faint motes of green light fluttering about his body, constantly helping his body self-repair his body properly and correctly.


    Shin Xuanji didn''t take being ignored to heart, ¡°You''ve been healing in the Earthly Wood Spring for four full days, Ninth Brother. If you feel any discomfort, please, inform me.¡± He approached the side of the pool while maintaining that slight smile filled with a friendly aura.


    ¡°Earthly Wood Spring. This...?¡± Ceasing his self-observation, he turned towards the Earthly Wood Spring only to find out it indeed carried traces of wood-attributed essence. World Essence that was attributed carried all types of miraculous effects, and if used to cultivate in, one would have a greater understanding towards that specific law. If one had a cultivation method aligned with that element, their initial stages of cultivation would be far easier, and their foundation thicker than other cultivators of the same level. A single drop of attributed essence was one hundred times the worth of a drop of world essence.


    Too many uses, too little in the world.


    ¡°Yes. The Earthly Wood Spring is filled with wood essence and through a formation set up by Master, can help rejuvenate and heal the body.¡± He replied patiently, then added upon some thought, ¡°But you, Ninth Brother, were in the pool for four days, your injuries must''ve been quite intense.¡± Shin Xuanji reached the pool, kneeled, and slowly caressed the Earthly Wood Spring. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°May I know the name of Ninth Brother?¡± Shin Xuanji innocently asked. However, Yan Zaizen''s soul felt a strange intent emitting from Shin Xuanji. Vigilant and curious, he once more looked Shin Xuanji up and down in re-evaluation. This youth felt dangerous. However, he couldn''t think of a reason to hide his name.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen.¡±


    The entire room stilled suddenly, making the atmosphere feel awkward and thick.


    ¡°Yan? From the Yan Clan?¡± Shin Xuanji asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    "Zen? From the head family line?"


    ¡°...Yes.¡±


    He wasn''t surprised that the youth knew the Yan Clan or his family line, Zen, but what surprised him was the feeling of danger kept increasing with each passing second. Typically, the names of a few races in the myriad realms were named with their surname originating from their family, their family line name being integrated with their actual name. Therefore, Yan Zaizen''s actual name would simply be ''Zai''. Han Genji and Han Zhenji were great examples of this, seeing as they were biological brothers.


    ¡°Zai?¡± Shin Xuanji asked as if recalling something.


    ¡°...Yes?¡±


    Shin Xuanji looked at Yan Zaizen with a pair of inquisitive eyes, and then the atmosphere and sensation of danger completely disappeared. ¡°Ninth Brother Zai, Master instructed me to inform him of your awakening. I shall take my leave.¡± Getting up, he left the room with soft and well-paced steps. Yan Zaizen simply eyed him out the door, only releasing a soft sigh of relief after he left.


    For some reason, he felt like he just escaped a death sentence.


    Thinking about it, perhaps it wasn''t that simple.


    The door opened almost immediately, revealing a dirty old man with a slight smile. Truly, teacher and disciple had similarities. Asuras. Asuras the lot of them!


    ¡°Come. Kowtow to your master.¡± Han Genji demanded. Yan Zaizen was caught completely off guard.


    Who wants you as a master?!


    In truth, Yan Zaizen should be ecstatic - anyone would. An Origin Core Realm Cultivator taking you as a master is essentially being deemed a disciple of one of the powerhouses of the country, but Yan Zaizen felt differently. He had too many treasures that could easily be exposed by someone with a greater cultivation base, and he didn''t know Han Genji intentions. He was beyond what vigilant could describe.


    Han Genji frowned.


    Yan Zaizen''s heart tightened. He felt like he had a choice to make, death or discipleship. Taking a deep breath, he rose up from the pool and trudged his way over. He kowtowed three times to this dirty old man.


    ¡°Good! Good! Ninth Disciple of I, Han Genji, rise.¡±


    Rising up and looking at this dirty old man with that complacent smile on his face, he decided that if he was going to be forced to be his disciple, then he might as well milk it for all its worth and pray his secret stash doesn¡¯t get exposed. ¡°Disciple Greets Master.¡±


    With a soft nod of approval, Han Genji turned and left. His last words lingering through the entire cavern, ¡°I''ll be going on a short trip. Lin Feilin, instruct him while I''m gone.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± A cold, feminine voice responded.


    Lin Feilin?


    He walked through the door to catch a glimpse of Shin Xuanji and a female next to him. She looked like the epitome of ice-cold. He couldn''t help but shiver just looking at her. She looked to be about 23-24, had ice-white hair, light blue eyes that chilled the room, a neutral expression of indifference, and quite beautiful in regards to appearance. Similarly, she donned a black robe suitable for females adorned on his lithe body. It created a sharp contrast from her lightly colored features.


    She turned to him. Her eyes felt like a black hole that sucked in all emotions and left only indifference. With a voice so cold it felt like it''d just turned winter, ¡°Ninth Brother, get dressed.¡±


    He gulped. Looked downwards and found out he was naked.


    Butt. Naked.


    Shit, did I just kowtow in my birthday suit? Wait, where¡¯s my clothes?


    He turned towards Lin Feilin who seemed to have closed her eyes, and slight disgust at her lips. Was he really that disgusting to look at?

 Chapter 10 - Lin Feilin

    After getting a set of black robes similar to Shin Xuanji''s, Yan Zaizen was finally looking the part of being Han Genji''s disciple. His feelings complex. However, with that old monster out of the way, he may be able to try to escape. At least, that''s what he originally thought until he learned of Shin Xuanji & Lin Feilin''s cultivation bases, Peak Qi Revolving and Initial Essence Formation respectively. Just Shin Xuanji would be enough to restrain him, let alone Lin Feilin.


    He walked over towards Lin Feilin, only to feel chilled by her eyes, and feeling awkward. Normally, Yan Zaizen wouldn''t be this awkward around a woman, but this girl''s chilled aura felt like being in a blizzard.


    What man scorned her?


    ¡°Uh...Sis...um¡­¡± His words just came out awkward, not to mention he didn''t know how to address her. According to disciple etiquette, he should call her by the number she became inducted under the dirty old man, and then her name. However, he didn''t know her number or her name.


    Seeing his plight, Shin Xuanji stepped forwards. ¡°Sixth Sister Fei, I shall take my leave.¡± Looking towards Yan Zaizen, he added, ¡°Ninth Brother Zai, please be careful.¡± Then, while maintaining that smile, he took off towards a door that seemed to be his quarters. Lin Feilin didn''t even respond back or give him a glance at his words, her indifference was out of this world.


    Seeing this, he was both thankful and curious. Thankful for informing him of the proper way to refer to this Senior Sister of his, but also curious about the many doors in this wide hall. He didn''t know he was in a cave, and thus figured he was in some odd palace with almost a hundred doors. All of them identical except the one in the center of the room that was larger than most. He assumed that was the exit.


    ¡°Uh, Sixth Sister Fei?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°Your cultivation base is too low. Your Qi foundation lacks stability. Your body isn''t developed and hasn''t fully healed. We''ll focus on your Conceptual Law.¡± Her ice-cold voice revealed all of Yan Zaizen''s shortcomings, causing him to grimace at each of her words. However, when he thought about it, especially what she wished to focus on, he felt even more depressed.


    In the myriad realms, cultivation base was secondary to concepts and laws in determining one''s talent. One''s cultivation base can be improved with resources, their foundations strengthened with resources, but concepts and laws were based on individual comprehension. Not to mention, they differ vastly from person to person. It''s highly unlikely that two individuals comprehending the same law would have the same concepts.


    Laws are individual characteristics of the world and its inner workings. One sees the world''s surface with the eye and its inner core with the soul. By comprehending the world''s inner workings in its essence, one would be able to draw upon its power to achieve varying effects. Laws were more general, typically indicative of a broad idea. For example, the Law of the Sword, Five Elements, or Yin-Yang.


    They were also divided into different grades, typically another indication of strength and complexity: Mortal, World, and Imperial. Mortal-Grade indicates a law that''s an aspect of a whole but not independent, such as the Sword, Bone, Blood, or Decay. World-Grade has in abundance and conforms with the natural world, such as Gravity, Five Elements, or Space. Imperial-Grade laws are those that have existed at the initiation of the myriad realms and are the highest level of law one can comprehend, such as Spacetime, Yin-Yang, or Samsara.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    While a concept is a person''s personal comprehension of the laws, it can also relate to a specific legacy of asect orpersonal path. The Sword Law is the world''s law of the Mortal Sword, but each person''s comprehension may form differing concepts such as the Flowing Sword Concept or Tyrannical Sword Concept. They have their unique strengths and weaknesses, therefore being rather broad, but their overall strength enhancement would be similar.


    Each Conceptual Law is determined by five levels and four successes. Similar to the Immortal Herculean Art in that regard. The levels were Nascent, Force, Manifestation, Domain, and Sovereign. While the four successes are Initial Success, Minor Success, Major Success, Perfection.


    Yan Zaizen however, in sixteen years of cultivation, hasn''t developed his own concept. This quite literally meant he was trash of his generation.


    Seeing his reaction, Lin Feilin''s indifferent gaze couldn''t help but show a little bit of disdain and surprise. Assuming that his concept was only Mortal Grade, and in its early stages of development, hence his embarrassment, Lin Feilin demanded. ¡°Show me your concept.¡±


    Hearing that cold voice, he woke up from his depression and could only feel helpless.


    ¡°I-I don''t have one.¡± He responded dejectedly.


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°You don''t have one?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Seeing his lack of response, Lin Feilin was now thoroughly surprised. This person before her was literal trash. Why did Master pick him to be his disciple? She couldn''t help but think. She gave Yan Zaizen a closer look at his foundations. Her previous assessment was spot on. This youth was trash beyond trash. However, considering that her Master chose him as his disciple, he must have something about him, so she''ll simply go through a checklist of talents.


    ¡°Show me your strongest art.¡± She demanded coldly.


    ¡°...¡±


    Arts were divided into three categories, five classes, four grades, and four successes.


    Three categories: Qi, Martial, and Soul.


    Qi Arts related towards arts utilizing energy, Martial Arts are bodily arts using vital energies built up within one''s body, and Soul arts are arts using soul energy.


    Five classes: Internal, Aura, Manifestation, World, & Divine.


    Internal refers to self-contained art, typically one that relates to themselves/internal/channeling. An example of an Internal-Class Martial Art would be an art that enhances one''s strikes or defends against them. Aura-based would use one''s specific energy to create an aura/domain to affect or enhance one''s abilities/affect your opponents. Similar to the Gravity Art from Fei Shiyan, who was killed by Han Genji.


    Manifestation arts means to manifest your attacks or defenses into a solid construct, either Vital, Qi, or Soul-related. World-based are attacks thataffect a grand scale. Divine-Based arts are unique arts with miraculous effects that are outside of standard means, typically forbidden and requires a cost for being used. The forbidden art Fei Shiyan used in his bid to escape Han Genji was a Divine-Based art.


    Four grades: Low, Standard, Superior, and Pinnacle.


    Four successes: Initial Success, Minor Success, Major Success, and Perfection.


    With a deep breath, rotating his cultivation base, his aura skyrocketed to the peak he could at the Initial Qi Revolving Realm. He performed the Yan Clan''s internal-class, low-grade Qi Art - Great Yan Fist. This art had been practiced tothe minor success stage, and therefore his strongest art. He slammed his fist into the ground, causing very little noise or any sort of disturbance.


    His eyes widened.


    So tough!


    However, Lin Feilin''s thoughts differed.


    So WEAK?!


    He looked towards her in anticipation. She coldly looked at him, this time with even more of an icy-gaze.


    She said only one word, ¡°Trash!¡±

 Chapter 11 - Inky Black Wood?

    Lin Feilin did away with Yan Zaizen after learning he had no talents whatsoever, storing him in one of the cultivation rooms in the cavern hall and giving him ten drops of low-grade liquid essence. Her instructions? Rest.


    Yan Zaizen could tell that she had given up on him, but he didn''t blame her. In the Yan Clan, he was determined to have lowest-grade of talent possible at the tender age of five. If it wasn''t for his grandfather being the Clan Lord, he wouldn''t have received any worthwhile resources or arts. Then, after that, he gave all those resources to Ya Qinqan and stagnated in his cultivation. At ten, even those resources were snatched from him due to his worthless showing in cultivation.


    He couldn''t help but sigh.


    Who told him to be such a poor sap?


    Observing the cultivation room, he realized it was rather spacious. It had a bed, a small reading table and chair, an area exclusive for movements in regards to martial arts, and even a pool of clean water. A closer look at the pool, one would realize that it emitted faint whirling sounds like it was being constantly cleaned. It seemed that a formation had been set up for that sake. Even the air was nice, being rather thick with essence - extremely suitable for cultivation.


    Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but grow emotional. This cultivation room was almost ten times better than his own room. It reminded him of his parents'' room, before their deaths.


    Many memories flashed through his mind of his late father and mother.


    ¡°Mother...Father¡­¡±


    He missed them.


    A lot.


    It was only a long while till he stabilized his emotions, and looked at the bottle that held ten drops of low-grade liquid essence. A hint of excitement gleamed in his eyes. In the Clan, he used to receive ten drops of essence every month for his cultivation among other things, but now he received one drop a month. A month! These ten drops that were so casually given to him by that ice-cold senior sister of his were ten months of resources he''d receive from the clan.


    Seems like being the disciple of an Origin Core Cultivator truly had its advantages. He felt sure that if he possessed enough talent, it''s likely he would have received far more than that. Hopefully, he could still milk this situation fully.


    Firstly, he consumed a drop and rotated his cultivation base to expedite his healing. Despite the Earthly Wood Spring helping him mend his bones and flesh, he still had a few minor discomforts and intended to get rid of those first. It required a total of three drops and an hour before he returned to his peak condition. Truly, cultivation was a pricey endeavor. If one gets injured, they can either expedite healing using resources or take a long time to do so naturally. Either way, one would lose something valuable, either money or time.


    He was inwardly surprised at the rate of his healing, using his self-observing spiritual sense made it much easier to target specific areas precisely, reducing resource expenditure and time required. It was also far more thorough, ensuring the removal of any hidden injuries that may remain. If Lin Feilin were to see his actions, she would be immediately enlightened as to why Han Genji was adamant on accepting Yan Zaizen as his ninth disciple.


    Soul cultivation wasn''t for everyone, but for those who embarked on it, they would possess an undeniable advantage over others in regards to healing or perception, especially in regards to laws. As the saying goes, one sees the world with the eye and its inner core with the soul. His previous attainments into the laws may be low, but his soul cultivation was an indication that it wouldn''t be an issue in the future.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°Advanced, Nascent Soul.¡± Yan Zaizen mumbled. His thoughts were still absorbed in Han Genji''s words from before, as well as his explanation of soul cultivation. The significance of it, he was sure he hadn''t fully grasped it. Because, besides his soul cultivation being rare and valuable, he pretty much had no other areas worthy of being the disciple of an Origin Core cultivator. This, he knew. So it must have incredible benefits, perhaps even greater than simply reduced healing time.


    Thinking up to here, he decided to await Han Genji''s return and let him explain the miraculousness of soul cultivation. As for now, he sent his sense into the Meteor Ring.


    Originally, when he explored the ring, he found out it was a nearly infinite space that had a small area with a multitude of books, materials, and wealth. Unfortunately, he had no way to remove them from the ring. He had to put aside this matter for later, but he had a faint feeling that his inability to remove anything from the ring or put anything inside was because of his soul cultivation being too low. If that was the case, then he truly felt lost.


    A treasure chest right in front of you, but incapable of doing anything but look.


    It was incredibly vexing.


    However, the Immortal Herculean Method was one of the books, and when he wrapped it around with his soul energy, it directly entered his soul and revealed its contents. Therefore, he decided to try to do that for the others.


    After several minutes of continuous failure, he finished going through each book with the same method that he used earlier and only met failure. It seems the immortal herculean method cultivation book was unique and could be assimilated into one''s soul, but the others were simply readable. Unfortunately, they were all in languages he didn''t understand.


    ¡°Forget it, I''ll just cultivate.¡± He said in defeat.


    As he was about to take his exit from the space, his spiritual sense caught a glimpse of the inky black wood from before. Initially, he felt an overwhelming sensation of death from the wood, so he stayed away in fear for his poor little life. However, it currently had a white weak flame flickering atop its surface, and the sensation of death was weakened considerably. What took its place was a weak emission of life, which originated from the white flame.


    The flame was so small it seemed that even the slightest breath could snuff it out of existence, yet also looked like it would survive a tornado. It gave Yan Zaizen an odd sensation. Curiosity filled his heart, he slowly wiggled his thin line of a soul form over till he was no less than five meters away. Intending to stay a safe distance in case of anything unexpected happened.


    ¡°What''s this?¡±


    Observing it closer, it seems the white flame emission of life was slowly getting stronger and stronger, and the sensation of death in the inky black wood got weaker and weaker as a result. There was no equilibrium as if for one to exist, the other had to perish, but neither could completely destroy the other.


    ¡°The wood represents death and the flame represents life, when one reaches the extreme, the other is born.¡± His personal insights to the sceneflashed through his mind. He hadn''t realized that his soul had entered an almost perfect state of clarity while observing the wood. Many cultivators could only wish to enter this state, but he''d done so unintentionally, drawn by the exuberance and miraculousness of the events.


    A state of enlightenment!


    ¡°The white flame is persistent and unyielding, only when itdecides its end does it perish. The wood is all present and looming, it can not be fully burned by the flame, and reclaims what''s been taken.¡± A cycle of life and death circulatedinside his mind as all sorts of insightful ponderings of the inner workings of the flame and wood rose.


    He didn''t realize that he had watched the cycle of the flame consuming the wood, and the wood reclaiming the flame thirty-three times before his soul energy ran out and sent him out of the Meteor Ring.


    When he returned to the world, his eyes were glossed overwhile he fell into a trance. He felt like the myriad laws of the world were right before him but also so far away. He could only reach out and grasp one of them, the nearest one. A white flame fluttered about in his soul, and he grasped it tightly, unwilling to let such a beautiful thing disappear.


    Several hours passed before he awoke from his state of enlightenment.


    ¡°This...concept? Unyielding Flame of Life!¡± He reached out his hand, a flickering white flame slowly appeared within. It was weak and looked as if it would dissipate with a soft gust of wind, but also as if even if the world collapsed, it wouldn''t dissipate until it decided.


    This was the law of life! A World Law!

 Chapter 12 - Unyielding Flame of Life

    Three days passed since his enlightenment. During these three days, he was pretty much left on how own. Lin Feilin, being diligent with her duty, only came once a day to give him a few drops of low-grade essence liquid, before retreating back to her quarters. The lackluster care did not induce dislike towards Lin Feilin. If anything, he rather enjoyed it. It was much better than being in the Yan Clan and suffering constant looks of derision and pity, while also being treated like trash. Quite a few of Yan Jinzen''s henchmen would constantly mock him at every chance as if it was their life mission.


    Now, he had peace and quiet with resources for his cultivation. However, he couldn''t help but ponder on what''s happening in the Yan Clan. He''s been missing for several days due to his kidnapping, and he couldn''t even inform his grandfather that he was still alive. Did they send a search party for him? Could they still be searching? Was his grandfather grieving over his possible death? Did he cry? Those questions and other similar ones flittered inside his mind.


    For some reason, he felt like no one would care.


    No, impossible!


    He was the grandson of the clan leader. If they didn''t care about him, who would they care about?


    Putting those thoughts aside, he lifted up his palm to see a small white flame twisting about. It was the law of life that he''d comprehended, the unyielding flame of life. During these past few days, he discovered several traits regarding this incredible flame. Despite it seeming to be weak, it couldn''t be dispersed unless he desired it, and therefore would continuously feed off his Qi to survive. The flame isn''t hot, and can''t be used to burn anything. He tried to place it inside the pool, only to have it float like a leaf. It was an odd sight.


    The most interesting point is that it uses life as its fuel. Plainly speaking, it burns life force. If it wasn''t for the fact that he created it, he felt that it would consume his life force to develop and maintain its own existence. Similar to how it consumed the inky black wood to grow stronger. He could also absorb the flame to pour pure life force into his body. Although the amount created from his own Qi was far too minuscule, it could still be used to heal injuries. He imagined it''ll become stronger as his cultivation base enhances and the concept continues to develop.


    At the moment, the unyielding flame of life could be classified at the Nascent stage of development with Initial Success. Essentially, the lowest level of conceptual law. However, it was a World Law! This meant it exceeded Mortal Laws in complexity and overall capabilities. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    For the first time in his life since he was five, he felt that he wasn''t trash. How many cultivators can develop a world-level concept?


    ¡°I can feel my body getting stronger.¡± He remarked, clenching his fist and feeling the vital energies stored within his cells brim with lifeforce. The law of life had a beneficial aspect of his physique. Thinking up to here, he turned his attention back the Immortal Herculean Method.


    ''No special requirements, simply wrest control of the body''s natural limiters, then remove. It shouldn''t be that hard, right?'' Quietly mumbling, he thought of the method to cultivate the method. He calmed his mind, allowed his heartbeat to reach a slow unfathomable rhythm, allowing his breathing to match it.


    Several hours passed while he maintained this unique state. Which each hour that passed, his heartbeat grew more and more powerful. It wasn''t long until his heart seemed like a drum as it resounded loudly in the surroundings. Fortunately, the cultivation room was soundproof, so no one responded.


    ¡°Blargh!¡± Suddenly, Yan Zaizen lost control of his body and spat a mouthful of blood. His originally energetic and healthy complexion turned pale and sickly.


    ¡°..Shit''I can''t...do this...¡± He spat before directly losing consciousness.


    A small white flame danced atop his incapacitated body. It emitted wavy white smoke that entered his orifices, his originally sickly pale complexion got noticeably healthy, and his pained expression grew more peaceful. After a while, the flame slowly seeped into his body and disappeared.


    Lin Feilin entered the room while he was unconscious, looking at his unconscious body including the blood that lay on the floor, her normally indifferent expression revealed a rare sight of shock. From what she could see, Yan Zaizen had overreached in his cultivation and went through Qi Deviation. She couldn''t help but shake her head. A light of nostalgia shined in her eyes. Her gaze turned softer as she once more looked at Yan Zaizen''s state.


    It didn''t take long for her to clean the blood and used her Qi to lift him up and place him on his bed, with the sheet covering him. She couldn''t help but sigh and sadness gleamed in her eyes. ¡°You may be trash now, but that doesn''t mean it''ll remain that way. For those without talent, they must struggle to thrive. For those without fate on their side, they must grasp fate for themselves. Work hard.¡± Her tone seemed more like she was talking to herself rather than Yan Zaizen.


    The eyes of Lin Feilin revealed an unshakable level of resolve and sense of mission. She left quietly back to her quarters, obviously going to continue cultivating.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes were open.


    He woke up near the end. When Lin Feilin said those last words, he felt an indescribable feeling well up in his heart. Originally, at the last moment before he lost consciousness, he regretted practicing the Immortal Herculean Method, but now he felt that he can''t just give up. His entire life was filled with one misfortune after another, but he always accepted living in mediocrity. Whenever something became too hard, he simply gave up, a large majority of his failures were determined on that aspect alone. He even entertained the thought of, once upon a time, relying on Ya Qinqan''s talent and strength for his future.


    Look how that ended up.


    He grinded his teeth, clenched his fists, and his eyes grew determined. He couldn''t just give up whenever it got hard, rely on someone else, or hope the heavens will bless him with a godly object that allows him to transcend to great heights in one step. He glanced towards the Meteor Ring at this thought. That¡¯s right, besides the Immortal Herculean Method and inky black wood with white flame, everything else was inaccessible due to his lack of strength.


    ¡°Alright, let''s try this once again.¡±

 Chapter 13 - A Herculean!

    Hours of cultivation turned into days, which turned into weeks until an entire month had passed since Yan Zaizen''s discipleship. During this time, his focus had been on cultivating the Immortal Herculean Method to the first level, to develop a nascent herculean physique. Each attempt that ended in failure left him in a state of weakness. Fortunately, his Unyielding Flame of Life kept him full of lifeforce. It was like a lifeline that enabled him to continuously practice. As long as it lived, so did he!


    Yan Zaizen had no idea that all of his failures should have lead to near immediate death. The bodily foundation he possessed lacked the ability to attempt wrestling away the body''s limitations and removing them. It simply wasn''t sufficient, thereby causing his lifeforce and body incredible levels of stress. This should lead to death, ten times out of ten.


    However, Yan Zaizen was the exception!


    His Unyielding Flame of Life conceptual law forcefully stabilized and brought him back from the edge of death each and every time. As it did so, his body was constantly being refined and strengthened by the flame, while his own understanding into the flame deepened greatly. When he initially conceived it, like all laws, it started out at the nascent level with initial success; however, now the Unyielding Flame of life reached the major success stage!


    This caused a qualitative change in its capabilities, and it flickered about far less, its stability is a sign of its progression.


    At the moment, his eyes shone with a distinctive light of vibrancy. His originally scrawny body started to fill out as the vital energies started to become refined, and one could sense an aura of exuberant lifeforce from it.


    He sat in the lotus position with his eyes closed, his breathing in a unique rhythm coinciding with the powerful and resounding beats of his heart. Each beat caused the cultivation room to slightly tremble. Yan Zaizen felt ensured that today was the day. The white flame danced near his chest, as if using his heartbeat as music, and one could see ripples like waves appearing on the surface of his skin.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    His eyes opened sharply. ¡°Exceed the heavens, shatter the skies!!!¡± He roared. Now, despite the soundproofing of the room, even Lin Feilin and Shin Xuanji were disturbed by slight reverberating sounds from their rooms. However, they simply took it as a sign of an earthquake and promptly ignored it. Little did they know, in the room next to them, their ninth junior brother was doing something that has never been accomplished in the past one hundred thousand years by a human cultivator, since the last era!


    ¡°BECOME A HERCULEAN! EXCEED THE HEAVENS!¡± His voice thundered. The world outside the mountain stirred, and the clouds grew restless while congregating above the mountain they resided in. The surrounding beasts looked towards the sky, their eyes filled with trepidation. One could see many rank five and under beasts retreating away from the mountain like a disaster was going to occur.


    Despite this, there was no heavenly lightning coming for tribulate those who defy it. Instead, the sky produced a single mote of golden light. In comparison to heavenly tribulation lightning, this was a thousand times worse!


    Heavenly Annihilating Light!!!


    There was no tribulation set up by the heavens to enable you to exceed them, no, the point of the heavens were to act as regulators and controllers. Only things that are within the heavenly law, but at the top, produces heavenly tribulation lightning to see if that specific cultivator can overcome and prove their worth. However, if something goes against natural law that may exceed it, the heavens don''t give you a chance, they annihilate!


    Decisively. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Without mercy.


    This mote of light was the fully concentrated force of the heavens, and it descended from the skies. As it traveled, the world seemed frozen in time, but in truth, it simply moved far too fast! It approached the cultivation room Yan Zaizen trained in, passing through the mountain like it wasn''t even there. It was like he was frozen. His eyes were filled with blood-lines, his mouth wide open in a roar, and his body emitted vibrant signs of lifeforce.


    However, that didn''t stop it from descending.


    It hovered over his glabella. It seemed like it was going beyond slow. Entering his glabella, then towards his soul form - that squiggly thin line. The intention? To ensure it wipes out this existence! As it reached the soul, it entered as if it was always meant to be there. It emitted light, with the intention of detonation. If detonated, anything within a hundred thousand li of land would simply vanish - including Yan Zaizen.


    As it charged up for detonation, a resplendent black light exploded outwards from the depth of Yan Zaizen''s soul. It surrounded the heavenly might as such a speed it seemed that the heavenly might itself was frozen in time. If that soul that attempted to invade Yan Zaizen''s from before were to witness this, he''d realize it was the same black light that shone before taking his everything!


    The heavenly light started to vigorously tremble.


    Did it seem...scared?


    A portion of the light seemed to be drawn into the resplendent black light, but it seemed the light was having none of it.


    It exploded out with power, repelling the black light before ascending to the skies at an even faster speed than it came. It even left a portion of itself with the black light.


    The heavenly annihilation light...ran?


    As it returned to the skies, the world returned to normal, and the clouds dispersed. No one in the Eight knew of what had just happened, something that hasn''t happened since time immemorial! The black light grabbed what remained of the light, and brought it towards Yan Zaizen''s glabella, which produced a black swirling symbol that seemed to consume all things, including natural light, which promptly distributed it accordingly, before disappearing as quickly as it came.


    As for Yan Zaizen - who didn''t notice any of this - he thundered outwards, his heart''s rhythm permanently changed, despite it not being as loud, it was far more powerful with each pump and filled with vital energies. His flesh and muscles flashed with a slight golden glow, but it quickly subsided. His bones were whiter than snow. His lungs exuded powerful gusts of air and sucked them in. The limitations of his body were removed, and his physique changed to become a Herculean!


    ¡°I did it!¡± His eyes gleamed with excitement.


    Nascent Herculean Physique, Initial Success!


    He clenched his fists and felt the vital energies surging through it. His blood felt like powerful streams traveling to and fro his heart. He could feel the power held in his muscles, the density of his bones, and heightened physical functions of his body. "According to the Method, the Initial Success stage is the minimum equivalent to a Peak Qi Revolving Cultivator!"


    At minimum!!!


    From this day forward, he was trash no more. His path and fate were going to be decided by himself.


    Little did he know, this small declaration would later lead him to produce incredible legends.


    He turned his attention to the white flame near his chest, staying there like an even fateful and vigilant guardian. As long as you live, I live. To his surprise, the white flame was completely stable and danced brilliantly about. ¡°What? This...perfection?¡± He couldn''t help but take a second look. Indeed! The white flame had reached the peak of its stability. In one month, his conceptual law - a world law - had reached the Perfection stage of the Nascent-level from its initial conception.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Who says I''m trash now?!¡± He couldn''t help but loudly laugh in satisfaction. It wasn''t just that, even his soul was enhanced, also reaching the Perfection stage of the Nascent-level! It seems fortune often comes pairs. He still didn''t know the full significance of this cultivation level, but his spiritual sense has been enhanced by nearly three times! That''s a qualitative change.


    A knock on the door broke Yan Zaizen out of his satisfaction. A soft masculine voice echoed in his room, ¡°Master is returning, Ninth Brother Zai. Please ready yourself and exit.¡± The voice belonged to Shin Xuanji.


    Master?


    Han Genji!


    That dirty old man was back.


    Taking a deep breath, he readied himself and exited his room. It was time for his questions to be answered.


    ¡°Greetings, Master!¡±

 Chapter 14 - The Last Time

    Yan Zaizen was fully determined to get answers as he exited his cultivation room. However, what welcomed his vision was Shin Xuanji dripping in blood, not his own, and his master leaning against him with a paler than usual face. His expression no longer contained that ever-present and disturbing smile, but a weakness that seemed to have seeped into his bones. For some reason, despite having no good feelings about this dirty old man, Yan Zaizen felt a complex pain in his heart.


    For the very first time in his life, he saw Lin Feilin with an absolutely terrified expression. Shin Xuanji''s expression wasn''t much different, but there was a solemn resolve intermixed between his brows. He simply carried Han Genji towards the main door, bypassing both him and Lin Feilin as if they didn''t exist.


    He didn''t know what to do or what was happening.


    As a result, he simply stood there without moving.


    However, Han Genji''s voice jolted him out of his inactivity. ¡°Fei''er, Xuan''er, and boy. Listen.¡± He realized at that moment that Han Genji didn''t even know his name; however, he didn''t feel angry because of it. If anything, he just felt more complex. This could be the second time he''s met this master of his, and each time blood was involved.


    ¡°Enter my quarters. You all will leave here.¡± Han Genji''s tone was slow and demanding. It seemed it left no room for any objections.


    Lin Feilin followed his orders with a solemn expression without a trace of fear. Yan Zaizen did the same, but more so in confusion. He hoped he could get some answers about the situation. That was until he heard a thundering voice outside that reverberated with incredible power that caused even this cavern hall tremble.


    ¡°Han Genji! Under the authority of the Soaring Cloud Sect, I, Gao Chuyan, am here for your arrest. Cease any resistance or be put to death.¡± The voice held a certain authority that seemed to suggest it can seize the world in judgment.


    Chuyan?


    Wasn''t the Soaring Cloud Sect elder Han Genji killed named Gao Shiyan?


    According to naming sense, they were related, and even in the same family line at that. He could assume somethings from this, and now he was frightened. Lin Feilin''s expression of fear was completely justified in his eyes. If Gao Chuyan had come for revenge, then their fates as Han Genji''s disciples could be imagined. If the judgment was light, immediate death. If heavy, considerable torture followed by a painful end. He glanced at the back of Lin Feilin, his mind wondered about how her fate would end up if captured. Would she be put to death or...?


    He shook his head to break away from these thoughts. He had to stay focus and see if there was a chance for survival. That was his top priority and his only priority.


    Despite having a slightly favorable impression of Lin Feilin, he didn''t care much for the others. Han Genji kidnapped him under threat of death, forced him to become his disciple, and then left without so much as knowing his name. Shin Xuanji, however, seemed friendly but he could always feel a distinct sensation of danger and hatred emanating from him at every interaction. Having never offended the Soaring Cloud Sect, he didn''t want to become enemies with a top sect for people he knew next to nothing about, and vice versa.


    Who would?


    Observing the largest door within the cavern hall, he had his thoughts on this. Originally, he assumed it was the exit but instead was the quarters of his so-called master. As he entered, he noticed the scenery was quite different from the other cultivation rooms. It wasn''t overall fancy, but empty. The floor, walls, and ceiling were white with nothing around. The room was shaped in an evenly cubical shape, incredibly odd considering the other rooms were circular. At least, all the rooms he entered.


    Han Genji, dripping with blood, left the leverage of Shin Xuanji to stand on his own with a solemn expression. For some reason, when he did, Yan Zaizen had a feeling that he was an imposing and unyielding hero of the ages. This was the only time Yan Zaizen didn''t feel like he was a dirty old man, but a hero ready to stand against any and all obstacle in his way.


    ¡°I''ll send you three away. You do not have to worry about the men outside.¡± His voice carried a trace of weakness and comforting. ¡°I''m your master. I won''t let anything happen to you in our home.¡± He turned to Lin Feilin, his words obviously seemed to be directed towards her.


    Lin Feilin was jolted out of his terrified daze when those words sounded. It was as if it reached deep into her souls and pulled her back to reality, disallowing her to continue getting lost in her thoughts. Her expression relaxed and reverted back to her typical indifferent and frosty expression. It was as if the previously frightened version of Lin Feilin had never occurred.


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Yan Zaizen was surprised. What level of trust would allow one to use a few words to restore someone''s confidence? Their relationship, their story, must be rather deep and rich. Seeing this, he couldn''t help but feel slightly envious.


    ¡°Master, where shall we go?¡± Shin Xuanji asked solemnly. It was only then that Yan Zaizen noticed that he was placing his hands on a section of the wall, channeling his Qi through it to produce rippling waves of energy.


    ¡°I will send you all to the Basilisk Forest.¡± As he said that, he placed his bloody palms on the floor, performing something similar to what Shin Xuanji did but on a greater scale.


    ¡°And you?¡± Lin Feilin coldly inquired.


    He didn''t respond.


    ¡°Understood.¡± Lin Feilin said as if she understood what he implied in silence.


    ''The Spatial Everburst Formation is primed, location locked, and ready. Master, at your ready.'' As Shin Xuanji spoke those words, myriad of dark-silver formations revealed themselves on the plain white surface, giving it was a strange beauty. The world seemed to feel thick and heavy, while ripples appeared in the air.


    Yan Zaizen felt like a small boat in a great storm - he could only go with the flow. He pretty much understood nothing of what was said, and he felt as if he wasn''t even there. He felt incredibly vexed at his ignorance. He could only look towards Han Genji whose expression grew calmer and calmer with each passing second.


    ¡°Lin''er, work hard, your fate if your own. Know this.¡± He turned towards Lin Feilin and solemnly said.


    ¡°En.¡± She responded with a slight nod.


    Turning to Shin Xuanji, ¡°Xuan''er, never stop your pursuit of the strong. Only they can make decisions and protect the people they care about.¡±


    To Yan Zaizen, this seemed like a set of last words said to one''s disciple. Wait...did that mean?


    Han Genji didn''t give Yan Zaizen time to think, turning towards him with the intentions to speak.


    ¡°Ninth Brother name is Yan Zaizen.¡± Shin Xuanji interrupted and stated. His expression remained neutral, but his words contained a faint trace of hatred that couldn''t be hidden.


    Han Genji halted his words, turning to Shin Xuanji, and then back to Yan Zaizen. A burst of realization sparked in his mind, and a trace of apology mixed with guilt surfaced in his eyes. Seeing this, Yan Zaizen grew even more confused. Did this Shin Xuanji hate him? And if so, for what?


    Han Genji could only sigh in helplessness, and the weakness in his body revealed itself, ¡°He''s your Ninth Brother now. Take care of each other, regardless of the past.¡± He looked at Yan Zaizen''s confused eyes and seemed to have thought of something, ¡°Zai''er, you''re more gifted than you know.¡± With that, he flicked his finger, and a ray of light appeared from his spatial ring and shot towards Yan Zaizen.


    He caught the ray of light and realized it was a piece of transparent jade. He couldn''t figure out what it was, but it radiated slight fluctuations reminiscent of soul energy. His questions only continued to grow in number. There was just so much he didn''t understand.


    ¡°It''s time.¡± Han Genji decided. The myriad of silver formations that adorned the walls started to light up rapidly around them, some started to spin rapidly in place, and others protruded out from the surface to arrive around Shin Xuanji, Lin Feilin, and Yan Zaizen. A miraculous power that seemed to manipulate the law of space radiated out. Yan Zaizen''s world turned silver, and felt like a multitude of hands were gripping his body about to throw him outwards.


    He tried to say something, but in the world of silver, sound felt discombobulated. None of his words were coherent, as if the sound got chopped up along the way. He could only barely see the silhouettes of his two senior disciples. Turning to what seemed to be Lin Feilin''s figure, he saw her figure trembling and her fists clenched tightly.


    Was she...crying?


    Turning towards Shin Xuanji, he could see his figure simply staring at his direction with an unrelenting gaze.


    This...?


    He couldn''t find Han Genji''s figure no matter how he looked. He had a sudden feeling in the pit of his stomach that this would be the last time he ever saw that dirty old man.

 Chapter 15 - Basilisk Forest

    Nearly ten thousand li away from the Eight Calamity Range was the Basilisk Forest. The forest had lush greens and exquisite trees that shone with a faint glow of emerald light. Home to reptilian and serpent-type disaster beasts, which included the Legendary King Basilisk - the ruler of the region. The King Basilisk was a rank eight beasts of extraordinary power that rivaled Origin Core cultivators.


    The air was permeated with wood-attributed essence, making it a blessed cultivation grounds for any cultivator who practiced wood-based arts or cultivation methods.


    In an area within the forest, a flash of resplendent silver light spontaneously exploded. The local residents reacted violently by fleeing with their slithering bodies or short stubby legs. In the silver light were three figures, two males and one female, each seemed to be occupied with their own thoughts.


    They were the disciples of Han Genji.


    Yan Zaizen, who never experienced spatial shifting before, felt like his stomach was coming up as he bent his body to vomit out a small pool of bodily fluids. Even though he possesses a herculean physique and was far physically stronger than before, the feeling of spatial shifting was like being on a high-speed roller coaster. Completely different than when he was carried at high speed by Han Genji.


    He assumed they would be teleported, but instead they were simply hauled at high speeds with a cover of a protection formation in space. They moved so fast that others wouldn¡¯t be able to see their trail without having a high cultivation, and even if they did see, they couldn¡¯t interact with them unless they comprehend the appropriate laws. It was essentially the safest method of travel, but it¡¯s not Yan Zaizen¡¯s first time hearing about something like this.


    For example, most large clans ¡ª like the Yan Clan ¡ª would have something similar, but for objects rather than people. To personally experience it, he felt discombobulated. His sense of direction was all over the place, unable to tell left from right, and his mind felt beyond dizzy.


    While he was experiencing this, Lin Feilin and Shin Xuanji were in much better shape. They almost immediately shook off the effects using their Qi and proceeded to check the area for their location.


    ¡°It seems we¡¯re close to the center.¡± Shin Xuanji remarked as he pointed towards a tree in the distance. This tree was exceptionally tall and eclipsed the rest in size. It even twisted about and had two tree crowns yet one trunk. It gave one a frightening and mysterious feeling. ¡°That¡¯s the Basilisk Tree. From its location, we should be south-east. More than two hundred li away from the border and the territory of the Earthly Titan Sect.¡± He continued to point out their current location, looking towards Lin Feilin who nodded in agreement. Her expression was still cold, but if one looked closely, one could see slight tears having been in existence.


    After finishing almost emptying out his stomach, he turned to Shin Xuanji in surprise. He heard of the Basilisk Tree before. Its location was the infamous beastial grounds for serpents and lizards - the Basilisk Forest! He recalled what Han Genji once said. It seems he really sent them to this forest.


    ¡°What now?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. In truth, he still had many questions about everything including the possible status of Han Genji. However, his question had got him a single glance from Shin Xuanji before he simply turned towards Lin Feilin and ignored him.


    Seems like this Shin Xuanji truly has some form of hatred towards me, but why?


    ¡°Master sent us here; our fates are our own.¡± Lin Feilin answered coldly, her eyes looking about in vigilance. ¡°He left a backup plan at the Earthly Titan Sect. If you wish to join the Sect and seek safety, simply go there and find Elder Wei. He¡¯ll allow you to enter as a Disciple of the Sect.¡± She said, but obviously, this wasn¡¯t going to be her intention.


    Surprised at the foresight of Han Genji, he couldn¡¯t help but contemplate his options. Should he go to the Earthly Titan Sect or go home?


    He understood why his master would choose the Earthly Titan Sect, considering its one of the five great sects alongside the Soaring Cloud Sect, and were eternal enemies with them. They were essentially at war, engaging in conflict both on the surface and in the shadows. Since the Soaring Cloud Sect was pursuing Han Genji, it seems staying there would ensure one¡¯s safety. However, when he thought about it, he decided against it.


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    For one, he didn¡¯t really consider himself Han Genji¡¯s disciple.


    Second, no one outside of these two people here knew he was Han Genji¡¯s disciple and thus no proof.


    Third, if he joins under asHan Genji¡¯s disciple identity, the enmity between the Soaring Cloud Sect and himself would be set. It¡¯s likely they would hunt him till he¡¯s dead, using both in the light and dark methods to carry out their goal. After all, a disciple chosen by an Origin Core Cultivator cannot be considered a non-threat. Remove the roots to end all problematic growths.


    He had little intentions of making an enemy or himself a target and losing his poor little life as a result. Despite a few liquid essences, what did he really receive under his tutelage? It was as fleeting as the wind; It was asbrief as a ray of light.


    ¡°Sixth Sister, I¡¯ll be going to the Earthly Titan Sect.¡± Shin Xuanji stated his stance. Lin Feilin didn¡¯t seem too surprised as she looked towards him with a slight nod. She turned towards Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°I-I...I won¡¯t join the Earthly Titan Sect.¡± He hesitantly replied. In truth, it did seem great to join one of the great sects, but he also didn¡¯t want trouble to follow him. If he could join of his own merits, then great, but even then, the Earthly Titan Sect wasn¡¯t his first choice. He had a family, and if he decided to join a sect, there were things he needed to do before taking that step. He¡¯s not selfish, and he still loved his grandfather.


    The reason he says this is because Yan Jinzen was likely to join the Soaring Cloud Sect while Ya Qinqan joins the Water Veil Sect. While the Water Veil Sect is neutral in regards to the Soaring Cloud Sect and Earthly Titan Sect, the Soaring Cloud Sect was still far closer to the Yan Clan than the Earthly Titan Sect. The Basilisk Forest was over ten thousand li away from the Yan Clan, and the Yan Clan had deep ties with the Soaring Cloud Sect.


    He could never join the Earthly Titan Sect for fear of harming his family if he was ever forced to choose or end up disgracing his parents'' memories by being branded a traitor. With those considerations, he naturally wouldn¡¯t join.


    Because of Han Genji, he felt conflicted about joining the Soaring Cloud Sect as well. It just made everything a headache.


    ¡°I see. Then, we¡¯ll depart here.¡± Lin Feilin said. It seems she had her own considerations and plans, unwilling to have Yan Zaizen, who would need protection, and thus were willing to separate. She didn¡¯t even give them time to respond. Executing an exquisite movement-type Qi Art, she vanished.


    Unprepared, Yan Zaizen stammered as he held out his hand in an attempt to stop her, but she was already gone. Although he could sense her direction with his powerful spiritual sense, he didn¡¯t chase after her. He knew that doing so wouldn¡¯t accomplish anything.


    He could only sigh.


    ¡°Originally, I intended to kill you.¡± A frosty voice resounded in Yan Zaizen¡¯s ear causing him to turn his head. It originated from Shin Xuanji. His expression was calm, but one could see deep-seated killing intent within his black pupils. ¡°However, Master would be ashamed of me if I did. So I won¡¯t.¡± He traced Yan Zaizen with his gaze and turned away about to take his leave.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Yan Zaizen shouted, then added, ¡°Why?!¡±


    ¡°I will kill every last one of you.¡± Shin Xuanji didn¡¯t turn around, but his voice turned absolute zero and exceedingly cruel.


    Despite not seeing his face, Yan Zaizen could tell he was doing everything in his power not to turn around and strike him dead. Even his body slightly trembled.


    ¡°One of me?¡± Yan Zaizen felt puzzled.


    ¡°Every. Last. Yan!¡± Every word spoken with untold hatred and deep pain.


    ¡°...¡±


    Shin Xuanji executed his own movement-art, vanishing as well.


    Yan Zaizen felt enlightened. When he first met Shin Xuanji, he kept feeling a sensation of danger and a hint of killing intent. Even the look in Han Genji¡¯s eyes when hewas informed his name, and how Shin Xuanji was willingto join the Earthly Titan Sect so decisively. A death grudge seemed to be formed between Shin Xuanji and the Yan Clan. Something that would require the entire clan¡¯s annihilation to correct and Han Genji knew about it.


    He took a deep breath, looking at where Shin Xuanji left. It seems this Eighth Brother of his, the next time they meet, would likely end in one of their deaths.


    ¡°As long as I¡¯m alive, I¡¯ll never let that happen.¡± He quietly stated, swearing an oath to himself.

 Chapter 16 - The Soul Jade

    ¡°The Basilisk Forest¡­¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat lost. His current location could be considered incredibly far away from the Yan Clan - over ten thousands li. With his cultivation, it¡¯ll take several years to get back to the Yan Clan. Not to mention the obstacles he¡¯d have to face especially since true flight capabilities required a cultivation base at the Qi Unification. His current realm was only at the peak-initial Qi Revolving realm.


    Considering his cultivation base and where he was, it would be unlikely for him to even survive this place. If it wasn¡¯t for him possessing a Nascent Herculean Physique and a Perfect Nascent Soul, he would be unwilling to leave his two fellow disciples. Well, perhaps not Shin Xuanji. However, he would definitely have stuck with the Essence Formation Lin Feilin until he left the forest, otherwise, it¡¯d be certain death.


    ¡°For now, I need to exit this forest.¡± He planned, looking at the Basilisk Tree, and then at the opposite direction behind him. As long as he ventured away from the tree, he¡¯ll exit at some point. Thinking up to here, he decided his path and left.


    The Basilisk Forest truly lived up to its reputation of being the home of serpents and reptiles. With his spiritual sense, he could sense many slithering and scaly creatures roaming about. He could tell their cultivation were by no means weak. Each beast he came across was at least rank two or above, and rank two meant around the late-stage Qi Revolving realm. Rank three beasts were equivalent to Essence Formation beasts, and he stayed away from them like the plague.


    Using his spiritual sense, he took paths away from the truly dangerous ones, and to prevent himself from having to fight and attract attention, he would purposefully avoid even the rank two disaster beasts. Currently, he wasn¡¯t looking to obtain disaster beasts cores or temper himself. This environment would be suitable if he was at the Essence Formation, but he wasn¡¯t. In truth, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder if Shin Xuanji would be able to escape the forest alive.


    With his late Qi Revolving Realm, it didn¡¯t seem likely. However, the more he thought about it, he didn¡¯t know Shin Xuanji¡¯s comprehensive combat strength or talents. Not to mention, he was a disciple of Han Genji - an Origin Core Cultivator. He couldn¡¯t be too weak. He may actually be incredibly strong. In that case¡­


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    He never felt the burden the possible extermination of his entire clan brought before. It felt like a thousand-pound weight at the back of one¡¯s mind, constantly weighing down on your thoughts and mood.


    ¡°Is this how grandfather feels all the time?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but mumble.


    Wait.


    He forgot something.


    Looking down at his palm, he saw the transparent piece of jade with slight soul energy fluctuations. This was the jade Han Genji gave him before sending him away. The transparent jade was smooth and cold to the touch and made him feel calm.


    ¡°Is this a soul jade?¡±


    Soul jades were items that detailed arts, methods, insights into the laws, or other information of varied usefulness. The jade would allowone to view the contents directly with your soul sense with absolute clarity, and even if the jade is in an entirely different language that one didn¡¯t understand, one could still use their souls to comprehend it. These jades were especially tough, rare and could only be accessed by those with soul cultivation. Some soul jades could only be used when your soul cultivation reached a certain point, or if you cultivate a specific soul art.


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    Finding a relatively safe beast-free zone, he sat down quietly. His spiritual sense seeped into the jade and scanned its contents.


    ¡°Pneuma Disruption Soul Art...Anima Shield Soul Art...Source Sonar Soul Art¡­¡± There were three arts listed in the jade, one for offense, defense, and a unique means to use spiritual sense. Pneuma Disruption Soul Art was an aura-class soul attack that destroyed one¡¯s concentration and caused chaos within the soul. It seems its main focus was on destroying one¡¯s process of thought and rendering your opponent inept in battle temporarily or even permanently. Once the soul was in chaos, your mind would be heavily affected as a result.


    The Anima Shield Soul Art was an internal-class soul art that constructed a shield to defend against other soul arts, and the world-class Source Sonar Soul Art allowed one to increase the range of one¡¯s sense by sending it out in waves and receiving them back. It wasn¡¯t as immediate like the normal usage of spiritual sense, but it enabled you to search a wide area and receive details about certain individuals whereabouts from a far distance. It was excellent in searching for people or gathering information of the battlefield.


    He took a deep breath. Disbelief surged in his eyes as he looked towards the soul jade. The most unbelievable thing was that each of these arts was of the Superior-Grade. This grade of art would be core arts in top sects and clans. Even the Yan Clan only had one Superior-Grade art, but this jade contained three!


    ¡°Han Genji¡­¡± His emotions were incredibly complex at the moment. He didn¡¯t consider himself a disciple of Han Genji, but for his first and only thing given were of this level. How could one not feel conflicted?


    He clenched the soul jade strongly. Should he practice it? If he did, would that mean he accepts Han Genji as his master? He felt that this jade just became so much heavier all of a sudden. Normally, a person wouldn¡¯t care about these things and focus on their individual strength first and foremost, but this was a matter that had to do with Yan Zaizen¡¯s personal principles.


    If he accepts, then he would consider himself a true disciple of Han Genji.


    If he declines, then he¡¯ll just sell the soul jade without practicing it.


    A long while later, he made his decision. Practice it! Study it! Master it!


    Even if Han Genji became his Master, then that would be fine, it didn¡¯t mean he had to risk his little life or anything for a grudge. He had already kowtowed, naked, to Han Genji. He addressed him as Master before and even received his tutelage - no matter how remote.


    ¡°I, Yan Zaizen, accept you as my Master from this day forward.¡± He swore an internal oath of discipleship. He looked at the soul jade and sent his spiritual sense back inside.

 Chapter 17 - Rank Three Beast

    The Basilisk Forest, in the country of Presba, was widely known to be a neutral hunting grounds for a majority of the powers located near. Despite the rank eight Basilisk King possessing the strength of a late Origin Core Realm Cultivator, it still wasn¡¯t considered one of the three danger zones of Presba like the Eight Calamity Range.


    The reason for this was simple: Disaster Beasts.


    The serpents and lizards that inhabited the forest were at most rank four, and never stronger. Due to this and the sheer number of disaster beasts located in it, it''s one of the most popular hunting grounds for cultivators, both rogue and non-rogue alike. However, that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t dangerous. In actuality, it was exceptionally dangerous. Often times cultivators out hunting for herbs or beast cores were killed not by strength, but by being besieged by outnumbering blitz tactics or ambushes set up by the beasts.


    This didn¡¯t even include the other cultivators out that may be hunting you.


    All it took, even for someone at the Qi Unification Realm, is a moment of carelessness before your life was reaped before your very eyes.


    At a location not too far from Yan Zaizen, a group of individuals ¡ª three females and two males ¡ª dressed in customary hunting gear of the area, were resting next to a beautiful cerulean python¡¯s corpse. The cerulean python was dozens of feet in length and had the body that could consume a full-grown person. It had the strength of a rank three beast, equivalent to the early to mid-Essence Formation.


    ¡°I told you this was a bad idea!¡± A woman shouted. This woman was about 23-24 years of age, an average appearance that wouldn¡¯t attract too many gazes in a crowd, and held an emerald-green sword in her hand at the ready. She seemed to be looking about with traces of fear in her eyes, every twitch of a branch, shake of a leaf, or minuscule sound would have her shift her body as if ready to face a fierce group of enemies in that direction.


    Seeing her clearly panicked antics, one of the younger girls rolled her eyes, looking at the cerulean python¡¯s corpse with a tinge of greed and excitement. The girl looked to be about 15-16, but completely different from the woman. She had a beautiful countenance, as white as snow, a voluptuous body that didn¡¯t match her youthfulness, and wore tight-fitting clothes that accentuated her curves. Out of all the members here, she had the least amount of armor, but also the one with the least amount of injuries.


    ¡°We¡¯ve already done it, why continue to complain?¡± A middle-aged man with a stern expression said. This man held a sweaty and pale youth in his hand, the other male, and he seemed to have a grotesque wound on his left calf. It was wrapped up in gauze, and the man was attempting to send Qi to the youth body to support his healing. However, one could see the wound was delivered to him by the deceased python, and the skin around it was in the process of turning purple. If not for the middle-aged man and youth¡¯s effort to suppress it, it¡¯s likely the poison would have already traveled through his entire body and rendered him dead.


    ¡°I¡¯ve set up the formation.¡± Another girl, who wore black, circular spectacles, a petite body and short black hair said. Despite her shortness and petiteness, one could tell that she was likely older than even the youngest member of the group by her age. She came from the distance, and when the average-looking woman saw her, it seemed as if she obtained some solace and her fear considerably lessened.


    Ignoring the average woman''s emotional state, she plainly looked towards the poisoned youth with furrowed brows.


    ¡°How is he?¡±


    ¡°Ugh...It doesn¡¯t look good.¡± The middle-aged man said.


    ¡°If you listened to me, Bai Wangzhe, and didn¡¯t get greedy, would we be in this mess?¡± The average looking woman remarked.


    ¡°Shut up, Xing Xuehan!¡± Bai Wangzhe didn¡¯t seem to be in the mood for this woman at the moment. He clenched his teeth and stared daggers at her. One could obviously see they didn¡¯t like each other. However, the others in the groups had their own thoughts. The wound of the youth was inflicted by a rank three disaster beast, this wasn¡¯t something this group could handle or had the preparations to handle.


    None of them were optimistic about his chances.


    ¡°For now, the formations have been set up. We can rest, and try to tend to Bai Dongzhe. We can figure out our next moves later, and harvest the core of the Cerulean Python while we do so.¡± The woman with black spectacles said, obviously demonstrating her role as the leader of the group. Bai Wangzhe looked towards her with gratefulness. Bai Dongzhe was his brother, after all, and he wasn¡¯t willing to not try every available option. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Xing Xuehan only looked towards Bai Wangzhe and sneered with contempt. She sat down and decided to tend to her wounds silently.


    The beautiful girl, named Su Fengyan, kept her gaze honed on the Cerulean Python. Out of everyone here, she possessed the lowest cultivation. Ying Sumian, the leader, and Bai Wangzhe had the cultivation at the Initial Essence Formation. Xing Xuehan possessed the cultivation of the Half-step Essence Formation, Bai Dongzhe cultivation was the late Qi Revolving, and Su Fengyan had the strength of the mid-Qi Revolving. This group, hunting in the Basilisk Forest was not considered weak but also not considered strong.


    ¡°El-elder...Bro-brother¡­¡± Bai Dongzhe said weakly. One could see that it took every amount of effort he could to do so. There were evident traces of fear in his eyes and expression.


    ¡°Shhhh. Don¡¯t speak, just focus on healing, okay?¡± Bai Wangzhe immediately grabbed his spatial pouch, used a bit of Qi to open it, found a pill, and placed it in Bai Dongzhe mouth. Seeing his brother¡¯s panicked expression and willingness to use even the best pill he possessed for him left his heart warm, and a faint trace of hope whizzed through his mind. Perhaps he would be able to survive?


    Ying Sumian looked towards the wound, calculating its effects and strength, she didn¡¯t have a good expression on her face. ¡°We need to amputate.¡± She said decisively. However, her words caused Bai Dongzhe to feel like it was dropped into a cold pool. Amputation was a drastic course of action that would affect him his entire life and even his cultivation. With his backing and strength, it would be near impossible to find the medicine which can regrow limbs. This may save his life, but turn him into a cripple.


    Hearing this, even his brother was shocked, but the other two girls didn¡¯t have as shocked of a reaction, as if expecting this outcome. Xing Xuehan even poured fuel on the fire that was their panic, ¡°If we don¡¯t do so soon, it¡¯s possible we may have to do so later, but even more of the leg...or other parts.¡±


    Despite what she said may be the truth, it didn¡¯t stop Bai Wangzhe from shooting her a gaze filled with killing intent. It seemed this bitch of a woman likely held some responsibility for his younger brother¡¯s injury. One could just see that he¡¯d like nothing more than to rip her throat apart.


    Seeing this, Ying Sumian intervened, ¡°She¡¯s right. However, this is your choice.¡±


    ¡°W-we...brother¡­we may have a chance to save my leg!¡± Bai Dongzhe obviously didn¡¯t wish to ruin his future with this course of action. If he did, what would be the point in even living? Seeing his brother¡¯s reaction, Bai Wangzhe didn¡¯t respond, his expression turned solemn.


    ¡°I thi-¡±


    ROAR!!!


    A sound thundered off in the distance. It startled every one of the members, and their expressions showed a mixture of fear and solemness. This roar was incredibly familiar to them, and it had claimed lives of their group before, hunting them continuously the last few days.


    Katori Lesser Dragon!!!


    A Katori was a lizard with faint traces of dragon bloodline, and they were incredibly vicious hunters. They wouldn¡¯t let off their prey if they¡¯ve honed on to them until they were all dead. It had black scales, a great maw filled with sharp teeth, claws that could shred through tree bark like paper and the ability to spew a concentrated beam of wood-energy. It had the strength of a peak rank three beasts, sitting solidly in the peak-mid Essence Formation. In the Basilisk Forest, there weren¡¯t many, but the few there were was nightmares for weak hunting teams like these five.


    The stomping of its large body resounded in the forest as trees were toppled in its mad dash, and it wasn¡¯t long before it clashed with the barrier formation set up by Ying Sumian and treated it like paper, piercing through with little obstruction.


    ¡°Shit, we have to run!¡± Xing Xuehan hysterically screamed. However, she couldn¡¯t move. The roar had been a soul attack that affected her, causing temporary paralysis. For her, with no soul cultivation, this was especially effective. Only Ying Sumian and Bai Wangzhe, with their strong Qi cultivations, were capable of resisting, but they were still affected.


    It didn¡¯t take long before the Katori appeared before them.


    Just when they were all wallowing in despair, a shadow appeared beside the large lizard head of the Katori.


    ¡°Great Yan Fist!¡±


    A masculine voice bellowed out, and the shadow¡¯s fist collided fiercely with the Katori¡¯s dome. A soul-shattering sound resounded followed by bits and pieces of brain matter and bone fragments shot out from the point of contact. Its scales crushed inwards, and the Katori howled hysterically in pain. The last howl it would ever release.


    A hard thud resounded followed by the skidding of its body due to its running momentum.


    The Katori, in its final moments of conscious life, looked around to see the group of individuals it was hunting. For the first time in its life, it had regretted hunting humans. If he left them be, would he have followed them and met this monster?


    Its thoughts couldn¡¯t be understood by any of the five. They were just completely and utterly stunned speechless.


    The shadow from earlier slowly walked towards the Katori''s corpse, cranking his neck and muttering to himself. He was adorned in black robes befitting of a cultivator, but not a hunter of Basilisk Forest, as not a speck of armor was located on his body. His appearance wasn¡¯t incredibly attractive, but it wasn¡¯t ugly either. He was a little bit thin, but that was passable considering his healthy cheeks and vibrant amber eyes. It was Yan Zaizen!


    ¡°This thing sure knows how to run.¡± He carelessly commented.

 Chapter 18 - Fierce Prowess

    Zaizen was practicing the Soul Art:beasts from the left and right, he didn¡¯t feel any sort of fear in regards to this.beasts that roamed about were only at the  one or two and the occasional  three. His  may be weak, but his soul  it wasn¡¯t  for him to get a  if beasts of a high  intended  his paths.


    art was quite difficult to , even the initial success. Superior-grade  weren¡¯t dubbed such for fun, but because amongst  in its category. It was truly above standard-grade in both effect and difficulty, and only below pinnacle-grade .


    Originally, he was never accomplished at .Before,  simply never genuinely tried, but now was .Thus,  put all of his mind and talents into comprehending how to use his soul energy in accordance with the art.


    he felt dejected by his lack of success.He kicked a tree in , causing a rank two serpent beast to slither towards him.he didn¡¯t   like normal but actually waited while  approached with bared fangs. When  did, Yan Zaizen, who was filled with , propelled himself above , raised his leg, and stomped down with all his .according to the Immortal Herculean Method, his mortal body should possess the strength to rival even a peak-Qi Revolving Cultivator.


    Zaizen didn¡¯t even know he had.smashed into a puddle of blood and scales.so, Yan Zaizen¡¯s legs were deeply imprinted into the ground.


    beast with strength equivalent to a late-Qi Revolving Cultivator!


    peak-Qi Revolving Realm at the Initial Success Stage. He contemplated his circumstance and started to reassess the assumption of his strength.he wore an excited grin.


    complete and utter nightmare.he came across, be it  one or  two would  their lives reaped and cores harvested by him.he had to fashion a bag using one the skin and scales of a lizard.He liked it.


    He couldn¡¯t help but laugh uproariously.He could easily  rank one or two beasts with a flick of his finger, quite literally. Earlier,   a group of rank one snakes who attempted to ambush him from the trees, but each and every one of  encountered their end with  flicked their heads,   to explode violently.


    he saw a Rank Three Katori Lesser Dragon roaming about, seemingly following someone or something¡¯s trail.  contemplated for a bit. However, seeing that it definitely  the aura of a rank three  with his keen spiritual sense,  decided to seize the chance.


    he wasn¡¯t the Dragon¡¯s match,  could simply retreat, right?


    he rushed it.


    Katori  this, felt challenged, and replied with a fierce rush of its own.


    Katori  not his match.


    However, how could Yan Zaizen let his prey escape?beast core!¡±


    this particular Katori, laughing at the sheer ease of process of eliminating  beast.it¡¯s entirely  his strength was near the peak-Essence Formation by body cultivation alone. Whether it was his speed, senses, or physical strength, all of them far  the .It was  that  didn¡¯t know how to properly exert his newly revealed strength that   quite a distance away before its death. Even the soul strike it launched had little effect on Yan Zaizen''s Perfect Nascent Soul.


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    he rubbed his nose and  his attention towards the Katori.


    Seeing this, Xing Xuehan  the first to break out of her .Zaizen to turn and look towards her.caused her to stop abruptly.


    made him feel strong.


    thank you. Xing Xuehan stammered.


    thank him?Su Fengyan and her  appearance.Zaizen,  would rather get thanked by this cutey.However, ¡¯ll  what  can , even if  didn¡¯t really  anything special for them.


    nodded with an expression of heroism,  what  assumed powerful cultivators   when they save others with grace.due to his unnaturalness towards  this expression, it  a little awkward and overly solemn.


    like a wake-up call to them all, and they  towards the body of the Katori that had taken the lives of their members.Su Fengyan, and only because Yan Zaizen Qi Cultivation was even weaker than hers.age also looked similar to hers, being around 15-16 years of .


    Ying Sumian displayed her leadership role as she immediately stepped forward with a calm expression.I and all the others owe you great thanks, Young Hero.¡±great respect.Zaizen feel better than he imagined. For once in his life, he truly  what it  to be respected for his own personal strength, and not his status as the grandchild of the Yan Clan Leader.


    He nodded with a slight smile.he felt somewhat awkward at the moment.because of the compliments, but   wanted to leave.Just didn¡¯t know how without being overly rude.thanking him so earnestly.he  towards the  body and  something.


    have its body.


    The body of a rank three beast, especially a peak one like the Katori, was incredibly valuable. Unfortunately, even if   to take  with , because  didn¡¯t have a  bag and the Meteor Ring didn¡¯t   to   out or put  in,  could only leave this piece of fortune behind.


    body of this peak rank three beast, and their eyes shined with desire and .body of this  was equivalent in price to its  core.


    Bai Dongzhe gulped but gathered his bravery to speak once more.Benefactor!help us?

 Chapter 19 - Miraculous Life Law

    When it came to interacting with people, Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t like most people. He was rather unsociable. During his initial childhood, he had the protection of his parents, the love of his grandfather, and the care of the clan. However, after their deaths, the revealing of his talents, and his subsequent failures that followed, he was treated like an outcast. Everyone pitied him or mocked him. Some even treated him as a fool and laughed in his face. It was because of these events that he wasn¡¯t very comfortable with people and why he didn¡¯t take Lin Feilin or Shin Xuanji¡¯s previous attitudes to heart.


    Oftentimes, he would act out for attention by stealing. Such asstealing Uncle Louzen¡¯s extra food or Auntie Qinlan¡¯s undergarments. Well, the latter was because of his puberty phase. Nevertheless, he stole them. Other times, he would take off without prior notice outside the clan and hide away from his sadness produced by his bleak reality. It was because of this that he came across Han Genji and the subsequent events that happened after which lead to this point. It was because of all these things, that he rarely interacted with people earnestly.


    Therefore, when asked to help, he just stared at this pale youth with furrowed brows.


    ¡°...¡± Bai Dongzhe looked at Yan Zaizen with a pleading expression.


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen continued to stare with not a word.


    ¡°..."


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    That pleading expression turned awkward and with a trace of fear. Why wasn¡¯t he speaking? Bai Dongzhe couldn¡¯t help but think odd thoughts. The event just turned into a staring contest as both didn¡¯t seem like they were going to utter another word. Yan Zaizen, for his own reasons. Bai Dongzhe, cause he was a little scared.


    This continued for a full minute before Ying Sumian decisively broke the silence. ¡°Young Hero, what he means is, currently we have someone who''s injured, as you can see and wanted to see if you have anything which can help the situation. If not, we¡¯re still indebted to you.¡± Her words exhibited her well-trained mind and adeptness towards the situation. Her voice was like a refreshing spring.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Looking at the pale youth once more, then seeing the poisoned wound on his calf, he couldn¡¯t help but come to a sudden realization that he was surrounded by poisonous things he wasn¡¯t equipped to handle. This scared him a little, urging him to want to leave as soon as possible.


    ¡°Should we...amputate?¡± He hesitatingly suggested. In truth, he didn¡¯t know much about poisons and only the very basic of wound treatment. Typically, that involved the usage of Qi, but his cultivation was below even this youth. What could he do?


    Hearing his words, Bai Dongzhe¡¯s expression fell considerably. Was he truly going to become a cripple to live? Bai Wangzhe had stayed silent during this entire event, continuing to funnel Qi into his brother¡¯s body relentlessly to repress the poison, and even he started to look pale from exhaustion. However, his expression also fell when he heard Yan Zaizen''s suggestion.


    ¡°I see, thank you Young Hero, but we¡¯ll try to find another way.¡± Ying Sumian said, obviously taking Bai Dongzhe¡¯s feelings into account.


    Originally, Yan Zaizen wanted to take his leave immediately, but now he felt somewhat guilty. He didn¡¯t know why, but he felt like there was a way for him to help this young man, but he just couldn¡¯t think of it. It was like an itch at the back of the head that he just couldn''t scratch.


    Lowering his head, he started concentrating his full mental faculties. He sat and started ruminating on what he could do.


    Seeing this, Ying Sumian once more decisively gave an order. ¡°I¡¯ll reset the formations that were broken by the Katori. Xing Xuehan and Su Fengyan, dismantle the Cerulean Python for materials and store the excess in the spatial bag. Afterward, we¡¯ll focus on the Katori.¡± Her words woke up everyone. She excluded the Bai Brothers because of their predicament and walked to the perimeter to once more repair the formation.


    Xing Xuehan wanted to object, thinking they shouldn¡¯t be resting and just leave. What if another Katori comes along? However, she looked at the sitting Yan Zaizen and her heart calmed. As long as he was here, they were safe. Su Fengyan also looked towards Yan Zaizen, but her expression was filled with a strange glint.


    The practiced movement of a hunter team in dismantling a disaster beasts assets was shown in full at this moment. It only took them twenty minutes before the Cerulean Snake¡¯s important bits ¡ª eyes, gallbladder, venom sack, and fangs ¡ª were removed without damaging the corpse. If Yan Zaizen saw this, he¡¯d be genuinely surprised. Later, the corpse and contents were stored in their spatial bag which Ying Sumian had previously given them.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After an hour, Ying Sumian came back, with a slightly wary expression. Setting up formations twice in a brief period of time was rather draining even to an Essence Formation cultivator like herself. Her eyes looked towards Yan Zaizen, and realizing he hasn¡¯t moved from his spot while mumbling some words to himself, she left him alone to help with the Katori corpse.


    The Katori corpse was even harder to dismantle, and it had too many important pieces. After realizing they didn¡¯t have the strength to take damage the head, they gave up and stored the entire body into the spatial bag, and begun to rest.


    Xing Xuehan sat near Yan Zaizen. Her gaze from time to time moving towards him and away like a shy girl in high school. Yan Zaizen may not be incredibly handsome, but he had what many handsome men did not have - strength. To someone like her, attraction towards Yan Zaizen was amplified because of this. A girl like her, in a dangerous forest like this, simply wants to feel safe. Yan Zaizen provided this transparent sense of safety. Not to mention, it¡¯s not like he doesn¡¯t have any good features. That vibrant amber eyes and his youthful look was quite charming in its own right.


    It was nearing night time, several hours had passed since Yan Zaizen¡¯s arrival, but he still remained in thought. Until¡­


    ¡°I got it!¡± It was a eureka moment for Yan Zaizen. ¡°I have the Unyielding Flame of Life. If I used this with my Qi to target the poisoned area of his leg, it might help. Flames burn things, right?¡± He wasn¡¯t completely sure on if it was possible, but it was the only thing hours of contemplation left him with. He was even thinking of injecting Bai Dongzhe with his blood and hoping his Herculean Physique could produce a miracle.


    His exclamation attracted the attention of the others, especially Xing Xuehan who was right next to him. Walking towards Bai Dongzhe, he ignored the confused gazes of everyone and placed his hand on the poisoned area of his leg. Seeing this, Bai Dongzhe and Bai Wangzhe were startled. Bai Wangzhe almost attacked Yan Zaizen thinking he was going to amputate his brother¡¯s leg, but thinking about his weakness and Yan Zaizen¡¯s strength, he gave up. He knew what needed to be done, and if someone strong did it, then his brother would live.


    Maybe Bai Dongzhe would hate Yan Zaizen for life instead of him. That would be a preferable end.


    Not even considering Bai Wangzhe¡¯s thoughts, Yan Zaizen funneled his Qi into the wound. Using his enhanced spiritual sense, he could feel in an unusually accurate representation of Bai Dongzhe¡¯s body. He could even see his organs, all of them. Setting aside his disgust, he concentrated. His peak initial-Qi Revolving Realm Qi started to swim through his body. It surrounded all the poisoned area, causing Bai Dongzhe to wince and howl in pain.


    Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t very adept at using his Qi into another body, so he caused damage as a result. It was like a knife searing through you from the inside, so his nightmarish screams were expected.


    The others looked onwards. Said nothing, each of their expressions solemn. However, Su Fengyan looked a little worried.


    After wrapping up all of the poisoned parts of the leg, he ignited the conceptual world law: Unyielding Flame of Life! His Qi as the medium augmenting it, it exploded violently inside the leg. The leg glowed bright and appeared to be surrounded by a vibrant white flame.


    Yan Zaizen was right about one thing and wrong about another.


    He was right that the Law of Life could counteract the law of poison, as poison is typically related towards degrading life or affecting it. Therefore, it works both ways. Life Qi can degrade poison and affect it. He was wrong in that the Unyielding Flame of Life burns. It does not. It doesn¡¯t emit heat either. The concept of a flame is to consume and thrive and to emit a form of unique energy.


    A few examples being frost flame, which consumes heat and emits frost.


    Yin Flame consumes soul energy but emits burning emissions that affect only the soul.


    Unyielding Flame of Life consumes the essence of the world as well as the energy of its creator but emits pure lifeforce energy.


    His understanding as he observed the flame degrade the poison rapidly with powerful lifeforce energy made his own understanding of the flame to be enhanced. He felt that he¡¯d already touched upon a boundary of the next level - Force-level Concept.


    Possessing a strong soul typically meant one¡¯s perception of the laws were clearer, but one¡¯s comprehension was dependant on the individual. An individual who had a Perfect Nascent Soul could perceive the same thing Yan Zaizen saw, but that didn¡¯t mean they would touch upon the concept of force relating to their law.


    The lifeforce energy only took a minute before the poison was completely eradicated, and the remnant energy surged into Bai Dongzhe, causing his originally pale face to grow remarkably healthier. It healed all the damage Yan Zaizen had caused with his untrained intrusion.


    ¡°I¡¯m helping! I¡¯m helping!¡± An excited grin emerged on his face, his eyes bright. Even though the Qi consumption was a little much, since he started with a full tank, he was left with more than half. Not to mention, he felt like this little white flamewas getting closer to him on a spiritual level, and that felt brilliant.


    However, when he looked around, Ying Sumian, Su Fengyan, and Xing Xuehan were wide-eyed and in disbelief.


    ¡°L-life laws?¡± Ying Sumian stuttered. Her usually calm appearance was completely thrown away as her mouth gaped in shock, and her eyes as wide as an egg.

 Chapter 20 - Siphoning Shadow of Death

    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t truly grasp the significance of a world law in the cultivation world, especially the significance of the life laws. So when he witnessed the reactions of everyone around him, he felt out of place and uncomfortable, but also a little bit of pride welled up in him.


    ¡°A world law?!¡± Xing Xuehan shouted. Her gaze towards Yan Zaizen that previously held shallow affection turned incredibly deep almost instantly. At this moment, from her eyes, Yan Zaizen felt that if he wanted to ask her to have his babies, she¡¯d volunteer and kill all other up-and-comers. It wasn¡¯t just Xing Xuehan, but Su Fengyan¡¯s eyes were also not too far off, as if she was looking at a treasure from the heavens.


    Clearing his throat, he got up and calmly brushed himself off. He took on a heroic expression, this time a little less awkward, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment. His actions had a casual feel to it as if using a world law was nothing special. Just another Tuesday morning.


    Ying Sumian tried to calm the raging waves in her heart. Yan Zaizen may not recognize the importance of a World Law, especially the life law, but she did. They all did.


    In this world, there were the three laws: Mortal, World, and Imperial. Each with their own significance, but what people don¡¯t realize is that out of the entire population of Presba, which ranges in the ten billion in number, the percentage of cultivators numbering about ninety-percent of that, and yet less than one-percent comprehend a Mortal Law. That was less than ninety million out of nine billion cultivators!


    Even then, Mortal Laws were divided even further into their own grades and level of difficulty in terms of perception, from weak ones to strong. Additionally, the majority of that number comprehend weak Mortal Laws. The amount that comprehend World-grade laws?


    Less than 0.1% of the individuals who comprehend laws.


    A grand total of about ninety thousand.


    Ninety Thousand Cultivators out of Nine Billion!


    Going further, the amount that would comprehend the strong laws such as life, space, or yin would amount to less than a hundred in the entire country. As for Imperial Laws? Don¡¯t even think of it, none since Presba¡¯s establishment as a country.


    Clearing his throat, Yan Zaizen looked at Bai Dongzhe¡¯s healthy expression and gave himself a mental job well done. ¡°Do you know the direction of the nearest place with people?¡± He asked, ignoring their shocked expressions. After much thought, he realized that walking without focus wasn¡¯t smart and should simply ask for directions. That way, he¡¯d avoid getting lost as well.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...You don¡¯t know?¡± He asked, seeing no one respond.


    Xing Xuehan was the first one to speak, ¡°Y-yes! We know. We¡¯re going there after we rest. Considering we currently have enough materials. Right, Ying Sumian?¡± Her voice was a little hurried.


    ¡°Ahem, yes. After daybreak, we¡¯ll take our leave. We can accompany you there if you wish.¡± She gathered her bearings and calmly said.


    Hearing this, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up in excitement. He never even considered having a guide. Since they were experienced hunters, they should know all of the safe locations and ways to exit this forest. He also needed to find someway to unload these beast cores, and they should be experienced in that as well. His Qi cultivation was just a little too low at the moment, and he needed to seize his hand on some resources for his cultivation. The only thing he had in his bag was beast cores. All the essence liquid he received from Lin Feilin had long since been depleted.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He agreed, walking over to where he was thinking, sat back down, and started to ruminate over that feeling he had with the white flame earlier. It seems that when his comprehension on the driving force of the unyielding white flame reached a certain point, it would evolve. Thinking up to here, he couldn¡¯t help but wonder about the inky black wood. It wasn¡¯t only the lifeforce the wood had, but something remarkably similar to death.


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    The rest just gazed at him silently with a hint of solemnness. Each with their own thoughts.


    Yan Zaizen sent his spiritual sense into the ring. Since he comprehended the white flame¡¯s life laws perhaps he could comprehend the inky black wood¡¯s death laws as well. After some thought, he approached the inky black wood. Unfortunately, the death laws were currently in the cycle phase where it was incredibly weak. The small white flame dazzled brilliantly while consuming the essence of the wood.


    ¡°The flame is at its highest. When life reaches an extreme, it plunges to death. When death reaches its extreme, it gives birth to life.¡± He thought. The wood never disappears, but the white flame does, or perhaps the white flame goes into a state of hibernation in which he couldn¡¯t sense it. Regardless, there are times where he can¡¯t sense a hint of life on the inky black wood, such as when he first saw it.


    He waited patiently. It didn¡¯t take long before the white flame¡¯s cycle reached its zenith. The inky black wood seemed to have been waiting for its moment, as it started to get stronger, siphoning off the strength from the white flame. The flame consumes the aura of death to produce life, but the wood siphons off the flame¡¯s life to produce death.


    He kept on gaining further and further insights into the essence of their interaction. Unlike before, he didn¡¯t enter a state of enlightenment. Instead, he felt abnormally aware. It was as if he had already comprehended the inky black wood¡¯s death laws, but simply incapable of grabbing it. What he didn¡¯t realize, was that life and death laws naturally conflicted. Normally, they wouldn¡¯t be able to exist together but only are created when the other is at its end. Therefore, when he had grabbed a hold of the life law from before, the death law was right next to it, but gradually faded due to his choice.


    His connection to the death law was exceptionally faint, to the point where he could only feel an inkling of its existence.


    However, ignorance and persistent curiosity can sometimes lead to extraordinary things. The first fire lit. The first wheel rolled. The first fish taking its first steps on the shore.


    He didn¡¯t give up, in fact, he tried even harder. The cycle of life and death of the inky black wood and unyielding white flame continued for one hundred and eight times. A flash of golden light revealed itself in his soul, slightly reminiscent of the heavens.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes turned misty.


    His aura fluctuated as he once more entered a state of rare enlightenment.


    ¡°The white flame is persistent and unyielding, only when it reaches its end, does it perish. The wood is all present and looming, it can not be fully burned by the flame, and reclaims what''s been taken by the flame.¡± The words he once spoke during his comprehension of the unyielding white flame before was repeated. This time, however, more was added. ¡°Death siphons life. Death can only exist where life is, it feeds off, it grows from, and it stays immortal because...as long as life exists, so does it.¡±


    A flash of deep black color surged into his originally amber pupils. The others were resting and therefore didn¡¯t detect the brilliance of his state. Even Xing Xuehan who slept right next to him, with a blanket over her body, didn¡¯t sense a single thing as it was beyond her comprehension.


    A slight grin appeared on his face as he returned back to that space where he felt all the laws were near, yet incredibly far. He saw the vibrant white flame that refused to yield to any and all, and a black wooden orb slowly rotating around it, as if waiting for it an opportunity to strike. Always present and always looming about.


    ¡°The Siphoning Shadow of Death.¡± He opened his left hand, revealing a perfectly circular black orb. He opened his right hand, revealing an unyielding white flame.


    I¡¯m Yan Zaizen, one World Law? Pssh. I can comprehend two.


    Yan Zaizen had no idea that what he just did, balancing two opposing world laws in one soul, was unprecedented in the entire realm.

 Chapter 21 - A Scheme?

    ¡°Someone¡¯s breached the formation!¡± Ying Sumain shouted, alerting the others. Yan Zaizen was the first one to respond, as he wasn¡¯t asleep, and he immediately rose. His brows furrowed as his spiritual sense circulated in the surroundings. With his acute spiritual sense, he could observe the presence of a group of eight men standing behind a transparent film of Qi.


    ¡°The formation?¡±


    It seems the formation that Ying Sumian set up was a Qi barrier. It was likely connected to something which is why she realized there were individuals attempting to breach the formation. However, what surprised him was that there was a youth, about twenty years of age, was kneeling as he sent out Qi symbols into the air. A formation slowly took form.


    ¡°A formation specialist?¡± He muttered. However, when Ying Sumian and the rest heard his muttering, their expressions turned pale. ¡°They have a formation specialist with them?¡± Ying Sumain asked, her voice clearly filled with panic. Yan Zaizen only slightly nodded in response.


    ¡°Did they place a barrier?¡± She asked, this time her voice was filled with urgency.


    Place a barrier? Did she mean her barrier?


    Seeing his confusion Ying Sumian clarified, ¡°I didn¡¯t set up a barrier. I set up a repulsion field!¡±


    Hearing this, he was shocked. No wonder he didn¡¯t sense any barrier when he entered earlier. However, there was a light feeling of resistance, but since he was chasing after the Katori, there was little time to consider such a weak feeling. He nodded once more in confirmation. Ying Sumian¡¯s expression dropped immediately.


    Normally, that repulsion field would keep rank two beasts out, not rank three, and definitely not someone with Yan Zaizen¡¯s extremely strong mortal body.


    ¡°Shit! We need to escape!¡± Bai Wangzhe yelled. However, Ying Sumian didn¡¯t move. She looked upwards, her eyes flashing with a radiant light. She was using an internal-class perception-based Qi Art unique to formation specialists. It was like her eyes were stars in the night sky. Her expression that didn¡¯t seem like it could drop further turned dull. One could tell this Qi Art drained her considerably, and probably the situation itself.


    ¡°It¡¯s a World Entrapment Barrier. A rank four formation.¡± Her voice solemn. The others all revealed pale expressions on their faces, except two people. No one was noticing, but Yan Zaizen released his spiritual sense outwards scanning the area. This charming young girl, Su Fengyan, was eyeing him with worry. However, it didn¡¯t feel like she was anxious about his safety or his willingness to protect her, but seemed like she worried about him being here.


    He didn¡¯t get much time to think about it before laughter filled with haughtiness and ill-intentions resounded. They all focused their attention towards its origin. Eight men, dressed in full hunter gear, appeared with one ahead of the rest. His aura was brilliant, revealing the strength of a late-Essence Formation cultivator. The rest were within the Essence Formation, but a mixture of initial and mid.


    The leader of this group of men was exceptionally handsome, seemed to be about 24-25 years of age had auburn hair, muscular physique, and a brilliantly white smile. His radiant eyes looked towards the group, sensing their cultivation levels, and couldn¡¯t help but laugh once more.


    ¡°Brilliant. Little Sister, you truly are extraordinary! You always know how to pick¡¯em.¡± His words confused group, but Yan Zaizen looked towards Su Fengyan who still stared at him with an uneasiness in her eyes. She executed a movement-based Qi Art, completely catching the rest in shock, and appeared beside the handsome young man.


    When one looked close, they truly had similar features such as their hair color and good-looks.


    ¡°Su Fengyan?!¡± Xing Xuehan felt completely shocked and blindsided by events. She just couldn¡¯t comprehend what was happening.


    ¡°I see.¡± Ying Sumien¡¯s expression was solemn, yet contained a sort of calm. ¡°You planned this from the beginning, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Su Fengyan remained quiet, looking at Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°Haha! Fools, of course we did. Why risk our lives fighting these beasts when we can simply let you idiots do the work. Hahaha!¡± The young man, named Su Shinyan, couldn¡¯t help but be jubilant. Sending his sister to scout out hunters, form a group, then have them hunt for months gaining spoil after spoils then taking themwas a hell of a lot better than them risking their lives.


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    ¡°However,¡± A sly, sinister smile appeared on his face. ¡°If you¡¯re willing to please my brothers for a while, perhaps we can let you off, and grant you something for your efforts.¡± His words caused the others in his entourage to laugh. However, the formation specialist youth among them remained quiet.


    ¡°Mister, if you leave, we can offer you a great share of our profits.¡± Su Fengyan offered. This caused the laughter of the group to fall silent, each of them looked at Su Fengyan in bewilderment. From what they recalled, this charming girl was an incredibly vicious and greedy rose, and she wouldn¡¯t even let a dog flee if it meant a penny in hand for its death. Yet, here she was, proposing a deal to someone to share their profits.


    Su Shinyan¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked towards this sister of his, and then at Yan Zaizen. It was a fairly skinny youth with an aura at the Initial-Qi Revolving Realm. He was inconsequential. However, unlike some brainless individuals, he was far shrewder in thinking. Observing his sister¡¯s expression and words, he turned to Yan Zaizen and assumed he had a great status. Her unwillingness to offend him lead to her proposal.


    ¡°Sir, may I know your name?¡± He asked politely, obviously taking this seriously. The rest of the group, including Ying Sumian¡¯s, looked towards Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°Haha, my name?¡± He asked with a hint of playfulness, not an ounce of fear in his heart. ¡°Han Zaiji.¡± Deciding that since the Yan Family were allied with the Soaring Cloud Sect, it¡¯d be too risky to announce his true name to others, so he took the clan and family name of his master - Han Genji.


    Hearing this, everyone came up with a blank.


    Han Clan?


    Ji Family?


    Never heard of it!


    ¡°If I asked you to leave, would you do so?¡± Yan Zaizen said with a slight smile. In truth, he didn¡¯t care much about these people, but they were going to be his guide. He even wanted to fight, his eyes filled with battle intent.


    However, his words made silence fall. Su Shinyan¡¯s eyes turned fierce, and he looked towards Su Fengyan. Was this guy really as much of a threat as she assumes? But what happened next surprised him greatly.


    ¡°If we can have the Katori corpse, we¡¯ll leave immediately.¡± Su Fengyan decisively stated.


    Katori?


    A Katori corpse?


    The group of men was in shock. A Katori was a rank three beast, and one that rivaled a peak-mid Essence Formation Cultivator, but what more, it was wood-attributed giving it a home-field advantage. If they were to try to hunt one, they may suffer some loses, and it may even escape. Yet, there was a corpse here?


    Yan Zaizen was surprised at her decisiveness but nevertheless maintained his smile.


    ¡°And if I say no?¡±


    ¡°Then, just the Cerulean Python corpse.¡± She negotiated.


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then-¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    He wanted to fight, but he wasn¡¯t one to fight and kill just because. However, if they made the first move or displayed killing intent, he would be absolutely vicious. He was also unwilling to give anything to these bandits, those who betray the people who trusted them were scum, and those who took advantage of that trust to reap lives were worse. Determining his stance on the matter, Su Fengyan¡¯s expression fell, but she wasn¡¯t a fool.


    ¡°Brother, since Mister Han refuses. Let us leave.¡± She looked towards her brother, her eyes filled with resolve and pleading. To her, Yan Zaizen was someone who could kill a Katori with one blow, someone who possessed a mysterious background and comprehended an upper-world law. No matter what, she didn¡¯t wish for today to be the day she dies. The attitude and intent in Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were clear.


    Want it? Let¡¯s fight!


    However, her brother wasn¡¯t as willing. He shouted, ¡°What are you talking about? You planned this, and...if we kill him, then whoever is behind him won¡¯t matter. The dead tell no tales.¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up, and his fists clenched. ¡°I¡¯ll give you three seconds,¡± he said, his body filling up with powerful vital energy and lifeforce. Hearing those words, the others were incensed. They looked like bulls who saw red, waiting for the gates to open to smash Yan Zaizen to bits.


    ¡°Three¡­¡±


    ¡°Two¡­¡±


    ¡°One¡­¡±

 Chapter 22 - Shock and Awe

    ¡°You dare threaten us?!¡± Su Shinyan yelled in heart-palpitating fury. His fury was so tremendous, that his eyes gleamed with killing intent as he stared at Yan Zaizen. The others apart and Ying Sumian¡¯s hunter group shuddered at the sight of those eyes. The killing intent of a late-Essence Formation cultivator was not to be underestimated.


    He pointed towards Yan Zaizen and shouted, ¡°Men, kill hi-¡±


    He was interrupted by Su Fengyan, upon grasping the situation, turned immediately around and ran away urging her full Qi capabilities. This action caused everyone, including Yan Zaizen, to be in complete disbelief and utter shock.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Su Shinyan was bewildered, and his originally handsome face looked absolutely lost and ugly as it was mixed with surprise and burning fury. He turned to witness his sister already a bit away, continuing to urge her movement art to its maximum, and he felt like with each step she took her mastery of the art increased.


    ¡°...¡±


    Everyone was stunned speechless.


    ¡°S-sis...sister?!¡± It took him a second before he could gather his bearings and shouted towards her direction.


    ¡°Run!¡± Was her only response, her voice filled with urgency.


    They turned to look towards Yan Zaizen once more. However, all they saw was him with a slight smile on his face.


    ¡°Zero.¡±


    Hearing this, the group of men, including the quiet formation specialist, expression changed. The formation specialist was the most decisive out of the bunch, retrieving and shattering a small light-green pearl in his fist. His entire body was enveloped by surging wind Qi, and he vanished from everyone¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°An escape talisman?!¡± One of the men who were closest to the youth, couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. However, it was the last thing he said in this life.


    A shadow appeared in front of him, a slim hand reached out as if it just broke through space and shot for his throat. The man was at the initial-Essence Formation, therefore had good instincts and reaction, but the speed was far too quick for his senses.


    Yan Zaizen grasped the man¡¯s throat in his hand and mercilessly crushed.


    CRUNCH!


    The man¡¯s neck exploded in a mess of flesh and blood. His eyes were wide in disbelief, and his head leaned sideways, no longer having the support of his spine. Yan Zaizen¡¯s robe was coated in blood, and his eyes revealed a fierce battle intent that could not be hidden.


    In truth, Yan Zaizen always had a merciless and fearless streak. When he saw Han Genji murder those Soaring Cloud Experts, he wassimply shocked and horrified at the fact it was done in such a clean and concise way. He was no soft marshmallow. He knew that in the cultivation world one must kill or be killed, and cultivation was filled with nine parts death and one part life. Fights were as common as the clouds, and clans were decimated daily.


    If you don¡¯t have the ability to fight, then you¡¯ll die.


    However, he was never strong enough.


    Now, he was.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t pause for a second, his eyes revealing his intention to kill. He bolted towards another initial-Essence Formation cultivator within the group. He knew that if he was surrounded or allowed them to set up some sort of formation, it¡¯ll likely be an incredibly difficult fight from then on.


    Su Shinyan¡¯s eyes shrunk. The death of his ally was surprising to him, but he was an experienced hunter, and thus his reaction rebound was rather fast. ¡°Set up Hexagonal-Cross Formation!¡± He ordered. He roared as his body exploded with lightning-Qi, looking like a lightning god descending from the heavens, he pulled out a bright yellow saber and executed a profound movement art.


    It was Yan Zaizen¡¯s turn for his eyes to shrink. Su Shinyan¡¯s explosion caused him to pause from surprise. An aura-based art? He could feel his muscles and body feeling numb, and despite the lightning-Qi not actually coming into contact with him, he could feel its stinging sensation.


    Su Shinyan¡¯s robust body appeared right in front of Yan Zaizen¡¯s path, intercepting almost instantly.


    Such speed?! Yan Zaizen shock grew, however, he didn¡¯t dare allow himself to continue his pause. The aura Qi-Art of Su Shinyan was making his body feel number with each passing micro-second, and he couldn¡¯t let this continue. His eyes filled with an unusually icy-cold light. No longer holding back, he exerted his full strength, punching towards Su Shinyan with everything he had. The wind sheared from its path, and howling whistled, his fist almost instantly appeared before Su Shinyan.


    Frightened, Su Shinyan saw that the fist contained power he couldn¡¯t dodge, but didn¡¯t retreat. Instead, he urged the full force of his armor, weapon, and Qi in unison. ¡°Lightning Ruination!¡± He thundered, the lightning glow in his saber exploded outwards to meet this incredible fist.


    BOOM!!!


    They collided. An explosion so deafening that the world went silent afterward resounded. Su Shinyan was sent flying, his armor shattered, his saber destroyed, and his hands a mangled mess. Like a kite with a broken string, he was propelled far into the forest and disappeared. His life and death unknown.


    Yan Zaizen, however, was sent back a few dozen meters away. His fist was dripping with some blood and surrounded by remnant lightning-Qi, but he was relatively fine. Inwardly shocked by his explosive power, he couldn¡¯t help but think to himself if his assumption on his previous strength was off.


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    This delay of the collision, however, was sufficient enough for the group of well-trained hunters to execute the Hexagonal-Cross Formation. They each held a vibrantly glowing stone filled with wonderous energies, whilst standing in a small-shaped hexagon. The one facing Yan Zaizen, a mid-Essence Formation cultivator was the leader, while the rest acted as support and stood behind.


    The Hexagonal-Cross Formation was a rank three unified formation that allows the leader to draw upon the Qi of the rest to execute attacks that are several times more powerful than normal.


    ¡°Time to die!¡± The mid-Essence Formation cultivator declared.


    Yan Zaizen snorted coldly at his declaration and started to focus his soul energy.


    A formation was insidiously difficult to deal with, and unless broken, he¡¯ll be in for one hell of a fight. The leader of this group had the Qi of five other Essence Formation cultivators funneling into him, enhancing his abilities, and making his aura rise to something between peak-Essence Formation and initial-Qi Unification - Half-step Qi Unification. This level of strength exceeded Su Shinyan¡¯s by quite a bit.


    With this, he decided to take a risk. He didn¡¯t know if it¡¯ll work in any degree, but if it did, this would make the fight so much easier.


    ¡°Pneuma Disruption!¡± He shouted inwardly, his charged soul energy shot towards the leader of the group with an imperceptible speed. Soul Arts were incredibly powerful because of their incredible speeds that even Origin Core Realm Cultivators couldn''t dodge, and unless one had cultivation into the soul, it¡¯ll be incredibly difficult to deal with without prior preparations or a strong cultivation base.


    The soul energy reached the leader in a blink, his eyes almost instantly turned absent-minded. Almost immediately, he lost control of the formation, and the other five were subsequently expelled due to the chaos. Each of them coughed blood and displayed a hint of weakness. When the formation backfired, everyone involved suffered a disastrous and unified fate.


    Yan Zaizen underestimated his soul strength. Even though the Soul Art he used couldn¡¯t even be considered at the stage of Initial Success, the foundation of it was pretty much understood. Invade your opponent''s soul, wreak havoc. His soul cultivation was at the Perfect Nascent Soul while his opponent didn¡¯t possess any.


    He couldn¡¯t even defend against this reckless assault of Yan Zaizen.


    His soul fire was bombarded and snuffed out in a second, immediately sentencing him to a comatose state of death. His body may live for a short while, but he was undeniably dead.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t let his excitement at this discovery cover his initial goal - eradication!


    His body propelled forward to reach an initial-Essence Formation cultivator, his fist whirled and smashed upon his chest. His chest cavity caved in. His body flew and smashed directly into a nearby tree, only stopping after the violent collision that left the tree snapped in two.


    He didn¡¯t stop for a second, continuing with this ferocious momentum.


    His right leg kicked out with explosive force, smashing against the cranium of a mid-Essence Formation, inducing a soul-rendering scream followed by a bloody explosion. The bone fragments, blood, and brain matter sprayed on another cultivator. The sudden impact sent him on his butt, and Yan Zaizen did not leave this display of carelessness unexploited.


    A short dash and a roaring fist to the head later left the man without a life.


    A hellish scream echoed, as one of the members realized the circumstance and turned tail. His attempts to run didn¡¯t escape Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes and appeared directly behind him, his slightly skinny hands were placed on the man¡¯s head. Seeing Yan Zaizen¡¯s hands appear, one on his mouth and another on the back of his head so suddenly, he wanted to say something.


    SNAP!


    A twist of his wrists turned the man¡¯s head a complete 360¡ã.


    The other two were dealt with quickly enough, incapable of running. It may have been long to describe, but the entire set of events from Su Fengyan¡¯s escape to the last two¡¯s deathsonly took less than a minute. Yan Zaizen demonstrated his natural killer instincts as a cultivator, truly merciless, but considering the hunter group intentions, they should¡¯ve known that this could happen.


    He looked towards Su Shinyan¡¯s direction but realized he was gone. Even his spiritual sense couldn¡¯t locate him.


    ¡°Cold-blooded.¡± Yan Zaizen remarked. Leaving his teammates to die and runoff. However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t chase. He felt too lazy to do so. However, he wasn¡¯t too lazy to perform the age-old tradition oftakings his spoils of war. He looted every one of their bodies, and even their cracked armors were taken.


    Looking at his gains, he couldn¡¯t help but smile with a little bit of happiness. Most of this came from the fact that he now possessed a spatial bag! Before, he had to fashion a bag out of skin and scales, but now he could just store everything. A large reason for his actions had to do with obtaining these bags.


    Unfortunately, the Meteor Ring still didn¡¯t allow him to take things away or store things into it. If it did, he wouldn¡¯t even be in his situation of having too many things and nowhere to store it. A soft sigh resounded as he remembered how there was a treasure on his finger that he had no access to.


    He turned to witness the startled expression of Ying Sumian¡¯s group. Realizing the rank four entrapment barrier disappeared with the formation youth, he felt relieved. With a slight smile and a chuckle he suggested, ¡°We should leave.¡±


    He genuinely wanted to get back home.

 Chapter 23 - Xuanwu City

    After a little bit of cleaning up, Yan Zaizen sat down and pondered. Currently, his mortal body and body cultivation were incredibly powerful. However, the method in the Immortal Herculean Method states the minimum level of strength could rival a peak-QiRevolving cultivator. At first, he thought since it stated the minimum and not maximum, his strength could reach the Essence Formation, but then the battle occurred.


    Su Shinyan, a late-Essence Formation Cultivator fully equipped with ranked weaponry and armor, lost in a one-on-one direct clash with just his fist alone. This level of character could easily be an upper-rank Elder of the Yan Clan but to him, it was a little too puny. It could be that Su Shinyan was a book cover without contents, but it seemed unlikely due to his occupation.


    He checked and double-checked his level of success into the Nascent Herculean Physique, but it retained signs of being wholly within the initial-success stage. So it just made things more confusing.


    He was almost certain his physical body could rival an initial-Qi Unification cultivator in combat.


    Looking at his bleeding fist and the deep cut left on it by Su Shinyan¡¯s saber, he couldn¡¯t help but contemplate. A surge of Qi whirled around his fist, a trace of the Unyielding Flame of Life brought forth, and the wound started to heal at visible speeds. It only took two minutes before the wound healed completely. With widened eyes, he looked in disbelief. However, thinking about it, he quickly calmed down.


    His conceptual law of life, the Unyielding Flame of Life, was at the Perfect Nascent-level -- touching upon the Force-level. Not to mention, it embodied the essence of lifeforce. It makes sense, even with his weak cultivation, that he could heal a wound this minor so quickly.


    Could that be it?


    Perhaps the conceptual law of life strengthened his body considerably. He believed this line of thinking for a second, before shaking his head. Even if a world law was so miraculous, the Unyielding Flame of Life¡¯s enhancing effect versus the amount of time since it was conceptualized was too short for this level of increase. Otherwise, he could immediately reach the Origin Core Realm in strength within a year. That didn¡¯t seem likely.


    It had to be something else.


    After thinking of all possible avenues, he could only assume that the Immortal Herculean Method was wrong in its description or its guess was considerably undervalued. He could only shake his head and put it at the back of his mind for the moment.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± He asked carelessly.


    Ying Sumian looked towards this slightly skinny yet absolutely frightening youth and could only say in response, ¡°Young Hero, when you¡¯re ready, we¡¯re ready.¡± Her words pretty much coincided with what Yan Zaizen wanted. His eyes lit up with excitement and nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready. Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ---------------------------------------------------------------------


    The journey was quite smooth. Using his powerful spiritual sense, he avoided any dangerous areas, and for those he wasn¡¯t sure about, he¡¯d inform the others and they¡¯d deliberate and decide their path. This made the travel easy, and for beasts that were unfortunate to cross their paths, they lost their lives with their cores. This was almost easy money, and after Yan Zaizen learned of the prices for the beast cores of Basilisk Forest, his eyes lit up with greed.


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    A rank one beast core, around the initial/mid-Qi Revolving Realm, was worth about 3-5 drops of low-grade liquid essence. A rank two beast core, around the late/peak-Qi Revolving Realm, was worth about 10-15 drop of low-grade liquid essence. A rank three beast core, around the initial/mid-Essence Formation Realm, was worth about 1 drop of mid-grade liquid essence. A drop of mid-grade liquid essence had the same value as 100 drops of low-grade liquid essence. Not only was it purer than low-grade essence, it was far more effective in the conversion to Qi, in alchemy, armament creation, or even refining one¡¯s foundation.


    Therefore, he had a vast amount of wealth with his current load, and he didn¡¯t mind having more.


    They traveled day and night, soon several weeks passed by. At this point, Yan Zaizen was quite familiar with the others in the squad, and even a form of camaraderie was being established. From young, Yan Zaizen never really had friends, except when his parents were still alive.


    At least, he didn¡¯t have real friends.


    The moment misfortune hit, they skedaddled faster than a hare seeing a wild dog.


    He didn¡¯t know if the others were like this, albeit he assumed they were, it still felt nice to have some form of friendly company. Especially in a forest where nearly everything was poisonous and wouldn¡¯t mind eating you, dissolving you in their stomach acid, and release you as waste after getting all they need from you.


    Finally, after their several weeks of travel, they reached their destination: Xuanwu City.


    Xuanwu City was the largest city established in the Basilisk Forest and is considered safe haven by all hunters of the forest. Its rules were strict and consequence swift, but what truly gives the city clout was the owners and regulators ¡ª Earthly Titan Sect. It was one of the top five sects in the entire country, with cultivators at the Origin Core Realm, giving it immense power and influence. Anyone who dares goes against it, would be the same as an ant going against a behemoth. No way of survival.


    Yan Zaizen found this to be interesting, especially learning that amongst the five sects, the Earthly Titan Sect had the most unorthodox method - Body Cultivation. A majority of their members excel in cultivating their bodies, and they possessed some of the greatest martial arts of the country. However, body cultivation requires firm wills and deep pockets, typically, and therefore they make a ton of profit from external sources, like the Xuanwu City.


    As he approached the city in the middle of the Basilisk Forest, he was absolutely surprised. It had walls as high as one hundred meters high, completely made of black metal, and towers situated at the top radiating with energy. They were defensive means against any beast horde that may strike. The trees were completely cleared away, and he didn¡¯t see a single one in sight. This gave him some relief, considering the dangers of the forest like traps, poison, among other things.


    The place was incredibly lively. Some hunters were seeking refuge and safety within its walls to recuperate after a fierce struggle, others were bringing in their trophies of victory, and others were getting ready to start their hopeful venture into the forest for harvest. Cultivators ranged from many levels, but many were in groups at the Qi Revolving Realm with a leader or two at the Essence Formation Realm.


    This was Yan Zaizen¡¯s first time seeing so many people dressed in a myriad of different armors and organizations. It was like an entirely new world to him.


    Spreading his spiritual sense outwards, he turned towards a direction. Seeing who was there, his eyes widened as he said with shock, ¡°You¡¯re here?!¡±

 Chapter 24 - Meeting Again

    ¡°Brother Zai, is there something wrong?¡± A tender feminine voice said beside Yan Zaizen. Yan Zaizen was brought back from his shock as he turned to his side to see Xing Xuehan. This woman was quite interesting. It¡¯s been several weeks since they¡¯re joined travel, and at every opportunity, she¡¯d try to establish closer relations with Yan Zaizen. She even looked prettier than she did before as before, she obviously didn¡¯t care about her appearance, but now she did.


    The gestures she made displayed her feminine side, and her willingness was subtle yet enough for Yan Zaizen to know of her intentions. He could be absolutely certain that this point that this woman here didn¡¯t even care if he decided to take her forcibly tomorrow and if anything, she would probably wish for it to get closer to him. Her actions were quite refreshing to Yan Zaizen. He couldn¡¯t help but wish that Ya Qinqan was so enamored with him like this Xing Xuehan.


    ¡°Nothing. Just saw someone from my past.¡± He replied, his eyes turning back to a group of individuals outside of the gate. They seemed to be waiting for something before going out to venture outside. The group had three females and about ten males. Despite them each having different forms of attire, they all had in common a symbol of a white shadow silhouette of a fiend. One of the females was exceptionally cold and exuding an aura of indifferent. It was as if the world itself didn¡¯t matter to her, and the only thing that could even catch a glimpse of her interest was only the heavens itself.


    Xing Xuehan, in her curiousness of Yan Zaizen¡¯s affairs, followed his eyes and saw the group. She thought for a second and spoke, ¡°Those are members of the Vanishing Fiend Sect.¡± Her words gave Yan Zaizen a start.


    The Vanishing Fiend Sect was one of the top five sects of Presba, but it was considered the weakest out of the five. Due to a massive civil war that took place between two internal factions, it had immense changes. Despite all of that, it still holds the title of one of the top five sects, and barely anyone would argue on this. That was because, in comparison to those second-rate sects, those at the top could send one member of their upper-echelon and flatten all life in those sects. The difference was that great.


    ¡°Why is Lin Feilin apart of the Vanishing Fiend Sect?¡± He muttered to himself. This icy-cold Senior Sister of his abandoned him within a poisonous forest and left to handle her own business. It seems that business related to joining the Vanishing Fiend Sect.


    However, when he thought about it, it made sense. From what he recalled, the Vanishing Fiend Sect was allied loosely with the Earthly Titan Sect, but they weren¡¯t in direct opposition to the Soaring Cloud Sect. Staying inside the Vanishing Fiend Sect for cultivation would be far easier than dealing with the constant pressure of war inside the Earthly Titan Sect.


    But one question still remained, how did she join so quickly?


    He had no doubt that Lin Feilin was an exceptionally powerful cultivator, but its only been a few weeks, nearly a month since they departed from each other. Looking at it simply, he was a day behind her in his journey to Xuanwu City, but she seemed to already be established and ready to continue her cultivation path. Could it be that Han Genji left a backup plan for the Vanishing Fiend Sect like the Earthly Titan Sect, but only for Lin Feilin, or did she have a connection with them originally? Thinking up to here, he realized he still knew nothing about his two fellow disciples. Not only that, he was the Ninth Disciple of Han Genji, so where were the other Disciples?


    His questions never ceased, and he felt almost frustrated at it all. From the moment he was taken by Han Genji, he had questions. When they were transported to this place so suddenly, he had questions. Now, he sees Lin Feilin, and he still had questions.


    He decided to get some answers!


    ¡°I¡¯m going to go over to greet a friend. I¡¯ll be back.¡± He said, his steps already taking him forward. The others were shocked, especially Xing Xuehan, but hearing his serious tone, she decided to stay back with her group as to not be too noisy and annoying Yan Zaizen.


    As he approached, Lin Feilin sensed something and turned in his direction. Her originally icy-cold eyes lit up in surprise. Those males who were paying close attention to Lin Feilin¡¯s every action noted this and turned their attention towards Yan Zaizen. Seeing this initial-Qi Revolving Realm cultivator walk towards them, they were slightly surprised.


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    As he approached, a tall, pale-looking, and robust male of about 23-24 years of age walked outwards and held his hand out. ¡°Halt!¡± His words contained an authority that could not be defied. Yan Zaizen was startled and stopped subconsciously. This man had muscles that seemed like it was forged from metal, and his stature was incredible. Even Yan Zaizen could only reach his shoulders in height. His cultivation was extraordinary as well, possessing the strength of at the peak mid-Essence Formation. However, his more interesting point was the vital energies emitted from those robust muscles. Yan Zaizen assumed that his body was weaker than his by a considerable amount, but still stronger than the majority of people he¡¯s come across since now - even in his own clan.


    ¡°Do you even have the qualifications to approach?¡± He inquired domineering. The others beside him, including the women, sneered at Yan Zaizen. He had a weak, shaky Qi Foundation, and his attire was without symbol or mark. They couldn¡¯t tell the strength of his physical body, cause a Herculean Physique wasn''t something they can hope to comprehend, but they felt it wasn¡¯t anything worth anything, only being around the strength of the peak-Qi Revolving Realm.


    If Yan Zaizen knew their thoughts, he would be absolutely surprised. The main reason was that the Immortal Herculean Method stated that his vital energies would be at that level. Body cultivation is determined by one¡¯s vital energy emission, typically, the stronger it is, the stronger the body. However, Yan Zaizen¡¯s body was, unknowingly, tempered by a trace of Heavenly Annihilation Light absorbed by that mysterious black light, and therefore was far stronger due to its refining. Therefore, his vital energies were in the peak-Qi Revolving Realm, but his actual physical body was nearing the Qi Unification Realm in terms of strength.


    It was this very reason that Su Shinyan was skeptical about Yan Zaizen¡¯s threat potential, and even Su Fengyan wasn¡¯t sure but was unwilling to gamble with her life.


    Looking towards Lin Feilin, he thought for a second. With a cautious tone, ¡°I want to thank this sister here for her help earlier, it helped me greatly.¡± His words were accompanied by a smile. He thought about his words cause he didn¡¯t know if Lin Feilin were willing to let her identity be exposed, and he didn¡¯t want to expose his own.


    Seeing this, Lin Feilin¡¯s eyes lit up. The others drew their gazes towards Lin Feilin, assuming she aided him in the Basilisk Forest. However, Lin Feilin didn¡¯t care for their assumptions or gazes. She calmly said, ¡°Come. I have something I want to speak to you about.¡± Her icy-cold voice held a similar authority to the robust man from earlier.


    Yan Zaizen simply nodded in response. This is what he wanted.


    Hearing her words, some wanted to say something, but the gazes of the men who originally paid close attention to Lin Feilin revealed sharp gazes as if wanting to see if anyone would dare to object her desires. This caused the others in the group to swallow their words.


    Lin Feilin walked off towards the distance, and Yan Zaizen followed under the multitude of gazes. He wasn¡¯t particularly perturbed. These types of gazes were far less disturbing than the ones he suffered in his own clan.


    After several minutes of walking, Lin Feilin stopped at a remote corner of the forest. She turned to see Yan Zaizen quietly following her. Waving her hand, a barrier of Qi erected preventing any form of sound from escaping their upcoming conversation.


    ¡°You survived.¡± Her icy-tone still ever prevalent in her voice, one couldn¡¯t know if she was happy or sad about that fact. However, Yan Zaizen knew this icy-cold yet beautiful Senior Sister of his was far kinder than one may think. He still remembered her words and actions from before.


    ¡°Yeah, with some struggles. Haha.¡± He chuckled casually.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± She got straight to the point.


    Hearing this, Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression turned solemn. ¡°I have some questions I hope Sixth Sister can answer.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then ask.¡±

 Chapter 25 - Answers

    Finally, the time for him to learn of all the questions he was curious about could be answered at this very moment. He felt fidgety from his anticipation. Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, he looked towards Lin Feilin.


    ¡°Who is Han Genji?¡± His first question was one he had the most out of all else. Who was this master of his? He only had two meetings with him, one where he was drenched in blood, and the other where Han Genji was drenched in blood.


    ¡°Han Genji is my and your Master.¡± She said, her tone still icy-cold. She added, ¡°He was born in the Vanishing Fiend Sect¡¯s Han Clan to the Ji Family-line.¡±


    Vanishing Fiend Sect?! So it made sense that he had connections with both the Vanishing Fiend Sect and the Earthly Titan Sect so that his disciples could join either or.


    He hesitated for a while but asked with a hint of nervousness, ¡°Is he still alive?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He¡¯s been captured by the Soaring Cloud Sect and will be sentenced to death soon.¡± She stated, her voice may seem cold, but at the moment she said the word ¡®death,¡¯ he could see her lips quiver slightly. However, she composed herself quickly, not revealing anything after.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t a fool who thought he could stop the Soaring Cloud Sect¡¯s execution. If his master¡¯s allies don¡¯t appear, then it''s likely his death was all but dated. ¡°Then, what¡¯s Eighth Brother¡¯s story?¡± This was the second most important matter to him. Shin Xuanji declared the eradication of the Yan Family, but Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t know a single thing about him.


    Lin Feilin looked towards Yan Zaizen, her eyes obviously filled with a complexity. ¡°Shin Xuanji belonged to the Shin Clan, one of the Clan¡¯s directly under the Yan Clan about fifteen years ago. They, who were found guilty of treason, suffered complete annihilation by the Yan Clan.¡±


    What?!


    If Shin Xuanji¡¯s Clan was eradicated by the Yan Clan, then all of his former actions made sense. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen was no more than one year old at the time and didn¡¯t remember a single thing about those days. However, his grandfather was still the clan leader at the time, which meant that he gave the order of extermination. Considering it more, if they were charged with treason, then their eradication was warranted. He was not a soft-hearted person, and you reap what you sow.


    Traitors should be swiftly eliminated.


    Seeing Yan Zaizen¡¯s thoughts in her eyes, Lin Feilin couldn¡¯t help but slightly shake her head and only said a few more words. ¡°It¡¯s more complicated than you think and more complicated than I can explain.¡± After those words, she wouldn¡¯t answer anything about the Shin Clan¡¯s circumstances, and likely it was because she didn''t want to speculate or simply doesn¡¯t wish to say something unnecessary.


    ¡°What is Master¡¯s grudge against the Soaring Cloud Sect?¡± He remembered when he first met Han Genji, he said something about being chased about by the Soaring Cloud Sect, and that he was simply unwilling to let them leave with their lives because of it. There had to be a story behind that.


    ¡°The civil war, that occurred in the Vanishing Fiend Sect, left the Vanishing Fiend Sect weakened. However, Master was one of their prominent talents and thus a variable the enemies of the sect would love to eliminate. The Soaring Cloud Sect saw an opportunity to kill him, took it, but ended up killing his wife instead.¡± Her words were clear and explained the story thoroughly. She took a brief pause then continued, ¡°Master desired revenge. However, the weakened Vanishing Fiend Sect abandoned him. He took matters into his own hands and slaughtered countless Soaring Cloud Sect cultivators. After he broke through the Origin Core Realm, they were even more hell-bent on killing him. However, they¡¯ll probably subject him to many unique tortures before doing so.¡±


    Han Genji¡¯s story was genuinely tragic. He was talented in a weakened sect; the enemy took advantage of that, and he lost his lover. His sect abandoned him so decisively and thenleft him to his own devices. Then, he ended up being captured by those very enemies who executed his lover.


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    Yan Zaizen¡¯s fist clenched, his feelings were so complex. Should he be angry, fueled by the desire for revenge? Should he be indifferent, ignoring these matters that don¡¯t really concern him? Or something else? He just didn¡¯t know. He did know that no matter what he felt and, at this moment, he didn¡¯t have any power to decide things.


    Lin Feilin¡¯s eyes lit up. She reminded, ¡°You weren¡¯t close to Master. You have no obligation to be drawn into his death grudge for someone you barely knew. It is his true disciples'' responsibility.¡± Her words were harsh but also somewhat true.


    He softly sighed knowing she was telling the truth. Perhaps, if his cultivation reaches a point where his every word was an imperial decree, he could decide what he wanted to do. Until then, forget it.


    ¡°What about his other disciples? Where are they?¡±


    ¡°Dead.¡± She stated.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Anything else?¡± She inquired.


    He was silent, looking towards the ground in thought. Only after quite a while did he look up and asked, ¡°How do I get home?¡± His voice was filled with desire and homesickness. He wanted to go back home.


    Lin Feilin looked towards Yan Zaizen with softer eyes. Indeed, he was just a kid who was kidnapped from his home, brought to a place too far away from it, and then left there without any guidance. It wouldn¡¯t be strange if that¡¯s all he wanted. The rest of his questions were just curiosity from his experiences, but this is what he truly wanted to ask all along.


    ¡°There exists a spatial platform within Xuanxu City. If you earn enough, you can use it and be sent to the Zhu QueCity. It¡¯s a city situated near the Soaring Cloud Territory. From there, it shouldn¡¯t take you more than a few months to reach the Yan Clan.¡± Her words obviously displayed her knowledge of the Yan Clan¡¯s location and methods of travel.


    ¡°Truly?!¡± Yan Zaizen, for the first time in a long while, he was overjoyed. He felt like a lost dog that got the scent of its owner once more. He could finally return home!


    ¡°However, you¡¯ll have to wait eight months.¡± She said, bringing him back to reality.


    ¡°What?! Why?!¡± His words were filled with agitation. Why eight months?


    ¡°The platform only operates one time out of the year, the next time would be in eight months.¡± She stated. However, she added, ¡°If you wanted to leave the Basilisk Forest, it¡¯ll take you about that long with your cultivation and that¡¯s considering you can escape alive. However, after that, you¡¯ll still be thousands of li away. It¡¯ll take you years with your cultivation, even if you travel day and night.¡±


    He knew she was telling the truth. Perhaps if he was just traveling in a straight line, it would be better, but he couldn¡¯t. There would be areas he must pass, detours he had to take, and not to mention the variety of other things that can go wrong on a trip.


    ¡°Fine. Eight months it is.¡± He wasn¡¯t that dejected. Considering the time span of travel between the Zhu QueCity and Meteorite City, it wouldn¡¯t take more than a month or two.


    During this time, he could focus on cultivation and maybe go about hunting for some wealth. If he¡¯s going to go back to his clan, he may as well do it with filled pockets!

 Chapter 26 - Entering the City

    After asking a few more questions that lifted up the hazy fog he felt he was in, he left Lin Feilin and returned back to his original group. They awaited his return very diligently. When they saw him stride back over, they each revealed their own unique expressions. The Bai Brother¡¯s had smiles on their faces, filled with gratefulness and relief. It seemed they assumed that Yan Zaizen may leave and join the group comprised of Vanishing Fiend Disciples. Ying Sumian had a calm expression, but her eyes contained an unusual glint that was very hard to read. While Xing Xuehan had a wide-smile and took the initiative to walk over and greeted him on his return.


    ¡°Shall we enter the city?¡± He asked, looking at the giant gate comprised of black steel. He couldn¡¯t help but notice the walls once more, and marvel its craftsmanship. They even had etchings of a turtle with a serpent for a tail with a ferocious expression that seemed remarkably lifelike. From his knowledge, this was the depiction of a legendary Xuanwu. However, from his understanding, the Xuanwu was a divine beast, not a disaster beast.


    Divine Beasts all had the strength that was at the minimum at the True Cloud Realm, a realm beyond the Origin Core. This level of strength could be considered the very peak for a country such as Presba, but to divine beasts, they were all born at this level. He wished that one day he could see a real Xuanwu beast in the flesh.


    They approached the gates and paid the fee for entry. Regardless of what faction you belonged to, you had to pay a monthly membership at the least to gain entrance to the city. Luckily, it wasn¡¯t too expensive. This would have to constantly be renewed if you wished to stay within the city, and even if you decide to reside in the city for just a day, you still had to pay for the full month. Thus, many hunters would exploit full advantage of their month-long membership.


    With the wealth he obtained from those hunters, he paid his way rather easily. The others were already prepared and experienced and thus had yearly memberships paid already. They just showed their badge and entered.


    The inside of the city was magnificent. The streets were wide, the crowd varied from the weak to strong, and there were so many colorful venues out there. He learned that the city actually had their own natives, and the natives would earn money by acting as guides amongst hunting parties. He also learned that Su Fengyan was one of the natives who joined their party under the guise of traveling. They met misfortune after misfortune, which was actually normal for hunting parties, but in hindsight, it may have been Su Fengyan¡¯s way of whittling down their group - which she accomplished.


    ¡°Where do we sell our harvest?¡± Yan Zaizen asked no one in particular, looking about like a tourist. Ever so often, his eyes would shine with a light of fascination.


    ¡°If you want the best and fairest of prices, you can go to Great Serpentine Emporium.¡± Ying Sumian answered promptly. Explaining further, ¡°The Great Serpentine Emporium is owned and run by the Earthly Titan Sect. They are the largest and most profitable exchange within the entire Xuanxu City. However, to enter, you must either have a high enough cultivation or proof of wealth.¡±


    ¡°Proof of wealth?¡± Yan Zaizen questioned curiously.


    ¡°Yes. You must be able to produce a rank three beast core, display a certain amount of liquid essence or have a reputation. As for cultivation, you need to have at least the initial-Essence Formation cultivation base.¡± Ying Sumian¡¯s knowledge was broad, especially pertaining to requirements. Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but take a look at this bespectacled woman. Many of his questions from the past few weeks have been answered by her in a perfect manner each and every time.


    Seeing him look her way, Ying Sumian just slightly smiled in response. Yan Zaizen kept feeling this girl wasn¡¯t simple, at least her intelligence wasn¡¯t low. ¡°So let¡¯s go there.¡± He suggested. The rest nodded. It seemed like they were his entourage, going where he goes, waiting where he waits and doing what he does. He was never this popular before but he could get used to this feeling.


    As they proceeded on the way, Yan Zaizen realized that the number of factions in the city was extraordinary. Many first-rate, second-rate, and third-rate sects had bases here, except the Water Veil Sect and Soaring Cloud Sect. However, that was only expected considering their standings with each other. Even the Solitary Sword Sect had members here. Each and every one of them had extraordinary auras and cultivation bases. They truly earned their right of being called the number one sect in the entire Presba, undisputed.


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    ¡°The Solitary Sword Sect is located quite far from here, but they temper a few of their talents in the Basilisk Forest. Each disciple of the Solitary Sword Sect has extraordinary battle prowess and foundation. There¡¯s a saying in the Basilisk Forest: ¡®Never fight a Solitary Sword Cultivator with the same cultivation, regardless of the numerical advantage¡¯.¡± Ying Sumian listed off some things she knew seeing Yan Zaizen curiosity.


    He was startled by the saying. Wouldn¡¯t that mean that the Solitary Sword Sect was undefeatable at the same level of cultivation? Is that even possible?


    Truly, the world was filled with all sorts of things.


    The Great Serpentine Emporium was stellar in both size and appearance. It was shaped like a palace covered in the same black metal used to build the gates, and a giant snake similar to the tail of a Xuanwu was surrounding it. It demonstrated an aura of immensity and ferocity that one felt to their core. He couldn¡¯t help but gulp in surprise. Even the Yan Clan, a second-rate clan, couldn¡¯t be measured up in ferociousness to this single palace.


    The door guard looked towards Yan Zaizen¡¯s group with calm eyes as they approached. Yan Zaizen looked towards this scrawny old man with narrowed eyes. He may just be positioned as a door guard, but his cultivation alone was at the Qi Unification Realm, likely initial or mid. With his keen spiritual sense, he could easily deduce this man¡¯s cultivation regardless of how he tried to hide it.


    ¡°Greetings, Senior.¡± He politely said while clasping his hands, not underestimating this man. The others in Yan Zaizen group, especially Xing Xuehan, was surprised by his actions. It must be understood that this doorman¡¯s cultivation was masked, making it seem like his cultivation was only at the peak-Qi Revolving Realm. Therefore, many would be disrespectful and only go through the formalities with the man to gain entry. Even the man was surprised by Yan Zaizen straightforward greeting, but he regained his calm appearance after some thought.


    ¡°Present your badge or proof for entry,¡± he stated curtly.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t find his tone rude but simply tapped his spatial bag to reveal the rank three Katori core. The door guard was unable to keep his calm expression any longer, looking at Yan Zaizen, he seemed to be an ordinary cultivator with a shaky Qi foundation and a firm Body cultivation, but nothing too impressive. As for his Soul Cultivation, the man couldn¡¯t see through it like Han Genji could. It wasn¡¯t the matter of cultivation difference, but simply that Yan Zaizen knew how to control the emissions of his spiritual sense now and thus wasn¡¯t so easily seen through unless you were at the Origin Core Realm.


    Analyzing the core for a second, ¡°Will you be selling?¡±


    ¡°Yes, senior.¡± He responded again, not skipping on the politeness.


    The door guard looked at Yan Zaizen with narrowed eyes, then looked towards the people around him then asked, ¡°They will be your guests?¡± Yan Zaizen nodded in response. The door guard wasted no more time, tapping his spatial bag to reveal a token of entry and tossed it towards Yan Zaizen rather rudely. Yan Zaizen simply caught it and thanked him in response. However, the others in the group felt this door guard was being too full of himself and wanted to put him in his place, but considering where they were, they didn¡¯t.


    They simply proceeded inside the emporium.


    After they passed, the door guard couldn¡¯t help but look at Yan Zaizen. ¡°This boy, even after my rude action, he remained calm, and there wasn¡¯t an ounce of hatred in his heart. Yet, the others that follow him couldn¡¯t hold back and even wanted to defend him. His politeness wasn¡¯t fake either.¡± He thought further on the matter and smiled.


    Interesting.

 Chapter 27 - Long-Awaited Breakthrough

    As they entered the shop, Ying Sumian informed Yan Zaizen of each aspect of it. ¡°The Great Serpentine Emporium is known for selling a variety of different needs for cultivators like us, especially when we venture out into the Basilisk Forest. There¡¯s a section for pills, elixirs, armaments, talismans, maps, formation crystals and materials. The materials are raw things such as beast cores, herbs for alchemy, or minerals for armament creation. The things you sell will likely end up there.¡± She explained. She pointed out each section which she referred to in a timely manner, letting not only Yan Zaizen, but the others in the group, become well-educated in regards to the emporium.


    Yan Zaizen was inwardly startled.


    Did they sell so much?


    ¡°The Emporium is divided into three floor-levels. The first level, the one we¡¯re currently in, sells the most common of goods. They would typically have most rank one and two pills, formation crystals, talismans and low-grade earth-rank armaments,¡± she clarified. ¡°The second level has rank three items and mid-grade earth-rank armaments. The third level has rank four items and custom armament you can order.¡±


    Yan Zaizen was awed by this place. Before, in the Yan Clan, he had never entered a place like this. Everything was given to him, and he didn¡¯t have to work for anything. Even if he was given a low-position in the clan, he was still the Clan Leader¡¯s grandson. As for armaments? He was never given one. Members of the clan needed to display a certain level of mastery in specific arts before being granted one, and his display of arts was embarrassing, to say the least.


    He recalled Su Shinyan armaments. He possessed lightning armor and saber, and it was a large reason he wasn¡¯t killed by his punch. Even still, he was severely wounded. If Yan Zaizen had an armament that could enhance his strength, even a low-grade earth-rank one, he was sure he could¡¯ve killed him with a single punch.


    A beautiful woman with a slight smile appeared before Yan Zaizen, ¡°Greetings, Sir. Do you need anything?¡± Yan Zaizen and even the others in the group were inwardly shocked. For one, this person had the emporium¡¯s logo on her attire, which indicates her status as a member of the emporium. However, what shocked them wasn¡¯t her being apart of this place, but coming to greet them specifically. One must know that even Essence Formation Cultivators are left to their own devices to navigate the emporium, but an employee came specifically to ask if they required help.


    The others couldn¡¯t help but glance towards Yan Zaizen, feeling that his status and background grew more mysterious and extraordinary. However, after some thought, it didn¡¯t seem odd. A battle prowess nearing the Qi Unification Realm, comprehended a world law, and he was extraordinarily young. This indicated that his status was exceptional somehow, but they didn¡¯t know how.


    Ignoring their whimsical thoughts, even Yan Zaizen felt odd. He knew his status was equivalent to mud, and his outward cultivation was worth less than that in this sort of place. Nonetheless, he was still approached.


    ¡°Y-Yes, I would like to sell some things.¡± He said hesitantly. He wasn¡¯t well versed in being a high-tier guest, besides in his dreams. The beautiful woman simply smiled at his nervousness but continued with the utmost professionalism.


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    ¡°Then please, come this way.¡± She walked towards the stairs. This had shocked everyone yet again, and many couldn¡¯t help but feel like their hearts couldn¡¯t handle the many surprises coming from all directions. Still, with some initial hesitation, they followed. They immediately bypassed the first level and second level, reaching the third level.


    It was oddly minimalistic. In comparison to the glamorous first level or even grander second level, the third level had very few notable areas of brilliance. There were only nine doors, a few chairs and tables for waiting, and some artistic paintings on the wall. It was almost too simplistic. The other rooms had people walking around, a multitude of diverse shops set up by different people, and some even used aggressive tactics to lure their customers in. Such as beautiful women or giving out exceptional deals.


    This place had none of that.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they were brought before a door. ¡°Please, only one person.¡± Her voice was melodious and gentle with a slight tinge of pleading for forgiveness.


    Yan Zaizen nodded, giving the others a glance, and accompanying her through the door. When he entered the room, it felt like he entered an entirely different world. The essence of the air was incredibly thick, giving all cultivators of Qi a sensation of comfort, and filled with a soothing scent of incense. There was a chair, but it was composed of crystallized essence. A chair made up of crystal essence!!! A single low-grade crystal essence was worth ten drops of high-grade liquid essence. If one converted that into low-grade liquid essence, that would be equivalent to one million drops!!!


    Looking at this chair closely, he realized that the chair was made up of unrefined crystallized essence. If the entire chair was refined to purity, it would probably be equivalent to one low-grade crystal essence. Despite that, it was nevertheless an astronomical display of wealth. He obtained one drop of low-grade essence a month, yet one million essence drops were being used as a chair. Only high-level Qi Unification cultivators or higher could afford such a raw display of wealth.


    ¡°Please, sit.¡± The employee gestured, and then left. Leaving no other instructions.


    Feeling a little lost, he decided to sit down. The moment he did, he felt a wave of essence surge into his body, causing all of his meridians to feel stimulated and energized. He could feel his Qi flow proceeding faster than normal and siphoning off the essence from the chair into it like a greedy wolf. He was in absolute bliss and released odd moaning sounds from time to time. It took only one hour before his cyclone in his dantian expanded filled with Qi. An explosive sound resounded in his body, and he could feel his cultivation elevate to new heights.


    ¡°Mid-Qi Revolving Realm!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but exclaim. He could even feel his shaky foundation get solidified a little, making his Qi pathways wider, his meridians stronger, and his dantian filled to the brim with energy.


    He hadn¡¯t felt a breakthrough like this for years. Which makes sense, because his last Qi breakthrough was nearly eight years ago - when he had broken through the Qi Revolving Realm.


    ¡°Are you enjoying yourself?" A voice inquired.


    What?!


    He was startled to the point where he shot out of the chair, his eyes looked around anxiously as if he was caught doing something bad. However, almost instinctively, he sat back down for that sweet sensation once more. An old man appeared in front of him with an amiable smile on his face. His attire informed one that he was an upper-echelon member of the emporium.


    Shocked, he couldn¡¯t help but say, ¡°Wait...you?!¡±

 Chapter 28 - Anima Syndicate

    Zaizen was surprised.old man in front of him was the door guard from earlier, the one who, despite his profound cultivation base, was acting as a servant to the emporium.different from their earlier encounter.


    like a senior expert praising a junior.like they should respect , trust , and allow  in.He continued, introducing himself, ¡°My name¡¯s Wu Yuanxu, if  ,  can call me Elder Brother Yuan. His smile was filled with , but Yan  couldn¡¯t help but feel this old man was a little bit .He was likely hundreds of years in age, but  wanted to be called Elder Brother?


    Zaizen¡¯s thoughts, Wu Yuanxu cleared his throat.


    Anyhow, you came ?¡±


    Zaizen came to his senses.old man¡¯s hobbies, at least he seemed to have good intentions, so any business transaction should go smoothly.spatial bag, he passed it to Wu Yuanxu.receiving the bag, Wu  simply sent his Qi into it to  its contents.deliberation, ¡°twelve drops of mid-grade liquid essence for all.


    Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but blurt out.drops of  were equivalent to 1,200  of low-grade  .Katori beast  was worth just one  of  and its  another, but  didn¡¯t have the  and only the .took the  and  of the beasts  collected during his weeks of travel to the Xuanwu city,  didn¡¯t believe  made more than five  of .old man stated over twice that amount to sell.


    Yuanxu heartily laughed at Yan Zaizen¡¯s response.Zaizen question in regards to price.sold, the price of the things would be over double its  rate, sometimes even triple.


    Yuanxu nodded, retrieved a twelve tiny bottles from his  ring.Zaizen wasn¡¯t courteous, immediately depositing the bottles into his  bag.This amount of wealth will  him to smoothly  the  Revolving Realm in a short period of time.


    Yuanxu asked suddenly.


    Zaiji. He answered after some .was odd that know.deliberation,  decided to use this pseudonym of his.


    real name.¡±


    Zaizen eyes penciled.who knew his name was fake, or even   was except Lin Feilin.he was from the Yan Clan, while in enemy territory, it¡¯s likely ¡¯ll be captured and swiftly dealt with.He got up, readying himself for action.old man said next shocked him to his core.


    you¡¯re of the Yan Clan, allied to the Soaring Cloud Sect and who Han Genji is to .¡±Zaizen felt naked, all of his secrets exposed, and it was beyond uncomfortable.


    Wu Yuanxu obviously tried to comfort Yan Zaizen, but it didn¡¯t work.Zaizen was now ready more than ever to take his departure at the first opportunity.However, he added, ¡°The soul jade you possess is something I personally gave to Han Genji.


    Zaizen felt at this moment.was in his  , and one usually can¡¯t see the contents of a  .did  I¡¯m from the Yan Clan?¡±


    Yuanxu  face only revealed a soft smile and said, ¡°I¡¯m old.


    Yuanxu was familiar with the  Clan¡¯s  features, then it¡¯s entirely possible  recognized him based on his  appearance, after all,  was someone from the .However,  had a  suspicion that what  said wasn¡¯t the truth.he could force him to tell the truth, so  just stayed silent.


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    you killed were without a single wound, in perfect condition.You were even capable of seeing through my cultivation. He explained patiently.He didn¡¯t seem to be in a rush, as if  didn¡¯t notice Yan Zaizen¡¯s primed preparations.So, you must be the disciple Han Genji mentioned, the one who possessed an Advanced Nascent Soul but without a method.¡±


    Genji  the soul jade from the Xuanwu City - from Wu Yuanxu.it would take years to get here from the Eight Calamity Mountain, but to someone at the Origin Core Realm,  would probably  less than a week.


    want?¡±Zaizen felt like all this had a purpose.Perhaps this  wanted the soul jade back or something else from Yan Zaizen.


    Yuanxu pulled out a  from his  and held it in his palms.medallion was made of fine silver, it had the mark of a cyan , very similar to a Templar , but the ends were rounded and the center had a golden glimmering dot.medallion to Yan Zaizen, ¡°To join the Anima Syndicate.


    Catching the  in his hands, Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but be inwardly shocked.medallion felt like  had no weight to him, but he could tell by how  was thrown  was incredibly heavy.Yuanxu, ¡°Anima Syndicate?


    His words held a profound sense of pride and obsession. ¡°have at least that,¡± he paused, his eyes looking at the medallion in Yan Zaizen¡¯s hands, ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have been able to lift the Anima Medallion.


    He didn¡¯t know what to say, especially when  heard its an organization that  the four countries which  the continent and spans the entire realm.mean?It means ¡¯s an organization that was far larger than  top rated  in Presba or  of the other countries on the continent.


    Yuanxu chuckled and nodded.However, Yan Zaizen wouldn¡¯t make any reckless decision.He may not have the smartest mind, but  also understood the concept of  every decision you make.get?¡±he had his priorities.


    allow you to enter any of our bases in the entire realm.cultivate safely.However,  won¡¯t be able to rely on the organization to deal with your enemies. He paused for in , ¡°You¡¯ll be able to purchase unique resources that  help  propel your soul cultivation, of course, that¡¯ll be if   afford it.You¡¯ll receive a soul cultivation method.You already have our arts, so that  be considered a taste.


    detriments?¡±


    you please, and we won¡¯t  your death if  do die.you¡¯re apart of the Syndicate won¡¯t save .is that join  , and swear  allegiances  want.you¡¯ll be able to accept    and decline   .you¡¯ll probably have a difficult time to accept due to the rewards drawing all members. He laughed at his words.force  to  , but the  rewards were so great that there would be many others willing to  the opportunity if  do not.


    So, what do  say?¡±

 Chapter 29 - Spirit Matrix Method

    Yan Zaizen was alone in the third level room, sitting firmly on the essence chair, and his gaze honed onto the two objects in his hand.


    In his left, a soul jade was given to him by Wu Yuanxu. It contained a Soul Cultivation Method ¡ª Spirit Matrix Method ¡ª which contains an essence circulation method for cultivation, a detailed information about the characteristics and dividers of soul cultivation, and a method to formulate one¡¯s soul form. At first, Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t sure about what the latter meant, but after having it explained he was enlightened. The reason his soul was a thin, squiggly line was because there was no method being used to mold it into a proper shape. Now, he obtained one.


    In his right, the Anima Syndicate Medallion. This Medallion could only be held by those who possessed soul cultivation, and it acts as proof of his membership. He learned the golden dot determined his standing in the Syndicate. Currently, he was at the lowest standing - Anima Initiate. Above Anima Initiate was Anima Lieutenant and Anima Commander. One can only rise in rankings by performing missions, but by doing so, you¡¯ll be given priority on future missions and have a few other benefits when entering the headquarters spread throughout the realm.


    It wasn¡¯t just that. The Anima Syndicate Medallion even had a map, one that covers in detail the entire realm. When Yan Zaizen looked at the contents, he felt his spirit leave his body in shock. He knew there were four countries on this continent, but what he didn¡¯t know was that there were three continents in this realm. Unlike normally, a continent was like a celestial body, a planet, but on each planet was just one large area called a continent. This is why they¡¯re called continents, and the Medallion was essentially a star map.


    There were also millions of islands scattered around each and every planet. The number of lives in a single realm couldn¡¯t even be determined by the trillions. This made him recognize the meaning of living as a frog in a well.


    ¡°...the world truly is endless.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in resignation at his ignorance. It¡¯s likely the many people of this continent will die without ever knowing there were other continents or millions of islands scattered everywhere. Some might not even know that there was more than one country, now that he thought about it. Not everyone had the luxury of being educated by a large clan like him.


    He stayed in the chair for another hour, reading the soul jade¡¯s contents, and absorbing the essence in the chair. However, the beautiful woman from earlier entered and escorted him out, leaving him pouting in indignation. If he could stay in that chair for several days, he felt that reaching the peak-Qi Revolving Realm would be an absolute certainty. Unfortunately, there were barely any such good things in the world.


    Even his decision to join the Anima Syndicate wasn¡¯t entirely good. Besides safety at specific locations, cultivation method regarding the soul and soul arts, there wasn¡¯t much. That may seem like a lot, but you get no protection from their name, you have to compete with other members, and even other members can slay you if you offend them. The environment was tough and competitive, but after learning more about soul cultivation, he wasn¡¯t surprised.


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    Soul cultivation can only be advanced using soul essence, enlightenment, and extremely rare and unique methods. Progression of your level was much easier than breaking through a level. That required enlightenment and good fortune. A lot of enlightenment and good fortune.


    The method described Nascent Level as the gateway to the soul, and a majority of the races could not even reach this point of soul cultivation. However, even an Initial Nascent Soul could allow you to be as strong as an Essence Formation Realm. While one¡¯s comprehensive soul combat strength related to the myriad of arts they learn and to what degree. An Advanced Nascent Soul rivaled a Qi Unification, and a Perfect Nascent Soul rivaled the Origin Core Realm.


    ¡°This means...my soul cultivation progressed to the point it can rival an Origin Core?!¡± When Yan Zaizen first learned of it, this was his reaction. He didn¡¯t even know how. His progression coincided with the development of his conceptual law, but from what he read, this only helps soul development a little and is nothing but support. He was completely clueless as to how his level of soul cultivation risen so greatly.


    This was absolutely ridiculous.


    He utilized the described methods in the Spirit Matrix Method to test if he truly had a Perfect Nascent Soul, and he truly did. To his surprise, he realized it was unlikely that Wu Yuanxu knew.


    ¡°He probably thought I was only at the Advanced Nascent Soul...just like Han Genji told him.¡±


    When he asked Wu Yuanxu about his level, he informed him that he was in the Advanced Nascent Soul, close to the Perfect Nascent Soul. This meant his soul cultivation was greater than a monster that was hundreds of years old!


    How?!


    He had a headache thinking about it. He felt like the crucial parts of his life was just sheared away. Leading to this point, where he can¡¯t even recall why he was so impressive. Now he understood why Han Genji wanted to snatch him to be his disciple, he had the soul cultivation that could rival a Qi Unification Cultivator at the age of sixteen!


    However, now he had the cultivation that could rival an Origin Core Cultivator at the age of sixteen!!


    While walking out of the door, he looked towards the Meteor Ring on his finger. This ordinarily looking ring that descended from the sky could be the only reason. It must¡¯ve awakened his soul, and when he developed her Herculean Physique, it had to have done something to advance my soul cultivation once more.


    ¡°You beautiful, perfect, awe-inspiring, and majestic ring is absolutely amazing!¡± He complimented, kissing the ring on his finger in gratitude.


    Little did Yan Zaizen know, the Meteor Ring had absolutely nothing with his advancement.


    When he got out and didn¡¯t see Ying Sumian¡¯s group, he questioned the beautiful lady, and only to reveal that they had to take off and left him a message saying they were reporting to their guild. He didn¡¯t even know they had a guild, but if they were apart of it, then fine. He¡¯ll just find some place to rest for the night. He had a lot of cultivation to do.

 Chapter 30 - Three Months

    After purchasing lodging in Xuanwu City and paying the year-round residency membership, Yan Zaizen was ready to cultivate. The last time decided to cultivate this diligently was because he was kidnapped and had literally nothing else to do. Luckily, he was given a study supply of cultivation resources from Lin Feilin during that time. However, a majority of it was to help with his injuries from cultivating the Immortal Herculean Method, but now he was focusing elsewhere.


    Firstly, the Spirit Matrix Method was a priority. He had to develop his own soul form. Secondly, the three souls arts in the soul jade. Lastly, Qi Cultivation. This was his itinerary for his next cultivation session.


    ¡°In eight months, I¡¯ll take the spatial platform to Zhu Que City, then go back home.¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but feel everything he discovered was surreal. According to soul cultivation, he had the strength that exceeded his own grandfather. It would be quite awkward returning home.


    ¡°Would he just immediately declare me as the successor of the Clan Leader on the spot?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle loudly at this thought. It¡¯s always been a dream of his to be the Clan Leader of the Yan Clan, and now it may just become a reality. Thus, he needed to cultivate to turn that raw, untapped strength into something he can properly use.


    After one month, besides gaining initial success in the three soul arts ¡ª Pneuma Disruption Soul Art, Anima Shield Soul Art, and Source Sonar Soul Art ¡ª his Qi cultivation rose quickly from the mid-Qi Revolving Realm to the peak. The mid-grade liquid essence was extraordinary in covering up his lacking foundation and rising his cultivation. It only required ten drops to do so, and he still had two left for further cultivation.


    He still couldn¡¯t formulate his own soul form, leaving him with just a thin, squiggly line. It wasn¡¯t ideal, but he recognized the difficulty to construct one¡¯s soul form was exceptional. Therefore, he didn¡¯t get impatient. He had time, eight months to be exact.


    Another month passed.


    Using the other two drops of mid-grade liquid essence, he was capable of ascending to the half-step of Essence Formation Realm. His dantian produced Qi-Essence, and albeit it wasn¡¯t enough to fill his body, it filled up about two percent. When he condenses his Qi into Qi-Essence and has five percent of his body filled, he¡¯ll have officially advanced to the initial-Essence Formation Realm.


    Qi-Essence was exceptionally difficult to condense, but it was purer and more powerful than normal Qi, and thus establishes a significant difference between Qi Revolving and Essence Formation. If one had abundant amounts of liquid essence, it wouldn¡¯t be too difficult to continue condensing Qi-Essence, but he lacked any more wealth. Therefore, his Qi Cultivation had to progress at a slow pace until then.


    He didn¡¯t progress in developing his soul form or progressing the mastery of his soul arts. His soul arts proficiency increased in usage and control, but it wasn¡¯t enough to signify an upgrade in mastery. The higher the mastery of an art, as well as its grade, determine the effects when used. Excluding cultivation level, of course.


    Another month flashed by.


    ¡°It took me three months.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh in relief.


    He finally developed his soul form!


    Its form was in the shape of himself, a splitting image, except cyan in color with a black dot at its glabella. When he tried interacting with this dot, it didn¡¯t do anything, as if sleeping. He didn¡¯t know what it was, but he felt it was exceptional. He had a gut feeling that if his soul cultivation reached a certain point, this black dot would reveal its mysteries.


    Moving around in the vast area of the Meteor Ring was far easier, and he could even perceive more inside. It was like his soul cultivation lost its raw feeling, it was easier to control, contain and distribute. Even his spiritual sense underwent an advancement; he could sense ten times the range from before. Before, his spiritual sense could reach about three hundred meters, but now he could sense up to three thousand! The clarity of it all became heightened as well, from the shape of grass, the vibrations of the ground from the stomping of people, to even the lifeforce aura individuals emitted.


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    He could observe it all.


    The strength of the Soul Arts rose explosively. He felt as if before he was wielding a stick with a pointy edge, and now he was using a metallic spear.


    Now, he could change his cultivation goals, and focus on the Immortal Herculean Method. He didn¡¯t know why his body was refined to such an extraordinary state, but if it was the Method, then he wanted to rise his body cultivation as quickly as possible.


    He could see himself in the future. A soul of an immortal, the body of an immortal, and the Qi cultivation that could rival the heavens. Regardless of how unlikely that can occur, he felt amazing just imagining it.


    ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡±


    KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!


    A set of panic knocks resounded at his door. His mood went sour seeing how the knocks were so loud and annoying. Begrudgingly, he got up to answer the door. The moment he did, he saw a petite, bespectacled woman with reddened eyes at his door. His eyes widened in shock.


    Ying Sumian?!


    ¡°Lord Zai, please help me!¡± She pleaded with a sense of urgency and desperation. He could tell she¡¯s been crying. He couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at her. Originally, she always called him by the title of Young Hero, and he loved it, but being called Lord made him feel giddy. He couldn¡¯t describe the happiness in his heart, but that also made him feel a little guilty looking at Ying Sumian¡¯s crying expression.


    Composing himself enough to ask, ¡°With?¡±


    He tried to sound like a powerful cultivator who could swipe all worries with just a word, or hold the skies. His back was straighter, and his eyes glowed with radiance.


    ¡°My family needs help...if they don¡¯t get it...I fear¡­¡± Her tone was filled with despair. It seems the Ying Clan was having troubles, wherever they were, but why would she come asking him for help? Sure, he displayed extraordinary prowess before, but it couldn''t hold the sky and move the heavens level of prowess.


    ¡°What help can I provide?¡± His expression turned solemn. He wasn¡¯t sure if he could offer help, and if he couldn¡¯t then what?


    ¡°I can explain on the way. We must hurry!¡± She urged, obviously not wanting to reveal anything if he wouldn¡¯t help. If he declined, then she¡¯d likely try a different avenue or a different person. He had a peculiar feeling as if he was following along some sort of contrived plot.


    ¡°Where?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°Sky Titan City!¡± She exclaimed.


    What?!


    Sky Titan City was right near the Earthly Titan Sect and was its capital in the entire territory. Why would her family be located there? What help can he give there?!


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± His voice trailing off, he was going to decline to help her. There was no reason to accept such a plot. Sure, he and Ying Sumian were close, but it seemed like this request may very well be life-threatening. He contemplated an excuse, and his eyes lit up when he came up with a perfectly reasonable one.


    ¡°It¡¯s too far. I have to take the Spatial Platform in Five Months. I won¡¯t make it back in time.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but nod inwardly at his excuse. It was a legitimate one. He wasn¡¯t someone who would drop everything and help every damsel in distress. Hell, he didn¡¯t even really help her last time.


    ¡°I have a Skyship! We can make it the Sky Titan City in a few weeks, and return the same!¡± She urgently explained, completely destroying his excuse. However, he was astonished. A Skyship was an armament that could sail through the skies at exceptional speed, and since it traveled through the sky, you can avoid many obstacles in your path or attempted robberies that would otherwise take place on the ground. It was exceptionally expensive, and even with his twelve mid-grade essence drops, he still couldn¡¯t afford one - he wasn''t even remotely close.


    Despite being impressed, he still wasn¡¯t going to accept. There was no reason to.


    Ying Sumian could see him contemplating another excuse, and she started to panic inwardly. She shouted, ¡°You can keep the Skyship after! I swear!¡±


    He glanced at her in shock. He looked deep into her eyes and strongly said, ¡°DEAL!¡±

 Chapter 31 - Skyship

    The skyship soared across the Basilisk Forest with little to no obstruction. A majority of the serpents and lizards of the Basilisk Forest had no flight capabilities, allowing for a safe travel.


    Ying Sumian stood quietly at the helm of the ship, her expression calm and serene. There was not the slightest trace of that desperate girl from before. Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but be suspicious about the entire situation. It could be that she was calm because he decided to help her family, but he didn''t think it was that simple. In truth, he didn''t even think it was that at all.


    However, whenever he asked her about the situation, she simply responded with vague answers and reassured him that his help was essential. At first, Yan Zaizen was incredibly skeptical, and he was even contemplating taking the Sky Ship like a bandit in daylight.


    Regrettably, Ying Sumian explained the ship could only be operated by using a special qi-art that needed to be taught. She would only pass it over to him after he helps. He investigated this over the course of their trip, and it was true.


    He couldn''t help but sigh. If it wasn''t for the sheer value of the skyship, he would never have accepted. His greed got the better of him, but whenever he looked at this beautiful skyship, his mind became calmer towards accepting the situation.


    The skyship had the appearance of a sea ship, except it had curved wings at its base and only two floors. The top floor was the deck, and the helm was located there. It had a sole ship mast near its stern, but instead of having a normal sail, it was a transparent film that had a myriad of different formations shaped in a square. It dazzled with a faint glow of faint blue light.


    The second floor had a multitude of different roams used for passengers, cultivation, or storage of cargo. Unlike normal ships, it merely required a lone person to steer the ship, as all of its components were interconnected and controlled from the helm with a unique qi-art.


    The value of this ship ranged about five to six hundred drops of mid-grade liquid essence. If translated into low-grade liquid essence, that would be over 50,000 drops! The sheer amount made Yan Zaizen salivate with greed. It was this precise reason why he agreed to Ying Sumian''s request almost instantly. It also had flight speed that rivaled Qi Unification Cultivators, and only required essence as fuel to run. Therefore, anyone could operate it regardless of one''s cultivation base.


    If he had this ship and enough essence, traveling to Meteorite City from the Basilisk Forest wouldn''t remain a dream. It wouldn''t take years; it''ll take months.


    He still harbored his doubts, however. Like how this ship was obtained by Ying Sumian, someone who had to struggle in the Basilisk Forest for money. She just kept getting more and more mysterious. Regardless, he had already agreed, and with his soul cultivation, he had a little confidence in being able to overcome any trial as long as it didn''t concern fighting an entire army.Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "How long will it take to reach Sky Titan City?" Yan Zaizen asked, his eyes staring at the shifting surroundings and thin barrier that protected the deck from rushing winds.


    "Shouldn''t take any longer than eighteen days." She responded.


    "Eighteen days, huh?" He decided to go back to his room on the bottom floor. If he had to wait eighteen days, he may as well spend it cultivation.


    His room was rather spacious, and it was completely different from any lodging he was placed in before, even in Xuanwu City. It had faint light from the myriad formations that were inlaid in it. With this, the circulation of essence was constant and made it comfortable. There was a broad, circular window which one could view to see the port side of the ship. One could see the clouds and the forest from its view.


    There was a comfortable bed that seemed to be stabilized by some formation so the slight vibrations of the ship wouldn''t disturb one''s rest. A table and chair on the side with a set of sky-fairing books located on it. There was even a map of the Earthly Titan Territory placed on the walls. It was an educating sight. Unfortunately, it didn''t have any other territory.


    He sat upon the bed, cross-legged, and started to contemplate his abilities. For a while now, he''s never really had a focus, and this lack of focus was because of his mediocrity from earlier. Now, however, he had a soul cultivation that rivaled the Origin Core Realm, but without enlightenment and fortune chances, breaking through to the next level ¡ª Aurora Soul ¡ª would be impossible.


    His Qi Cultivation has risen to the half-step Essence Formation Realm, and his qi foundation was now far more stable than before. Despite this, he possessed no means to progress besides constant condensation of his qi to qi-essence. Therefore, for both soul and qi, he was at a bottleneck he couldn''t progress with time or resources. Only his body cultivation had a chance of progression in this short period of time.


    Unfortunately, it took him a month to establish his Herculean Physique, and he knew even if he could progress it a bit, it wouldn''t reach the minor success stage in eighteen days.


    "In that case, that leaves you two." He muttered to himself, his hands clenched violently. When they opened up, it revealed a tiny white flame that shimmered with life and an orb of darkness that radiated death. They were his conceptual laws, the Unyielding Flame of Life and Siphoning Shadow of Death respectively.


    The Unyielding Flame of Life had already touched upon the force concept and reached the Perfect Nascent Stage, and its stability was unquestionable. For his Siphoning Shadow of Death, it was conceptualized about four months ago and had progressed even without him doing anything. It seems it was feeding and developing off the Unyielding Flame of Life. The situation resembled the inky black wood.


    It had already reached the Minor Success Stage, and he could feel its aura of death increased. Similar to the Unyielding Flame of Life, he could use his qi to fuel the death aura, from testing, anything that comes into contact with it would have its lifeforce aura siphoned from it. It can even take the form of a myriad of shadows, from a shadow hand to a spike. Regardless, it''s physical form wasn''t capable of interacting with objects and therefore can''t be used to lift things. However, when it comes into contact with something, the lifeforce it would have would be relentlessly siphoned, and its death aura would get stronger, further siphoning off lifeforce at a quicker rate.


    Now, he was thinking of developing a technique to better channel these two powers. While the Unyielding Flame of Life isn''t suited for offensive combat, the Siphoning Shadow of Death was. If he could devise a proper way to ensnare his opponents to death, then he wouldn''t even need to take action to slay them.


    He got to work, his mind formulating all sorts of ideas.

 Chapter 32 - Sky Titan City

    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Ying Sumian¡¯s voice resounded throughout the ship. Yan Zaizen¡¯s originally tightly shut eyes opened, revealing a dazzling brilliance. If one looked closely, they could see a grin on his lips, his left hand was a deep black color, and his right hand was a pure white. He couldn¡¯t be more excited at this point.


    Taking a step outside and onto the deck, his eyes widened in shock. He could see Sky Titan City and he couldn¡¯t help but think it was well worth its name. Unlike Xuanwu City, it had grey stone walls. But also unlike Xuanwu City, the majority of its buildings were skyscrapers! They seemed as if they could touch the sky, supporting it for the world itself.


    He was panting at the phenomenal sight.


    Never in his entire has he ever seen anything remotely close to this. The walls themselves were incredibly tall, albeit not as tall as the highest building, but it was fairly close. On the surface of the walls were etched incredibly profound formations that almost seemed like runic markings of the ancients. The markings shimmered with slight light, but he imagined when activated, they would light the entire world in its brilliance. There were four gates, each pointing in the four directions, but the gate he saw had a giant depiction of a titan holding up a celestial star - an entire planet!


    ¡°This¡­¡± He was literally stunned speechless, and more so than any time in his entire life. It was like looking at the city of Divine Titans in person. The pressure it emanated made one feel naturally inferior and frail in comparison.


    ¡°Sky Titan City is the capital of the Earthly Titan territory.¡± Ying Sumian suddenly appeared beside him, with a slight smile she explained. ¡°It can take your breath away.¡± Her eyes dazzled with an odd glint unbeknownst to Yan Zaizen. He merely nodded absentmindedly in response, agreeing with her words. He was proof of that.


    It took a long while before he recovered and he looked towards Ying Sumian. ¡°Are you going to tell me what you need help with now?¡± He inquired, his eyes releasing a strong sensation of doubt and wariness.


    She didn¡¯t seem panicked as she took a deep breath and spoke, ¡°The Ying Clan is a second-tier clan that resides in the Sky Titan City. My younger cousin is troubled and needs your help. With your talents, you may be able to remedy her issue.¡± She explained, albeit it was vague still, it remained that he could make some sense of this request.


    After thinking about it, he realized it¡¯s likely this younger cousin of hers is hurt or poisoned like Bai Dongzhe, and she needs his help to expel it with his life law. Now he understood why, despite the Ying Family being a second-tier force ¡ª equivalent to the Yan Clan ¡ª they required him. They would have Qi Unification Realm Cultivators or at least similar, but sometimes you can¡¯t always use your profound cultivation base to dissolve your issues.


    ¡°I see.¡± Yan Zaizen was actually calmer knowing this. It should be a straightforward job, and then he¡¯ll be off back to Xuanwu City and await the spatial platform.


    ¡°Oh! Does the Earthly Titan Sect have a spatial platform?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°Yes, however, you require permission from the Earthly Titan Sect to use, and wealth will have no effect.¡± She stated flatly. This threw a wrench into Yan Zaizen¡¯s plans. If the Sky Titan Sect was easily accessible like the Xuanwu City, then he could just use it to get transported to Zhu Que City. Home would just be a step away with the Skyship in hand. Unfortunately, getting permission from the Earthly Titan Sect would likely be extremely hard with no status.


    Thinking up to here, he looked at Ying Sumian. She felt his gaze and revealed a slight smile, ¡°If you do this for the Ying Clan, using the spatial platform wouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up in response.


    Good! Good! Good!


    Seems like the heavens are assisting me!


    ¡°Okay. Then let¡¯s do this.¡± He had an expression of a grand expert, as if anything he wants to do, even if the world was against him, he could do so. After some late night practice, he was getting genuinely good at making these type of expressions.


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    After several hours, they arrived at the gigantic gate of the Sky Titan City. Being up close was truly astounding. The titan seemed too lifelike as if he could touch its skin and breath its air.


    He expected entry was going to be slightly difficult, but not at all. The moment they flew towards the gate, a concentrated beam of light hit the ship nearly blinding him, but Ying Sumian was rather calm. She retrieved a badge and pointed it up at the light. The badge radiated a slight purple glimmer, and the light vanished. They were then allowed to just fly through a slight opening in the gate meant for small ships.


    He could¡¯ve sworn that while they were flying, the opening wasn¡¯t there, but it didn¡¯t seem like it had anything to cover it. It left him a little baffled.


    ¡°Only those with a titan¡¯s badge can enter. This opening is there, but it''s also not.¡± She tried to explain, but one could tell she didn¡¯t understand its mechanics either. Was it an illusion or a formation that was destroyed to create the opening, then produce material replacing what was destroyed? Could it possess spatial properties? Her explanation only made Yan Zaizen more confused and curious.


    Ying Sumian steered the skyship into the opening skillfully. When they passed and he looked back, the opening vanished as if it was never there.


    ¡°Strange¡­¡±


    The buildings were truly as grand as he expected, but he realized that besides the few skyscrapers that can be seen above the wall, a massive amount of the buildings were actually quite small. At least, they were smaller than the wall itself. For some reason, he felt a little relief. If all the buildings were as large as the wall, then he would probably lose his mind in wonder.


    ¡°How long till we reach the Ying Clan?¡± He inquired. He truly wanted to get done with this quickly.


    ¡°It¡¯ll only be a few minutes.¡± She stated while navigating through the buildings, her voice calm. However, Yan Zaizen kept getting a weird feeling. Ying Sumian didn¡¯t seem like she had ill-intentions, but it felt like she had a hidden agenda. He started to think about her earlier words a bit more carefully and felt like the vagueness could describe other situations too. However, she had no reason to act against him. So perhaps he was just overthinking it.


    It wasn¡¯t long before he finally saw the Ying Clan. The city was truly massive, and despite being called a city, it was more the size of a miniature state. Sky Titan City housed the myriad of upper-tier factions and clans in the territory, and not all of them had skyscrapers.


    The Ying Clan didn¡¯t.


    They had normal buildings, houses, and even businesses were operating out of it. It was more like a district. He learned from Ying Sumian that if he wanted to buy land on the Ying Clan¡¯s property, it was possible. He could also set up shop, or even start his own clan under the Ying Clan¡¯s protection.


    ¡°Why would I need protection in the city?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. The city was well-fortified and ruled over by the Earthly Titan Sect. Its citizens and residents should be protected to the highest degree, right?


    However, he was oh-so-wrong. The inside of the city was like a hotpot of many different forces, and therefore conflict and even wars would obviously take place. It is regulated by the Earthly Titan Sect, but only massive wars. Minor skirmishes or even killing a young master can stew conflict, but it wouldn¡¯t elicit any reaction from the Sect itself.


    Essentially, you¡¯re protected from the outside, but inside with allied forces, it''s fair game. Therefore, even executions occur or people killing a path towards a clan could occur. However, the forces had a complex system of alliances. Nothing incredible typically happens because offending a weak force may cause you to offend a stronger one leading to conflict with them instead.


    The struggle for resources and hot-blooded personalities all put into a cage. This place didn¡¯t seem as majestic as he imagined.

 Chapter 33 - Ying Clan

    The Ying Clan¡¯s grounds weren¡¯t impressive. At least, to Yan Zaizen who grew up in the Yan Clan, the grounds were slightly worse than the Yan Clan¡¯s. It was vast and filled with people, businesses, houses, and pathways. The center was a magnificent structure that¡¯s likely the main palace of the clan. That had to be the most impressive aspect of the entire grounds.


    Noticing his lackluster reaction towards this location, Ying Sumian couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°It may seem ordinary in comparison to other forces, but if you look close, you may change your mind.¡± Her words were cryptic, but Yan Zaizen listened. His spiritual sense expanded.


    ¡°What?!¡± He was startled. Inside the pathways, buildings and houses were incredibly discreet formations. They each seemed to have miraculous functions such as gathering loose essence in the air, condensing it together and releasing it outwards. This made the entire atmosphere near those areas to have a thick quality of essence. With that, one would feel more comfortable, and their cultivation would progress far smoother than normal.


    There were other things as well, such as defensive formations that spanned the entire building. Unless someone was at about the mid-Essence Formation Realm, damaging any building, regardless of how small, would be incredibly difficult. This level could be considered an elder to third-tier forces and elites warriors of second-tier forces. Even the Yan Clan didn¡¯t have exquisite formations covering their buildings or roads.


    Ying Sumian revealed a pleased expression, ¡°Indeed. The Ying Clan is a clan that specializes in developing formation masters. The majority of our standings is based deeply into this.¡±


    Incredible!


    The Yan Clan didn¡¯t have any particular focus, and even amongst second-tier forces, they weren¡¯t exactly the highest, but they were strong enough to maintain its position for nearly a thousand years. Jack of all trades, master of none. Those words earned stability.


    They entered the grounds without a single person halting them. In fact, the people below looked at the skyship with hints of reverence and awe. It seemed this skyship was recognizable. Could it be that Ying Sumian had a lofty status within her clan? If so, wonderful! This should be considerably easier.


    As they approached the gates, a group of people was standing outside of it. All of which were males. There was an auburn-haired, handsome youth about 17-18 years old that stood there with a hint of arrogance and superiority. Behind him were two old men with robust bodies and grey hair, but their bodies revealed a strong aura of vital energy.


    Next to them was an elegant middle-aged man dressed in a silver robe with a few formations deeply etched within that gave itself a serene feeling. His ebony hair had some greys on the side, indicating his age, and he had a slight smile as if the cruelty world itself cannot hinder his peaceful thoughts. Behind him were two young men that had a fair amount of resemblance to the middle-aged man. One had an indifferent expression, while the other had a glint of violence and dislike directing it all towards the arrogant youth.


    However, the youth didn¡¯t seem to mind, as if it was beneath him to care.


    Yan Zaizen was a little surprised. With his spiritual sense, he could tell that the three older men were all in the Qi Unification Realm while the three youths were in the Essence Formation. Their auras may be repressed, but they were exceptionally stable.


    Ying Sumian landed the skyship just a few hundred meters away from them. She looked towards Yan Zaizen, but she had a slight hint of guilt in her eyes. Yan Zaizen¡¯s keen senses noticed this. What was this girl planning?


    ¡°Lord Zai, please.¡± She motioned with her hand for him to exit. He simply nodded and walked out. When he did, he could feel the penetrating gazes of the six men. It wasn¡¯t uncomfortable, but it did feel invasive. Regardless, since he was here to help ¡ª if that was the case ¡ª he didn¡¯t mind them having doubts and only lightly frowned.


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    Ying Sumian walked in front of him, escorting him towards the palace gates where the six stood. When they approached, the youth with an aggressive air spoke first. ¡°Cousin Su, do you have an explanation for your actions?¡± No one said anything to his words, as if they were all wondering the same thing.


    ¡°I apologize.¡± Her voice was steady, as if this was in her calculations, ¡°Clan Lord, I wish you can forgive me for my past transgressions.¡± She directed her gaze towards the middle-aged man.


    Clan Lord?!


    Was this man the Ying Clan Lord?


    Thinking about it, it made sense. His cultivation base, aura reminiscent of his grandfather, and attire all seemed to suggest the lord of a clan.


    ¡°Haha, it¡¯s fine. You¡¯re fine, and the skyship has returned undamaged. Therefore, we can turn this major matter into a minor one.¡± His voice was calm and clear, even jubilant as his eyes gazed at the skyship from afar. However, it didn¡¯t seem like he was going to completely let her off with a few words.


    Yan Zaizen, however, was thoroughly confused.


    This skyship belongs to me after this is done, old man!


    ¡°Since father says it¡¯s fine, it¡¯s fine. However, you will suffer some punishments.¡± The aggressive air youth spoke as if her future fate would be dictated by him. Ying Sumian didn¡¯t have flinch at this and instead looked towards the arrogant youth with the two old men. Witnessing this, the aggressive youth spoke, ¡°This is He Shijing, a member of the He Clan.¡± His tone was obviously unfriendly.


    ¡°Clan Lord designate of the He Clan.¡± He Shijin snorted. His attitude also not friendly. ¡°Shall we continue, Lord Ying?¡± The youth was incredibly impatient.


    ¡°Of course.¡± Ying Fenmian, the Clan Lord, said. It seemed they were discussing something important.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Ying Sumian shouted, her expression calm. She grabbed everyone¡¯s attention almost instantly, even Yan Zaizen who was confused, was abruptly jolted by this shout. She continued neither slowly or quickly, her words clear, ¡°Ying Yimian cannot be married.¡± This caused everyone, even to Yan Zaizen.


    Who was Ying Yimian?


    Why can¡¯t she be married?


    ¡°What is this nonsense?!¡± He Shijing flew into a rage over her statement, and it was as if he wanted to slap her into the ground. However, he restrained himself.


    Ying Sumian showed not an ounce of fear on her expression as she stared at He Shijing. She stated, ¡°Ying Yimian cannot be married, because she is in love with another. I, Ying Sumian, stole the skyship to find the one she dreams of day and night, her thoughts unstable and wanting for his figure.¡± She turned to Yan Zaizen. The others also, eerily in unison, shifted their gazes towards him.


    The shocked expression on his face could not be hidden. This entire development was out of his prediction. He, however, turned back to look at the skyship in curiosity. He was searching for this figure who stole this young girl¡¯s heart so harshly.


    He wanted to see if he could receive some advice.


    However, there was no one behind him.

 Chapter 34 - Im Engaged?

    He was immediately bewildered by the lack of a strapping young man who could encapsulate a woman¡¯s every thought and desire. He squinted, trying to see if there was someone even further than the skyship, but alas, no one. Yan Zaizen may be a little slow on the uptake sometimes, but it didn¡¯t take long before he figured out the situation.


    A deep gulp resounded from his throat.


    Could it be?


    Turning back around, he witnessed the gaze of every last individualtrained on him. However, each and every gaze contained a different emotion. The most prominent was He Shijing whose emotion was bleeding fury and rampant laughter. ¡°Him?!¡± He asked, his tone clearly looking down on Yan Zaizen. He added, ¡°Is this a joke?¡±


    Yan Zaizen was a little embarrassed and angry. Embarrassed because the entire situation felt awkward, but angered when he was being regarded as a joke. With a snap of his fingers, he could possess all women at his feet! Who was he to determine if he could snatch a woman¡¯s heart? Who was he to determine that he couldn¡¯t ensnare her every thought? His talent and prowess was not something this little man could comprehend.


    This Ying Yimian would be lucky if he decides to give her a glance, let alone take her as his woman.


    He recalled Xing Xuehan and Su Fengyan¡¯s expressions of desire when they looked at him after his abilities were revealed. Confidence started to bubble up inside him, and his expression turned aloft and haughty - just like he practiced.


    He laughed even louder than He Shijing, completely masking the sound with his own laughter.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡±


    However, He Shijing subconsciously started to laugh louder, as if his pride was pricked.


    ¡°Hahaha!!¡±


    Yan Zaizen saw this as a challenge, laughing even louder and even putting his qi cultivation base into it.


    ¡°HAHAHA!!¡±


    He Shijing frowned at this blatant challenge. Perhaps earlier he did it subconsciously, but now that he was being challenged, he circulated his cultivation base to its maximum and amplified his voice to the maximum.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡±


    The sound was so loud that the He Clan¡¯s old men and Ying Clan¡¯s members had to cover their ears due to the pain. At this point, the laughter was like a screeching bark. Even Yan Zaizen was surprised, covering his ears with qi to prevent any damage. This person was louder than his old bitch when she barked. The female dog, of course.


    Ying Fenmian frowned. ¡°SILENCE!¡± His voice was filled with the empirical authority of a clan lord that could not be mimicked unless you controlled the lives of countless in your hands. This immediately silenced He Shijing. Everyone, even Ying Sumian, was looking at He Shijing with an odd expression. They all inwardly shook their heads.


    Ying Fenmian looked at Yan Zaizen inquisitively. Getting a little frustrated at these events, Ying Fenmian strongly demanded, ¡°Explain.¡± His gaze and question were directed at Ying Sumian.


    ¡°Yes.¡± She said, trying to ignore the previous events. ¡°This is Han Zaiji, an ally of the Vanishing Fiend Sect.¡± She explained. However, Yan Zaizen was immediately confused by this. An ally of the Vanishing Fiend Sect? Since when?!


    Ying Fenmian, on the other hand, eyes lit up in contemplation. ¡°Han? Ji?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Ying Sumian promptly replied.


    That¡¯s when it hit Yan Zaizen like it came from the dao of bricks.


    Earlier when they first met, he said his name was Han Zaiji. On top of that, he met the Vanishing Fiend Sect. At the time, he didn¡¯t think it was a big deal, but that was because he didn¡¯t know the connection his Master had at the time. The Vanishing Fiend Sect had a Han Clan and Ji Family. It¡¯s unlikely that Ying Sumian knew of the conversation between him and Lin Feilin, so she clearly put what pieces she had together.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Not only that, he comprehended a world law and had an exquisite body cultivation. This with all the other levels of evidence linked all to this conclusion.


    He was a low-key talented member of the Vanishing Fiend Sect.


    However, He Shijing wasn¡¯t too happy about this. He understood what being a member of the Vanishing Fiend Sect meant, but so what? He belonged to a first-tier force, one controlled by a genuine Origin Core Patriarch! What did it matter if he was just some junior of one of the large sects? To him, that meant shit all!


    ¡°Who cares who he is? I¡¯m here for Ying Yimian¡¯s hand in marriage. Can we end this farce?!¡± His voice contained both arrogance and fury. It seemed his patience ran out, and simply wanted to get this over with.


    Ying Sumian¡¯s gaze turned incredibly hostile as she looked at this He Shijing. However, she didn¡¯t say anything to him who treated Ying Yimian like the most recent conquest of his, which he could obtain with a word. She merely looked at this uncle of hers, Ying Fenmian, and uttered some words that shocked everyone present. ¡°He¡¯s sixteen years old, body cultivation that rivals a Half-step Qi Unification Cultivator, and¡­¡± She paused, looking at all of their shocked expressions a pleased feeling welled up inside her. She wasn¡¯t the only one, Yan Zaizen felt absolutely proud of his achievement as if he had won some contest.


    However, He Shijing didn¡¯t care about no half-step whatever. ¡°So what?! I¡¯m twenty, at the mid-Essence Formation, my body cultivation rivals the late-Essence Formation, and¡­¡± This time, he paused. His expression filled with a deep-seated pride and spoke, no, roared, ¡°I¡¯m the Clan Lord designate of the He Clan!¡±


    Indeed, the He Clan was a genuine first-tier force with an Origin Core Patriarch at the helm of it. It could not be underestimated. However, Ying Sumian had an impish smirk on her face, as if what this person said was nothing. She continued, ¡°He comprehended a world law.¡±


    The entire world went silent, even He Shijin. They all trained their gazes on Yan Zaizen. Seeing him being the center of attention, he lifted his chin up and his eyes shone with every ounce of haughty heroism he could muster. Damn right! He was that amazing, but...


    These guys genuinely love parading other people¡¯s accomplishments!


    Ying Fenmian was the first to recover, and his expression had an odd smile. ¡°Oh?! Han Zaiji! I remember now. Yi Yimian truly couldn¡¯t stop thinking about you, she even mentioned you to me before.¡± He said as if he just remembered everything. ¡°At first, I thought you were just a dream of hers. However, now that I see you in person, you truly have my approval. The absolute picture of heroism with extraordinary good looks to match!¡±


    What?


    What?!


    WHAT?!


    This guy was absolutely shameless. Shameless beyond shameless. However, what he said next completely grabbed the definition of shameless and changed it to say: Ying Fenming.


    ¡°Since you¡¯ve arrived, we can now make it official. We¡¯ll begin with the engagement celebration! It¡¯ll be glorious! Come. Come. We have much to discuss for the wedding!¡± He revealed an absolutely jubilant expression, and his tone was filled with genuine happiness. He arrived next to Yan Zaizen, grabbing his elbow, and dragging him into the clan¡¯s palace. Yan Zaizen didn''t even get a chance to say a word, but he was happy someone said he had good looks.


    When they passed He Shijing, he said with a slightly apologetic tone, ¡°Apologies, I have much to discuss with my future son-in-law. I hope you won¡¯t blame me. I¡¯ll have my sons escort you out.¡± He was quick, leaving everyone speechless as he and Yan Zaizen disappeared inside the palace.


    He Shijing was gobsmacked.


    What? Was this for real?!

 Chapter 35 - Ying Clan Troubles

    To his surprise, Yan Zaizen was placed in a chair. It was an odd sensation. It¡¯s not like he voluntarily gave up his free-will, but it was as if he just went with the flow of things. One second, he was curing a cousin for a skyship. The next second, he was engaged to a woman he never met.


    However, the chair was pretty comfy.


    He observed his surroundings, finding out he was in some lounge of some sorts, but it was very minimalistic like the grounds. Despite that, he could tell there was more than meets the eye. Everything, even this chair, was covered in formations of some sort. Perhaps that¡¯s why he felt so comfortable.


    ¡°Han Zaiji, correct?¡± An elegant middle-aged man slide into his vision, his eyes filled with an inquisitive gaze. It was Ying Fenmian. Yan Zaizen only nodded slightly, maintaining silence. It didn¡¯t take long before Ying Sumian walked in. Her expression when she looked at Yan Zaizen was incredibly guilty. She signaled with her eyes that she would explain everything later. However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t care about this.


    ¡°The skyship.¡± His eyes focused on her.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Ying Fenmian was surprised hearing his words. He turned to Ying Sumian, his glance filled with questioning. Ying Sumian immediately explained.


    ¡°I promised him that he would receive the skyship in exchange.¡± She said.


    ¡°I see.¡± Ying Fenmian said, his expression a little solemn at her words. A skyship wasn¡¯t cheap. However, if what Ying Sumian said earlier was the truth ¡ª that this boy had comprehended a world law ¡ª then giving it up for him to be apart of their family would be small in comparison.


    ¡°Which world law have you comprehended?¡± A question he truly wanted to ask from the moment he heard it was finally asked. Yan Zaizen finally calmed down during this exchange, organizing his thoughts and looking towards Ying Fenmian. He had a feeling this man knew all Ying Sumian said was absolute bullshit. However, he didn¡¯t seem to care. If anything, he looked a little relieved.


    ¡°Wait! Wait! Explain, now!¡± He wasn¡¯t going to be schemed against or pulled along any longer. He demanded answers. What the hell just happened, and why did it happen? Was it even necessary?!


    Ying Fenmian frowned.


    Ying Sumian cleared her throat at Yan Zaizen¡¯s reaction. She immediately started explaining, ¡°I apologize for this, Han Zaiji. The He Clan¡¯s designate ¡ª He Shijing ¡ª is trying to pressure our family to marry Ying Yimian to him by using the He Clan''s forces. However, he already has three wives, and my cousin hates his guts. Thu-¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± He sharply interrupted. ¡°Why not just directly decline the proposal?¡±


    Ying Sumian heaved a sigh, which was filled with resignation. ¡°We couldn¡¯t. It¡¯s complex.¡± She didn¡¯t even know where to start, but Ying Fenmian continued.


    ¡°If we declined their proposal, our clan would no longer exist.¡± He said calmly, explaining it simply.


    ¡°What do you mean? I¡¯m confused, why am I necessary? Why does it matter if I''m here, you¡¯re still under threat of clan annihilation if you decline, right?¡± To him, none of this made sense.


    ¡°Because if we have the backing of the Vanishing Fiend Sect, we couldn¡¯t be touched. So, you with your talent and background marrying into the family would remove all potential problems that may occur.¡± Ying Sumian clarified.


    Yan Zaizen thought they were out of their damn minds. Why would he agree to any of this even if his background and talent were sufficient?! Why not just marry your daughter to the He Clan. Things like this happen all the time; you don¡¯t always get to marry who you want.


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Ya Qinqan.


    His thoughts traveled back to the Yan Clan. He was in love with her, but he didn¡¯t know how she truly felt. He always held out some hope that she was waiting for him to explode forth with exceptional talent and they would live happily ever after. However, the clan allowed Yan Jinzen and her to marry. From what he knows, they¡¯ve already consummated their marriage. To him, this was humiliation he couldn¡¯t stand. He even wished she would rather end her life than lay with Yan Jinzen, only wanting and needing him alone.


    He calmed down his disorder emotions after a while. He softly said, ¡°My master, Han Genji, defected from the Vanishing Fiend Sect. I adopted his name as a replacement for now. I have no backing of one of the great sects.¡± Every word contained a monotonous tone filled with brute honesty.


    Ying Fenmian and Ying Sumian were shocked. Ying Fenmian turned towards Ying Sumian, seeing her shocked expression, and knowing that she deduced wrong. Close, but wrong. This made this entire situation more complicated.


    ¡°But...you met the Vanishing Fiend Sect¡¯s hunting party, and even met one of their valued members!¡± She tried to reason, but it seems like she was just reasoning with herself.


    ¡°She was simply a woman I knew due to my master. I asked her some questions, nothing more.¡± He explained, shaking his head at this entire situation.


    While she was panicking, Ying Fenmian was a lot calmer. He looked towards Yan Zaizen with a furrowed brow. One could see he was currently contemplating the entire situation. His eyes lit up in realization.


    ¡°What world law have you comprehended?¡± He asked this question once before but got no answer. Now that he was asking again, it seemed that Ying Sumian found a rope out of her panic. Yan Zaizen could only sigh.


    ¡°I¡¯ve comprehended the life law.¡±


    Ying Fenmian¡¯s eyes lit up with brilliance. A concept developed from the life law would be considered in the upper-tier in conceptual world laws. The situation could definitely be scavenged. Not to mention even if his master was Han Genji, someone he knew was being executed shortly, it didn''t matter. That was over at the Soaring Cloud Sect. Here, he was safe.


    This could work.


    ¡°Are you willing to marry my daughter?¡± He asked.


    ¡°Absolutely not.¡± Yan Zaizen responded.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know her. I also don¡¯t have my grandparents or parents permission to do so. I will never marry someone without it.¡± He believed in being a filial child. Although he wouldn¡¯t mind having a gorgeous woman as a wife, he still had to speak to his parents grave to inform them beforehand until turned twenty, and even more so, he needed to get permission from his grandfather and grandmother. He was still a member of the Yan Clan, and likely to be its next lord when he returns.


    He absolutely cannot decide his marriage himself. Not yet.


    Ying Fenmian was surprised at this response. This boy was rather diligent in his duties as a child. He felt moved. ¡°Do you have a problem with being declared as her fianc¨¦ by title only? At least till another solution is determined.¡± He asked, settling for the next best thing. If he became his future son-in-law by title, then that could buy them time. Not to mention, someone who comprehended a world law would have to try really hard not to be a major character in the future, let alone an upper-tier conceptual world law.


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°...What if I give you the skyship?¡±


    ¡°DEAL!¡±

 Chapter 36 - Self-Reflection

    Yan Zaizen was situated in a guest courtyard for high-valued ones in the Ying Clan. The resident inside the courtyard had several formations that were dedicated towards cultivation support and privacy guarantees. It had a serene layout with a small pond filled with white fishes, plants of colorful nature growing in a small garden, and a big oak tree that would provide comfortable shade from the sun.


    This could be considered rather upscaled if one compared to the general minimalistic design of the Ying Clan, but at this moment, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t feel comfortable.


    Sitting cross-legged near the pond, he had a frustrated expression on his face. Over the course of the several months, since he¡¯s met Han Genji, everything that has happened felt like he was just going with the flow like a spineless puppet. He went against his instincts and was now in this situation.


    Firstly, he was kidnapped, forced to be a disciple of the one that kidnapped him, and then teleported away from his home.


    Secondly, he was abandoned in a forest by the people who should¡¯ve been his seniors.


    Thirdly, he agreed to join an unknown organization with very little actual benefits the moment it was presented to him.


    Lastly, he was plotted against to be this key piece of salvation for this Ying Clan.


    In truth, the last two situations were because his greed got the better of him. The organization provided a soul cultivation method that he truly needed that was on par with the superior-grade arts from before. This in and of itself was worth joining an organization that didn¡¯t restrict you. As for being brought along by Ying Sumian to heal someone and get a skyship in return, that was sheer greed inspired.


    His frustration was infuriatingly deep. He merely wanted to go home, not get schemed against here and there and be a tool for someone else. Why did he have to do any of this? Who did they think he was?


    He was tired of this shit.


    ¡°Hehe¡­¡± Earlier, when they offered him the skyship in exchange for his name, he had little intentions to actually be the fianc¨¦ of Ying whatever. He just wanted to get his hands on the method to control the skyship. They underestimated his prowess, believing he only had the strength of a half-step Qi Unification cultivator only.


    This would be their downfall.


    His eyes lit up with resplendent brightness. Tapping his bag, he retrieved the qi-method that described how to control the skyship. With this, what fianc¨¦? He was going to steal the skyship and leave. The Ying Family is technically the Yan Family¡¯s enemies, why should he help them with their issues? Let them all die.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but feel abnormally content with his intelligence. Normally, he wasn¡¯t very smart, but over time, he started to see more and more of the outside world, and thus didn¡¯t restrict his thoughts to just a young master. If you can scheme, why can¡¯t I?


    This method wasn¡¯t extremely hard to practice either. With his Perfect Nascent soul cultivation coupled with his half-step Essence Formation cultivation base, controlling this skyship will be a cinch. As for getting there? He didn¡¯t even need to sneak around. He had the soul cultivation that was equivalent to the Origin Core Realm, who could stop him?


    All he needed was the method, and now he was like a tiger with wings. Nothing could stop him.


    ¡°Hm?¡± He turned, noticing movement outside of his door. It was a female, young, and had a very stable aura.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    ¡°Mister Han, can I come in?¡± A tender and sweet sounding voice that could make some men weak sounded. Yan Zaizen was baffled. Who was this? He didn¡¯t answer at first but used his spiritual sense to examine the newcomer. After realizing she had no means to threaten him with her cultivation level at the initial-Essence Formation, he decided to see what she wanted.


    ¡°Who are you? What do you want?¡± He didn¡¯t get up, simply asked.


    There was a silence for a while. Then, the woman didn¡¯t even bother waiting for him to open the door as a trace of qi erupted and the door opened. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyebrows furrowed. Enter his room without permission? Was she courting death?


    A flash of killing intent surged into his eyes. This was the first time he ever revealed such a look, and mostly because his privacy was being infringed on. He was prepared to wipe out the soul of the intruder, and if they ask why, then he could simply say he assumed it was an intruder.


    However, when the person entered and revealed herself under the moonlit sky, he was immediately thunderstruck.


    The girl was about 18-19 years of age, had a smooth as jade countenance that shimmered elegantly in the light, a set of bright blue eyes that seemed like a set of lunar stars, and a lithe figure that completed the ensemble of beauty. Her body had a silk robe that faintly shone with formation diagrams, long waist-length black hair fell elegantly from her head, soft pink lips and a perfect little nose.


    This was a beauty.


    The door closed behind her softly, the sound waking Yan Zaizen up from his stupor. Even the flash of killing intent in his eyes was nowhere to be found as if it never existed. He wanted to say quite a few things, but nothing came out of his mouth.


    ¡°Mister Han, my name¡¯s Ying Yimian.¡± Her voice was like music.


    Yan Zaizen loudly gulped. This girl was a weakness for many men, and he wasn¡¯t excluded. It took a long while before he got his wits about him to realize this was his supposed ¡®fianc¨¦.¡¯ For a split second, he thought, if he truly married this woman perhaps he would be satisfied with life. However, that thought was immediately discarded. He had his own aspirations now, and he was going to become the Clan Leader of the Yan Clan. He wouldn¡¯t throw that aside now.


    He had to show his entire family that he was no longer trash, and when those previously mocking gazes glanced at him, they would now contain fear and reverence. However, he¡¯ll definitely get his revenge on those who took it too far.


    ¡°What do you want?¡± He said, his expression more solemn.


    Ying Yimian looked at this husband-to-be with a steady gaze. He had an ordinary appearance, not ugly, but not attractive either. His amber eyes shone with a developing form of intelligence and yet-to-solidify personality, indicating his young age. A slightly skinny form, unlike the usual muscular men who cultivate the body. These weren¡¯t too terrible, but besides his world law comprehension at his young age, he didn¡¯t have anything truly special about him.


    Earlier, when she learned that her fianc¨¦ was decided, she couldn¡¯t help but feel aggrieved. Because of her beauty, she would likely be the cause of her clan¡¯s downfall. She was unwilling to not be in control of her own fate. Even though it was explained to her that this boy was only to be used as a pawn to delay the situation, she didn¡¯t believe it. She knew her father, and if this boy truly comprehended an upper-tier conceptual world law, then he would undoubtedly send her into his bed.


    If it wasn¡¯t for her unwillingness to marry that scum with three wives already, and her threat of suicide, her father would be happy to send her off to garner more benefits for the Ying Family.


    However, she had her own schemes and thoughts. She had already stolen a massive number of resources and wealth from the clan vault and didn¡¯t intend to be the cause of her clan¡¯s downfall, or even let this clan use her as a pawn for its own advancement while limiting her own future. Screw them all!


    Her plan was simple.


    Take what she can, leave the clan, and live her own life.


    However, she had a problem.


    She would never get outside of the city with her cultivation or an ordinary traveling vessel. Her immediate capture and retrieval were imminent.


    Unless she had a skyship. This lead to another problem, she didn¡¯t have the method to use one. Only a few people had the method, and none of them would give it to her. She wouldn¡¯t ask her cousin ¡ª Ying Sumian ¡ª because she had her own thoughts and schemes. She didn¡¯t bring this boy here for Ying Yimian or the clan, but for only herself and her own future. She didn¡¯t trust Ying Sumian one bit.


    However, when she learned that this boy was given the method, thoughts clicked in her mind, and she devised her strategy. All she had to do was use her beauty, get what she wanted, and vanish like a shadow.


    With the most dazzling smile she could muster, she said, ¡°I believe you can help me.¡±

 Chapter 37 - To Each Their Own Scheme

    ¡°With?¡± Yan Zaizen felt that his instincts tingle once more. From his previous experiences, he knew this girl had her own schemes. He couldn¡¯t help but inwardly reveal a cold smile, but on the surface, he revealed a look of a boy already swooned with young love. Ever since he¡¯s been practicing expressions, he¡¯s been getting good at all sorts - even the one that displayed love. He felt that his expressions and the realism of them in the future will definitely be important to be showing off and tricking others.


    Ying Yimian couldn¡¯t help but inwardly groan at Yan Zaizen¡¯s disgusting expression. All it took was a smile and a tender voice and this boy was already nipping at her skirts, probably would be willing to die for her. This couldn¡¯t be helped, ever since she was young, she was beautiful and desired by many, so for him to reveal this display to her felt expected.


    ¡°Mister Han, I thank you greatly for helping the Ying Clan, and I¡¯m eternally grateful.¡± She first revealed her gratefulness at her task, trying to draw him in as if she owed him. When men think women owe them, they feel like they must do everything to further that debt and get what all men want. It was disgusting but effective in manipulating them.


    ¡°I heard that the skyship was given to you, is that true?¡± She asked, innocently.


    Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but be surprised at this question. Why would she care about the skyship? Now that he thought about it, he didn¡¯t even know where it was. He did know a skyship couldn¡¯t be stored in normal spatial bags or rings, so its likely located in some type of landing hangar.


    ¡°Yes. The skyship was given to me.¡± He nodded, his expression revealing deep pride. This wasn¡¯t exactly fake, but it wasn¡¯t wholly true either. It was given to him, but he didn¡¯t even know where it was! How could one be proud?


    ¡°Oh?!¡± She released a delighted yelp that could sway any man¡¯s heart. ¡°I was wondering...if you can help me fulfill a dream of mines since I was young.¡± She said, looking at him with expectation and desire.


    ¡°What dream?¡±


    ¡°I wish to go the Serene Moon Cove. It''s only a few li outside of Sky Titan City, but its too far and I¡¯ll never make it back before I¡¯m discovered.¡± She stated. Her words revealing her desire. She added, ¡°My father has never let me out due to fear of me being in danger, but if we leave quietly with your strength, all problems should be dealt with.¡±


    Oh?!


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of interest. This girl wanted to go somewhere outside of the city and wanted to rely on him to do so. To most men, they would think this would be excellent. They could develop feelings amongst them by doing something wicked and personal like travel to a spectacular location. However, he didn¡¯t know what this Serene Moon Cove was nor did he care about it.


    This girl wasn¡¯t that simple.


    He could feel from her a passionate desire to leave. Something similar to his own desire. If she left, she would definitely not come back. As for Serene Moon Cove? That¡¯s likely a load of bullshit. She apparently doesn¡¯t know how to operate the skyship, and since he had the method, she came to him. However, if that was her intentions, then she must know where the skyship is!


    ¡°Of course! With my strength and talent, any problem would be abolished with a snap of my fingers!¡± He shamelessly exclaimed. However, his eyes revealed a disappointed look and a hint of embarrassment. ¡°However, I don¡¯t know where the skyship is, so I can¡¯t go.¡± His apologetic look was a little awkward, but it did its job. He made a mental note that he needed to practice it a bit more.


    ¡°I know where it is, Mister Han.¡± She stated. ¡°If we leave right away, we can take off and come back before they know a single thing. That way, we won¡¯t get in trouble. I promise.¡± She urged, reassuring him that all troubles would be wiped away as long as they were not discovered.


    Yan Zaizen was more than happy to act in this little play. He let out a surprised sound and put on a contemplating expression. After a while, he looked towards her with lustful desire and with a beaming smile, nodded vigorously. ¡°In that case, we should go.¡±


    Seeing that look on his face, Ying Yimian felt inwardly disgusted. If he wasn¡¯t a genius, she would be plotting his death like all the other men before. If it wasn¡¯t for He Shijing being from a bigger clan, he wouldn¡¯t be able to escape her blade. However, that despicable man left her with little choice but to leave or be forced to marry someone with three other women by his side.


    Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Yan Zaizen got up, dusted himself off, and walked towards her. ¡°Lead the way, Miss Ying.¡±


    Several minutes later, they had a clear route. Yan Zaizen was surprised, this girl¡¯s schemes truly was thick. The route from his courtyard to the skyship hangar was cleared out. With his spiritual sense, he could tell that all the guards were looking at other directions deliberately and some were gone from their post. Somehow, she orchestrated this enough to make sure no one was there to witness her escape.


    If it wasn¡¯t for him possessing an abnormal soul cultivation, he would¡¯ve thought she had cultivated her soul to an exceptional degree. Avoiding each and every obstacle due to her unnatural sense. There must¡¯ve been a mix of bribery and lies to get something like this done. Indeed, when they reached the hangar where the skyship was, there was only a single person there awaiting their arrival.


    He was a middle-aged man, slightly handsome with a profound cultivation at the initial-Qi Unification Realm. When they approached, Yan Zaizen could feel some deep-seated hostility and well-hidden killing intent when he looked at him. However, when he glanced at Ying Yimian, he revealed a look of unyielding love.


    ¡°Big Brother Zhi, is it done?¡± Ying Yimian asked as she approached. The middle-aged man named Ying Zhihao only nodded slightly in response, revealing a silver spatial ring on his finger with a hint of pride on his face. had a smile on her face, turning to Yan and quickly explaining, ¡°Big Brother is my protector, as an added assurance, and he¡¯s brought delicacies so we can enjoy at the cove.¡±


    Psst. Bullshit. He didn¡¯t believe a single word.


    It¡¯s likely that spatial ring held a majority of your clan¡¯s entire fortune, this big brother Zhi was likely the one you plan to use to get rid of me after it was done to leave no witnesses, and likely this man¡¯s fate won¡¯t end up good either. Finally, he started listening to his inner instincts about people¡¯s intentions. However, Yan Zaizen simply nodded in understanding, revealing a relieved expression which elicited a complacent smile from Yi Yimian.


    ¡°Do you have the method on you?¡± Ying Zhihao asked coldly.


    ¡°Haha, no. The clan lord had only let me peruse it for memorization. All in the cranium, but I know how to operate it.¡± He lied. Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t tell the truth, this man would probably just attack right then and there. Ying Zhihao snorted in response.


    They got on the skyship, and Yan Zaizen took the helm. Using the unique qi method described in the book, he initiated the startup procedure. It seems the skyship was already fully fueled beforehand. Nice! It started without a hitch and floated slowly into the sky.


    Ying Zhihao was not as stupid as Yan Zaizen assumed he was. He knew that Ying Yimian¡¯s heart was insidious, and she obtained an expensive poison called the qi diffusion powder. With it, even a Qi Unification cultivator¡¯s qi would be scattered and lack stability, making them as useless as a mortal. During that time, it was likely his end wouldn¡¯t be good.


    However, he truly desired this gorgeous girl, and when she approached him with her ideas, he accepted after some contemplation. Using her ideas and methods, he was capable of taking 70% of the entire clan¡¯s wealth without an issue. If he tried doing that with just himself, it would be certain death. Now, all he had to do was get this ship a good enough distance away, kill Yan Zaizen because he obviously had the method on him and then he would have his way with Yi Yimian to his heart''s desire.


    He already took the antidote for the qi diffusion powder and was thus immune. Without that, she wasn¡¯t his match. After everything happened, they would simply assume that Yan Zaizen and Ying Yimian left after stealing a load from the clan. As for him? No one even knew he was in the clan at this moment, and he already had his alibi.


    After he ravaged Ying Yimian till he was satisfied, he¡¯ll kill her, dispose of her corpse, return to the clan, and with 70% of the clan¡¯s wealth and the skyship his rise would be unstoppable. Becoming an Origin Core Cultivator wouldn¡¯t remain a simple dream any longer. This little girl thinks she can use him as a tool?


    She was a thousand years too young.

 Chapter 38 - End Result

    Escaping Sky Titan City wasn¡¯t filled with a tense aura or battle tethering over life and death, both Ying Zhihao and Ying Yimian were having a conversation and laughing while Yan Zaizen was controlling the skyship. There were no sudden developments, and they had already planned everything. It didn¡¯t take long, only a few minutes, before they reached the western gate with the skyship¡¯s maximum speed. When they approached the gate, Ying Yimian simply produced a titan badge ¡ª similar to the one Ying Sumian had earlier ¡ª and a location on the gate miraculously opened.


    They proceeded through it without a single obstacle.


    ¡°That was a lot easier than I thought it would be.¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but remark at the sheer ease of their escape. His eyes glowed with suspicion, but then he thought about what they wanted to accomplish. They likely removed anything that would¡¯ve been an obstacle. This meant they were planning this for a long time.


    Looking at the spatial ring on Ying Zhihao¡¯s finger, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his mouth turning dry. He had a distinct belief that the ring had an extraordinary amount of wealth. Likely it had Ying Zhihao¡¯s wealth and likely even a portion of the clan¡¯s. There¡¯s no way it had delicacies like Ying Yimian said. He was tempted.


    He thought this through.


    It¡¯s unlikely that the Ying Clan would be notified for several hours, and even after that, they would probably have to determine which direction they went. With the skyship¡¯s speed, there¡¯s no way in hell they would have enough to search all directions. This could be seen when Ying Sumian was said to have stolen the skyship before, but there was no one who could stop her. Its maximum speed could rival the consistent speed of a high-stage Qi Unification cultivator, and all it needed was essence for that speed to be maintained. This meant unless one had an Origin Core cultivation base, catching up would be impossible.


    Even if he wanted to search for the ship after a few hours, it would be extremely difficult without a direction. The speed covered in those hours would vastly exceed his spiritual sense range, even if he used the Source Sonar Soul Art.


    It¡¯s likely they¡¯ll make their move to reap away his life after several hours. If they decide to take action, he will definitely respond in kind. He was never a kind-hearted individual. He assumed they would likely want to park the ship somewhere so they don¡¯t crash because of him piloting it.


    To be honest, he was quite curious. How did this Ying Yimian plan to deal with this Qi Unification Cultivator?


    The beautiful moonlight shone on the skyship as they traveled west. Several hours passed by quickly, and they had already reached an incredibly far distance from Sky Titan City. The essence fuel reserves were only down by about 3%, this was extraordinary. He was sure he could take advantage of this to make it back home even if he didn¡¯t use the Xuanwu City spatial platform. It took about eighteen days to arrive with Ying Sumian, but if he traveled at maximum speed, it would presumably require two.


    ¡°We should land. We need to figure out where we are in comparison to where the Serene Moon Cove is on the map.¡± Ying Sumian suggested.


    ¡°Agreed. Traveling after that would be able to make sure we don¡¯t get lost.¡± Ying Zhihao said in agreement. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes sparkled with a cunning light.


    It¡¯s going to start soon.


    ¡°Okay. I don¡¯t want to get lost. If we do, we won¡¯t be able to make our way back before we get in trouble.¡± As he said this, he revealed a worried tone. Both of the Ying¡¯s had a cunning smile on their faces, both with their own ideas.


    They swiftly landed in a forest¡¯s flat plain area. The skyship truly was extraordinary. It landed softly with barely any sound, and when it initiated or flew through the sky it was as stealthy as a shadow. It didn¡¯t disturb the wildlife or any of the inhabitants nearby.


    The three, Ying Zhihao, Ying Yimian, and Yan Zaizen gathered together on the deck. They each had varied expressions. From a cold indifferent expression, a pleasant smile, and an impish look of anticipatory lust respectively.


    ¡°Where are we?¡± Yan Zaizen asked.


    BANG!!!


    A thunderous sound resounded that originated from below. A profound formation on the deck of the skyship revealed itself. If one was familiar with formations, they would notice this formation was recently set up. Both Yan Zaizen and Ying Zhihao revealed shocked expressions, while Ying Yimian had a vicious smile that caused her original sweet beauty to turn devilish.


    A white wispy smoke erupted upwards and seeped into the skin and orifices of Yan Zaizen and Ying Zhihao. They were stunned, and immediately realized they couldn¡¯t move. Their physical bodies were restrained by the formation, and when the white smoke forced its way into their bodies, Yan Zaizen felt his qi begin to become chaotic and diffuse rapidly whenever he tried to use it. If it wasn¡¯t for that, this level of formation could be easily shattered, but without their qi, it was useless.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    However, Ying Zhihao didn¡¯t feel this chaotic situation. Despite this, he still revealed a weakened appearance. As if he couldn¡¯t move his physical body or use his qi. Powder-like substance funneled into his body by the white smoke.


    Ying Yimian laughed lightly after the white smoke dissipated revealing her cold eyes and triumphant smile. ¡°Truly, toads after swan meat.¡± She remarked with disdain. ¡°Mister Han, I must thank you. My father wouldn¡¯t give me the method to use the ship, but to you, he was willing to let his guard down due to his weakness and your potential. He even gave you the book! That stingy old coot.¡± The sweet and tender Ying Yimian was gone, and what replaced it was a foul-mouthed arrogance.


    ¡°As for you, Big Brother Zhi. You¡¯re pathetic. You think I didn¡¯t know your intentions? Psst, fool.¡± She pulled out a dagger from her spatial bag and walked over towards Ying Zhihao. It seems her intention was to reap his life first.


    Ying Zhihao revealed a fearful expression, he shouted loudly, ¡°I loved you Ying Yimian! We were supposed to kill this fool, and live happily ever after! Was it all a lie?!¡± His voice was frantic. Ying Zhihao had extraordinary acting skills. If he was in another world, he would likely win some sort of award.


    ¡°Hahaha! Loved me? Just die.¡± She didn¡¯t even want to pander on his nonsensical thoughts. When she reached his side, she raised the dagger and struck down intending to plunge it deep inside his skull. At this time, a flash of devious light revealed in Ying Zhihao¡¯s eyes. Ying Yimian was surprised by this sudden change and wanted to end his life as quickly as possible to prevent any unforeseen circumstances.


    However, an eruption of powerful qi exploded outwards. Ying Yimian, with her initial-Essence Formation cultivation base, was sent backwards and smashed heavily towards the railings of the skyboat. A grunt of pain followed by a grimacing expression was revealed on Ying Yimian face. Her eyes filled with disbelief.


    ¡°How?!¡±


    Ying Zhihao stood there with a sharp aura, his qi cultivation base rotating without any hindrance from the poison. He coldly smiled, vanishing from her sight with his movement art and reappearing beside her, decisively sending a palm filled with qi towards her dantian.


    ¡°NO!!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but cry out in fear. She merely had the cultivation base of an initial-Essence Formation, to someone at the initial-Qi Unification she was simply a dead fish on a cutting board.


    The palm struck fiercely, a fierce qi surged that shattered her dantian and severed her pathways. She was officially crippled. The light in her lovely blue eyes dimmed greatly, and a mouthful of blood revealed sprayed outwards.


    How could this have happened? She planned everything perfectly. She set up the formation. She got a poison that not even a Qi Unification Cultivator could fight and even picked someone who didn¡¯t have a profound body cultivation so it would be easier to deliver a deadly strike with her weapon. Yet, here she was, crippled. The fate she was trying so hard to fight for was taken away from her instantly. It¡¯s likely her only path left was death.


    Her thoughts spun and she thought that maybe marrying He Shijing would¡¯ve been better than this.


    ¡°Bitch, scheming against me?! You¡¯re a billion years too young.¡± He spat a wad of spit at her face in disgust and disdain. He was a Qi Unification Cultivator, if he wasn¡¯t intelligent, he would¡¯ve died long ago. ¡°I¡¯ll be sure to give you a lot of my love before sending you off.¡±


    Yan Zaizen, on the other hand, was absolutely surprised by these events. He thought for sure that Ying Zhihao would die, but then again, it made more sense that the situation didn¡¯t happen. Ying Zhihao must be hundreds of years old, living in a hotpot of complexity that was the Sky Titan City, and yet he still was capable of attaining his level. Anyone who could do that, under those circumstances, wouldn¡¯t be so childish as to be schemed against successfully by a girl not even twenty.


    He couldn¡¯t help but shake his head and had his horizons broadened by these events. This world was cruel, with one mistake, your death was all but ensured.


    Unfortunately for Ying Zhihao, the person who he wanted to get rid of was him.


    PNEUMA DISRUPTION!


    A surge of powerful soul energy shot directly for Ying Zhihao¡¯s soul form. This soul art had reached the peak initial success, was superior-grade, and possessed extraordinary offensive power. With his soul cultivation at the Perfect Nascent Soul, while the target merely had the soul cultivation at the Initial Nascent Soul, the effect could be imagined. Especially when the target didn¡¯t set up any active defenses due to his ignorance and negligence.


    ¡°Wha?!¡± Ying Zhihao¡¯s last words was thus. A stream of powerful foreign soul energy directed itself towards his soul flame and snuffed it out suddenly. His body crumbled to the ground like a puppet without its strings support. His body may be alive, but he was essentially in a coma without any way to wake up.

 Chapter 39 - Serene Moon Cove

    With a little muscular flexing, Yan Zaizen freed himself of the restraint from the formation. For someone like him whose body was refined to be close to the Qi Unification Realm, it wasn''t hard for him to shatter this formation after some effort. In truth, this formation wasn''t set up for Yan Zaizen, but for Ying Zhihao who had very little body cultivation, and therefore cannot restrain him for more than a few moments.


    Checking his qi, Yan Zaizen discovered it still in a state of constant diffusion. Until the effects were removed either with the antidote or time, he''d be stuck here unable to pilot the skyship.


    Wait.


    After some thought, he produced a white flame in his hand, and although it wasn''t supported by his qi, it was supported by his soul energy. The Unyielding Flame of Life consumes any type of energy from its owner to produce lifeforce energy, even vital or soul energies. As long as it possessed something to feed off of, it''ll unyieldingly persist.


    He circulated the white flame through his body, completely using its overwhelming lifeforce to combat the toxic components of the qi diffusion powder. It counteracted its effects by cleansing his body with lifeforce energy.


    After a while, he could feel the qi in his body become stable. It brought him a sensation of relief, liberating him of his worries. He looked towards the dim-eyed Ying Yimian. Her fate was truly lamentable. He couldn''t find any reason to actually care. She brought this about due to her own poor planning and underestimation. He decided to take her end as a lesson for himself.


    The first thing he did end Ying Zhihao''s life with a palm strike to the heart. He could be considered dead, but until his life truly ended, Yan Zaizen wouldn''t feel comfortable.


    "Do you have any way to contact your family?" He asked Ying Yimian.


    After doing the deed, he took the spatial ring off Ying Zhihao''s corpse and looked at its contents. His eyes widened in absolute shock. This...this was the wealth that may even exceed the Yan Clan''s entire decadal earnings.


    "Incredible!" With this, he could apparently buy several skyships and then some more, and if he felt that wasn''t enough, he could buy one or two more for fun. His expression made Ying Yimian feel horrible. Her eyes filled with hatred as she stared at him.


    What he or Ying Yimian didn''t notice, was that a wisp of smoke exited from Ying Zhihao''s corpse and silently entered Yan Zaizen''s glabella. If one could see it, they would see Ying Zhihao''s almost atom-sized soul form within the wisp. It looked blank and without life.


    If he had killed Ying Zhihao sooner, she wouldn''t be crippled now. That bastard! She inwardly swore she would kill him soon. Especially since, remembering his lustful expression, he''ll definitely attempt to ravage her virgin body. When he does, he''ll die.


    This was her trump card.


    She had an exquisite formation placed in her womb, so when she was forcefully taken without permission, it''ll activate and instantaneously kill that person with an insidious poison. Since no one would expect it, even Ying Zhihao would''ve died. Nevertheless, Yan Zaizen.


    Unfortunately, it was only enough for one person otherwise she would have used it instead of the qi diffusion powder, and the delivery system was in a unique location for optimal efficiency. She was, however, uncertain as to how he dealt with Ying Zhihao. But that didn''t matter now.


    Yan Zaizen, however, was not that type of person. "Do you have no way?" He asked again. However, seeing her just look at him with anger and didn''t answer, he couldn''t help but shrug. If she didn''t want to answer, that was on her.


    He took the spatial materials on her body without being the least bit courteous. Her wealth was astounding as well. It seems like they robbed their clan on two fronts. One took it from their reserves, while the other took their visible wealth. That''s just sad. The Ying Clan was robbed blind by these two people, and they likely don''t even have their pants left.


    Yet, here he was with all the gains.


    He grabbed Ying Zhihao''s body and threw it over the skyship out to the area below. A loud thud later, he walked over to Ying Yimian. Seeing him do so, she was anxious that he would kill her instead of taking her sexually. However, Yan Zaizen didn''t really plan on doing either. He grabbed her and like trash, tossed her overboard.


    A surprised scream and soft thud later, the skyship was powered and disappeared into the horizon.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    If she didn''t have a way to contact her clan, he had no intention of bringing her back, and he didn''t feel like directly killing a beauty either or letting her die so easily. However, leaving them to die, that was another matter entirely, especially since she attempted to kill him. To him, she deserves to suffer.


    If she does in up living, it doesn''t really matter. No one knew who his real name was, and no one even knew he was from the Yan Clan. They only knew him as Han Zaiji. She was also crippled, and he knew the amount of wealth required to re-establish one''s qi foundation was extraordinarily difficult, requiring a ton of resources. Who would be willing to pay so much for a lowly traitor?


    That''s if she lived.


    He also had a profound soul cultivation base that could instantly snuff out the life of an initial-Qi Unification cultivator. What did he have to afraid of?


    "Oh, wait¡­"


    He used his spiritual sense to cover the entire skyship, probing every last bit of it, and found a small spot on the ship that wasn''t covered with anything before. He parked the ship temporarily and walked towards the formation. His eyes lit up with surprise.


    "Makes sense. Considering it was stolen once, it could be stolen again." This formation released a unique form of energy and was incredibly discreet. With his soul energies, qi and physical strength, he smashed downwards to shatter the formation. The ship shook violently, but it was still undamaged. As for the formation, it was completely and thoroughly destroyed.


    His intelligence was raising as well as his own vigilance. If he had just left without checking, they would''ve tracked him down. He couldn''t allow that happen.


    With a chuckle, he returned to the helm and flew the skyship away.


    "I still have five months. I should park this baby, cultivate in a location, and then go to the Xuanwu City for the spatial platform. They should be able to send off a skyship as well." He thought a bit and decided. Remembering the map from before, he knew there was a good location to land quietly with little exposure. It was the cove mentioned earlier by Ying Yimian. The Serene Moon Cove that Ying Yimian talked about was real, but Yan Zaizen didn''t know if that was the case at the time.


    During the flight, Ying Yimian informed him of the cove existence and where it was on the map. It seems like a good location to land. As he arrived, he discovered why it was called the Serene Moon Cove. The cove was illuminated by soft moonlight and had a wide cavern filled with it.


    It was wide enough to hold the skyship, and there was no one inside. There was a reason for that, but Yan Zaizen didn''t think about it too much, merely entering and landing the ship.


    He stretched his a little with a relaxed expression. The world was finally going his way. He was free and obtained all these spoils without lifting a single finger. If there was ever such a thing like a fortuitous encounter in this world, this was it.


    "Hahaha!" His laughter filled the cave. He truly felt satisfied.


    Suddenly, he felt a little dizzy. The dizzy sensation turned into disorientation, and then he fell to his knees with weakness. He urged his soul energy, but it seemed like it wasn''t responding. His body was still filled with powerful vital energies, and his qi was still filled to the brim with energy, but his soul energy seemed to be going inactive as if under attack. Seeing the situation, he immediately activated the formations of the ship to protect himself.


    A soft thud after, he laid there unconsciously on the cold deck. His soul form exited his body, and a swirling black hole now replaced the black dot from before. The moonlight in the cove shone vigorously, but then every ray directed itself towards his soul form. The black hole at his glabella swirled even more intensely, sucking in the vibrant moonlight in the cave towards it.


    The soul form''s eyes shone brilliantly, and a faint trace of moonlight surged within itself. If Yan Zaizen was conscious enough to witness this, he would be shocked.


    "What?!" A voice, filled with desolate horror surged out from deep within the cove.


    The reason why Ying Yimian used the cove as the reason why she wanted to see it was that there was a rumor that there hid an extraordinary monster that would kill anyone who comes there during a full moon sky. She felt it was the most logical way to entice Yan Zaizen''s manly and curious side, seeking to protect the beauty and prove the rumors wrong. She never really intended to go.


    However, he wasn''t a native of the territory and thus had no idea about the rumors. As for her words or schemes at the time, Yan Zaizen didn''t give a flying shit. One could clearly see why as to how the situation ended up. Even if Ying Zhihao didn''t take action, Yan Zaizen would''ve still been able to kill them both.


    The black hole at his glabella immediately started growing in size, sucking in more moonlight within the cove, even the rocks and water of the cove started to be drawn into it by the powerful suction force. The horrified voice sounded out once more, "What the hell is that thing?!"


    You see, this monster was a soul form without a physical body, consuming the vital energies of its victims with the intent of reforming its body. Regrettably, only weak individuals approached the cove and thus despite it being more than several decades, he wasn''t close to finishing his body. When he saw Yan Zaizen, he immediately used a soul art to attack and invade his soul with the intention to snuff it out, and we all know how that works out for anyone who tries.


    Even the Heavenly Annihilation Light had to run away!!


    "Wait! Wait!! Wait!!!" The voice tried to plead as its soul was sucked into the black hole. It couldn''t resist one bit and felt itself being drawn in. No matter how it screamed, begged, or tried to reason and apologize, the black hole was uncaring. His soul form was devoured as well as all the moonlight that sparkled in the cove.


    The soul form released rays of beautiful light, and if one looked closely, they could see a light similar to the Aurora Borealis formed within it. It had a beautiful silver-blue color, and within it was a small inky black shadow and a white flame that danced around each other like lovers.

 Chapter 40 - Aurora Soul

    It was morning when Yan Zaizen finally woke up. The sunlight shone in the cove in a similar way that the moonlight did. ¡°What...happened?!¡± Getting himself up, he realized that the surrounding walls were missing a few rocks here and there. The skyship seemed fine, but the formation shield he activated was gone. The first thing he did in his panic was to check the status of the ship because, without it, he had no way of getting to Xuanwu City on time.


    Thankfully, the skyship was fine, but the essence fuel reserves were completely gone. This bewildered him. He imagined something had attacked him and tried to destroy the shield, but could do nothing but completely deplete the fuel reserves. Therefore, he was safe. He didn¡¯t care about the fuel, he had essence in his possession to fuel this skyship dozens of times.


    As long as he was alive, what else mattered?


    ¡°Hm¡­¡± He felt that something was off. He couldn¡¯t quite put his finger on it, but something was different. Looking around, he didn¡¯t find anything out of place. Looking at his body, he had all of his clothes, his limbs, and hair. However, he just couldn¡¯t put his finger on it. He used his spiritual sense to see if there was anything in the surroundings, but when he did his eyes widened larger than they¡¯ve ever been before.


    ¡°Impossible!¡± He screamed. His spiritual sense was no longer limited to 3,000 meters. No, it could reach nearly 50,000 meters!!! The clarity of it was exceptional. He could feel every ounce of movement of the water, the grass, insects, or even the air. This was beyond unbelievable!


    ¡°But...how?!¡± He questioned.


    Wait.


    He checked his Soul Form and when he did, he realized there was a silver-blue Aurora Borealis floating snuggly within it. There was a black shadow and white flame circulating around each other like they were dancing partners. These were his conceptual laws! Wouldn¡¯t that mean...he broke through the Aurora Soul Realm?! How was that possible?


    Over the past few months, he¡¯s been progressing at such a fast speed that he found it unbelievable. It was like, a lifetime of misfortune would follow a lifetime of fortune. He looked at the Meteor Ring and attributed all of his increases to it. He felt that if that meteor never hit him, he would¡¯ve never reached this level in his lifetime.


    He entered the Meteor Ring, and when he did, he noticed an Aurora Borealis floating and lightning up this space. It was several thousand times larger than the one in his soul form, and it was extraordinarily beautiful. It seems the Meteor Ring and his soul was interconnected. Makes sense, it could only be used with soul energy and it couldn¡¯t be taken off. So, it¡¯s likely attached to his soul.


    Thinking up to here, he grabbed one of the books from before. As he held it, he had a strange sensation like he could take it with him. Acting on this, he focused his intentions and wrapped the book with his soul energy.


    It vanished.


    ¡°!!!¡± His mind was startled, and then an incomparable happiness surged in his eyes. He can finally take things out! He exited out of the ring and saw the book in his hand. He covered it with his soul energy once more and focused his intentions to send it into the ring.This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    It vanished.


    The book returned to the ring as if it was never in the real world.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± He felt an incomparable level of happiness and excitement at the moment. Not only did his soul break through the Aurora Realm, he can now take the fortune in the Meteor Ring as his own, and obtained a great fortune of a skyship and nearly an entire clan¡¯s wealth. He just felt so satisfied.


    After several hours of happy antics of laughter, chuckles, and hehes, he finally calmed down. He looked at the skyship with a little thought. Could he? He placed his hand on it, and it vanished. By now, his control over the removal and storage function of the ring has been thoroughly tested. The skyship can be stored and removed with a little bit of soul energy. He learned, regardless of size or essence emissions, it always used the same amount of soul energy.


    This meant he could store and retrieve the ship at a moment''s notice without any delay. This ring was beyond magical. Now, he had four months before he can return to Xuanwu City. During which, he can now cultivate in this location, and wouldn¡¯t have to worry about the skyship being spotted accidentally.


    ¡°Now, what should I begin with?¡± After he calmed down, he realized he had a ton of time to spare and resources to waste. Four months of continuous cultivation? Not only would he be seventeen, but his cultivation will rise to an incredibly high level.


    Unfortunately, his body cultivation had to be put on hold. The large reason was that that couldn¡¯t be sped up with resources, and required just time. Only after he reaches the Perfect Stage of the Nascent Herculean Physique will he be able to use resources to propel his cultivation. This was because the initial stage is about removing the limiters of the body and reconstructing the body into a complete Herculean, not enhancing the physique. That required time, time which he does not have.


    He didn¡¯t even think about soul cultivation. It was high, and even if he used the spirit essence material in the Meteor Ring for his cultivation, the amount of headway he could reach in four to five months would be minimal.


    Which left qi cultivation and conceptual law comprehension!


    Qi Cultivation is all about using resources to propel one¡¯s cultivation. While all forms of cultivation required resources, Qi Cultivation overall uses the most and had the most benefits generally speaking. Because it¡¯s pretty much linear for every cultivator, there¡¯s no great difference like there is in Body Cultivation or require incredibly high enlightenment like Soul Cultivation.


    He took out a mid-grade essence crystal from the Meteor Ring. His eyes lit up with avarice. When he first saw this, he was surprised. If to put it in perspective, the unrefined essence chair in the Great Serpentine Emporium was worth 1,000,000 drops of low-grade liquid essence. However, that was only a low-grade essence crystal. This mid-grade essence crystal was worth 100 low-grade essence crystal.


    That¡¯s right.


    100,000,000 drops of low-grade freaking liquid essence!!!


    With this alone, he was wealthy enough to go to an auction and buy everything. However, he decided to use this for cultivation. Despite being the same grade as the respective drops, it¡¯s completely different. Imagine a drop of water vs a diamond. The value was astronomically different, and that¡¯s the same for its effect. In terms of purity, essence concentration, and rarity, it was beyond any form of liquid essence could rival.


    Typically, low-grade essence drops were used for Qi Revolving and Essence Formation Cultivators. Mid-grade essence drops for Essence Formation and Qi Unification Cultivators. High-grade essence drops for Qi Unification and Origin Core Cultivators. In terms of essence crystals, only Origin Core and True Essence Cultivators would typically use them.


    Now he, at the half-step Essence Formation Realm, was planning to use it to enhance and solidify his cultivation base. Who could match his level of spendthrift?


    ¡°Time to get started!¡± Holding the crystal essence in hand, he could feel it radiating a pure form of essence he has never come across before. Anticipation colored his face, and he began.

 Chapter 41 - Falsities Abound

    Ying Clan¡¯s palatial manor, a group of old-aged individuals with profound cultivation bases and steady auras gathered.Ying Fenmian, his expression was incredibly unpleasant.Ying Sumian was kneeling on the floor right beside him, her expression filled with fear and marks that indicated her previous status as a torture victim.


    Ying Clan¡¯s skyship was  yet again, and both of their secure vaults had been robbed.everything was ,  that was rare and valuable was .Zaiji and Ying Yimian were missing.


    even in the clan yet, and  Ying Zhihao¡¯s plan would truly have worked if not for his miscalculation.determined his end.


    Ying Fenmian was the one that provided Yan Zaizen with the method, he was bearing a tremendous responsibility and pressure in regards to this matter.


    Ying Sumian was immediately captured and tortured.Zaizen into this and  had suggested offering him the method to pilot the skyship as assurance.Ying Sumian could¡¯ve robbed the  or grand .


    Ying Yimian promised to give a portion of the gains to at a rendezvous were tricked all the same.it¡¯s unlikely ¡¯ll confess to their part in  because their end wouldn''t be any better than Ying Yimian if  did so.


    Ying Yimian and Ying Zhihao truly left no clues that could be followed.Ying Clan didn''t possess massive clout in the city and many were willing to offend them for a fee.


    considers that they can change directions, hide out at a location, or leave the skyship somewhere and pave their journey with their feet.


    Zaizen had heard of the circumstances, he would have applauded them for their .


    future use.


    Ying Fenmian inwardly groaned at this.It¡¯s even likely that a few of these  here were in on , but no one said a single word.


    he could,  would slap each one of these   to death.


    thi-¡± One of the older males in the group spoke, wanting to point out that it was pointless.old woman interrupted with viciousness in her voice.


    put a tracker on the ship, just in case something like this was to happen again.show them how the Ying Clan deals with thieves! She looked raring to go, her eyes filled with malicious fire.Ying Fenmian knew that  was one of the few who got tricked into thinking ''d receive some profits from the vault , but unbeknownst to the skyship , one could imagine how much blood he would lose from anger.


    Ying Fenmian calmly said.first action?Unfortunately, he only knew of the incident in the morning, while the tracker was destroyed in the night.It was essentially impossible, even to locate where  originally was.


    just keeps getting worse by the minute.


    they couldn¡¯t help but swallow it.they didn¡¯t say anything else.they were hoping to still get resources, to capture the skyship back or simply didn¡¯t want to court death.


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    Ying Femian looked towards his brother, his eyes filled with fierce intent. He asked, but anyone who heard him knew  wanted to torture this brother of his as  believed  was also involved.


    Ying Sumian¡¯s father''s expression changed, but  was decisive.are our first and foremost priority.her for more information.kill .her. With that, Ying Sumian¡¯s expression dropped.She felt horrible.


    she was indeed knowledgeable about the event, but  didn¡¯t know Ying Yimian was going to steal anything but the skyship.she would then offer herself to be the replacement apology to He Shijing as his wife, rising in her status, despite her  talent.Ying Yimian screwed her.thieving of the skyship would''ve led to very little issues but a search, but how could the Ying Clan find her?Now, she was in this situation because of Ying Yimian''s .


    Ying Yimian¡¯s emergency crystal has been shattered!¡±heard this, their eyes widened in surprise.


    Ying Yimian did have a way to convey her situation to the clan.


    later, they arrived next at a grassy plain.Ying Zhihao¡¯s corpse and Ying Yimian¡¯s crippled form.saw her they couldn¡¯t  but want to .Ying Zhihao''s corpse, he had scratches all over his face, likely caused by Ying Yimian.


    Ying Yimian looked like she saw the miracle.had good expressions on their faces, but she didn¡¯t seem to mind, as if ignorant of the entire matter.couldn¡¯t help but be worried.killing her before she  speak, but doing so in front of Ying Fenmian was still the same as courting death.


    could only hope nothing incriminating would pop up.


    thankful after hearing what she had to say.


    Ying Zhihao used her desire to pilot the skyship as a lure.Zaiji had the method, Ying Zhihao convinced him to come and pilot his skyship since he owned it  to the Clan Lord.planned everything and they encountered no obstructions.She thought there was something wrong with Ying Zhihao''s actions, but   trusted him.immediately attacked and crippled  with the intention of ravaging  and ending her life.


    Zaiji used a trump card and killed Ying Zhihao.


    she also told them  didn¡¯t know the clan was robbed.say anything, for obvious reasons.Ying Fenmian felt what she said had some truth, but it still meant the clan had internal corruption.they couldn¡¯t really have an internal conflict because of this at the moment.


    Zaizen went,  searched but found nothing.taking one,  were once again at an impasse.


    They made a depressing discovery.


    shit was gone, and it wasn¡¯t coming back.

 Chapter 42 - Consecutive Breakthroughs!

    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t know what had just happened or the eternal hatred he had just formed with an entire clan, but he also wouldn''t care if he did. His priority, at the moment, was cultivating with his full undivided attention.


    With the mid-grade essence crystal, he focused refining it thoroughly. The pure essence entered from the pores into the myriad of meridians, surging through his pathways, and entering his dantian where it was converted into qi. However, its purity was so great that when he converted it, it was already at the qi-essence form. The purer, stronger, and overall greater form of qi.


    This discovery caused him to explode with jubilation. With this, it would essentially cut down his conversion time by several dozen times. This put the ¡®twice the results for half the effort'' saying to shame. Originally, he needed only 5% of his Qi to be converted into qi-essence because making a proper breakthrough to the Essence Formation Realm. By expelling his basic qi and converting the essence directly into qi-essence, he broke through the Essence Formation after a single day!


    If he keeps going at this rate, he should be able to reach 40% in two weeks and 100% in six weeks! 5% was the initial stage, 40% for the mid, 80% for late and 100% for the peak!


    When he¡¯s completed his conversion, he would be able to unify his qi with his dantian, allowing him to naturally produce qi-essence and use it in combat. If one used their qi-essence in the Essence Formation Realm, the power of their attacks would definitely be great, but it¡¯ll cause their cultivation to drop as a result. This is why many were unwilling to do so, letting dozens of years go to waste unless it was a life or death situation.


    Qi Unification Cultivators didn¡¯t need to worry about that. All the qi they produced was qi-essence.


    Despite this, the Qi Realms were divided into six core and three foundational realms. The first two foundational realms were significant dividers in determining the strong and weak amongst the Qi Unification Realm. This excludes one¡¯s art mastery or conceptual laws comprehended.


    The two foundational realms ¡ª Dantian Refinement & Pathway Expansion ¡ª which determined how durable and the amount of energy your dantian and pathways can contain. This would play largely into one¡¯s endurance and qi output in their arts.


    Some arts required massive quantities of qi to execute, with a stronger dantian and larger pathway, one would have the reserves and be able to execute it quickly without worry about damage to one¡¯s foundation. However, the resources required to cultivate these two things were exceptionally expensive. At least, not a single person in the Yan Clan had been able to reach the peak stages in both before ascending to the Qi Unification Realm.


    Yan Zaizen intended doing just that.


    Weeks passed by.


    Initial-Essence Formation!


    Mid-Essence Formation!


    Late-Essence Formation!!


    Peak-Essence Formation!!!


    His breakthroughs were exceptionally easy with the stone at hand and only took time. Now, each foundation realm was divided into the four stages, initial, mid, late, and peak with their own identifying markers. When he broke-through to the peak-Essence Formation, he didn¡¯t even use 5% of the mid-grade crystal essence. The worth of this one crystal could cover a century of Yan Clan¡¯s expenses and then some. Not to mention, he had more in his ring.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do this!¡± He gritted his teeth. He could see it now, when he returned back to the clan, when he saw Ya Qinqan or sees those mocking faces, they would be thoroughly surprised at his transformation. As for his parents, he couldn''t wait to tell him about his adventures. When he recalled his parents grave, he couldn''t help but be overwhelmed with emotions. It took him quite a while before he could refocus himself and continue with the refinements.


    He refined his dantian first.


    Initial-Dantian Refinement!


    Mid-Dantian Refinement!


    Late-Dantian Refinement!!


    Peak-Dantian Refinement!!!


    He could feel that his dantian was improving with each step and the energy he could contain was growing. When he reached the initial-stage, his dantian could already contain two times the amount of qi than before. The mid-stage was five times the amount of qi! The late-stage rose to ten times! The peak-stage rose to thirteen times!! In combat, the reason many cultivators lose in combat amongst their equals was due to their differing endurance and qi pacing. Now, he reached the absolute peak in endurance!


    He could store thirteen times more qi than before. Of course, the amount of qi-essence he possessed was a fraction of that amount, but it won¡¯t be that way when he can unify his cultivation and start producing essence-qi naturally. The empty space would quickly fill up with powerful essence-qi.


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    Next was Pathway Expansion. This also helped increase the resilience of the meridians but focuses a majority of its attention on the qi pathways. It was a general rule of thumb that when one reaches a certain level of dantian refinement, it was suggested to do the same for Pathway Expansion. That meant the peak!


    Initial-Pathway Expansion!


    His pathway expanded in size while being coated with a thicker layer of fleshy walls. His meridians were enlarged allowing more energy to be generated and expelled from it. This would also make it more durable when absorbing essence, which would directly relate to his future cultivation speed as well as recovery speed after a battle.


    Mid-Pathway Expansion!


    Late-Pathway Expansion!!


    Peak-Pathway Expansion!!!


    He could feel his entire body elevate to another level. When he looked at the mid-grade crystal, just over half of it was used. When he saw this, he realized why no one had ever reached the peak-foundation realms in the Yan Clan. The number of resources that would be required was far too great unless one had the incredibly rare essence crystals.


    If this mid-grade crystal was revealed to the world, he imagined the entire country would fight for it. It may even be beneficial for Origin Core Cultivators to breakthrough to the True Essence Realm, developing actual true-essence in their dantian.


    He couldn¡¯t help but sigh and look at the Meteor Ring. This thing has been his most fortunate finding in his entire life, and the resources within it haven¡¯t even been remotely used. He wondered where it all came from, and which type of god did it belong to. Would it bring him misfortune down the line?


    He took a deep breath and rid himself of those ill-thoughts and a wad of turbid air. Regrettably, he wouldn¡¯t be able to break-through the Qi Unification Realm at this moment. The four-month limit was over, and his cultivation session now done. It was time for him to go home, but first, to Xuanwu City!


    His future plans:


    Go to Xuanwu City, use the Spatial Platform to Zhu Que City, and travel via skyship to the Meteorite City. After arriving, show in great grandeur and shock the world with the new him!


    His current appearance was no longer skinny, but he was now just slightly thin with a well-defined muscular frame. His eyes shone with a vibrant lifeforce that had a trace of life law. Over the course of the four months, Yan Zaizen¡¯s conceptual law of life ascended to the Force-Level, containing a trace of the true law of life.


    It wasn¡¯t simply that. His conceptual law of death also ascended to the perfect Nascent level almost flawlessly. It feeds off life force, and thus got stronger and stronger as time went on by siphoning from the Unyielding Flame of Life. The Nascent-level was about developing one¡¯s main concept, such as the concept emitted by the Inky Black Wood, and Yan Zaizen has reached the zenith in terms of that.


    After one¡¯s concept had fully formed, they retrace back to their ancestors, the true law they originate from. They contain a trace of true law, allowing them to grow stronger and bringing out more power of that individual concept. When one reaches the required amount of comprehension towards the trace of true law, they can touch the Manifestation-level.


    With this, they could manifest their conceptual law and affect certain laws in the world. After the manifestation-level reaches perfection, they could produce a domain that only allows their laws to exist.


    There was a rule amongst the supreme cultivators of the world: While in another''s domain, your life and death no longer belonged to you. Essentially, they are the absolute king of their domain. The last level of laws represented the absolute control of your law, the Sovereign-level.


    Yan Zaizen had only taken the first step into the world of laws, by comprehending a trace of the life law and integrating it into his conceptual law. Now, he¡¯ll require more and more enlightenment. He could tell that the distance his conceptual law of death had to the Force-level was massive. Despite this, he still intended to comprehend these two conceptual laws wholeheartedly.


    He felt like he had his path, and he wanted to follow it to the end. Taking a deep breath, he looked towards Xuanwu City. For some reason, he felt like the sky was filled with blood and screams of agony. However, this sky filled with blood and agony was exceptionally far away. He could see silhouettes of figures on their knees, begging for mercy, and a dazzling female figure filled with desolation and regret.


    However, when he blinked, the sky was normal as if none of it ever occurred. After witnessing that scene, even for a moment, he felt incredibly odd. As if destiny was calling him.


    ¡°Did I...naw, it was just my imagination.¡± He muttered to himself in comfort.

 Chapter 43 - Returning to Xuanwu City

    In Xuanwu City.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± A middle-aged man asked, his expression filled with tiredness and solemnity. He looked towards the two girls beside him. One of them was an astounding beauty but looked a little pale, her aura shaky with a hint of instability and her body seemed frail. The other had glasses and had an expression of extreme indifference. Her cultivation was non-existent, obviously having been wasted. Unlike the beauty, she wasn''t given heavenly materials to restore her cultivation after being crippled.


    These two girls were Ying Yimian and Ying Sumian respectively.


    Ying Fenmian felt a headache whenever he looked at these two girls. Currently, the Ying Clan was in a disastrous state. The majority of its resources was taken, many members were corrupt, and they had become a laughing stock of the entire Sky Titan City. Luckily, they didn¡¯t lose all their support.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯ll be here.¡± An auburn-haired handsome youth walked forward and said casually as if he wasn¡¯t worried about being wrong. He was He Shijing. When he looked towards Ying Yimian, his eyes couldn¡¯t help but display a bit of anger. Initially, he intended to marry this beautiful girl, but someone wasted her cultivation.


    This was not giving him, He Shijing, the He Clan Lord designate, any face. Unfortunately, that person was dead and couldn¡¯t be tortured, but the other one was still breathing. Even if he wasn''t directly responsible, his rage was flared all the same.


    ¡°Han Zaiji will arrive.¡± His words were filled with confidence. However, if he was wrong, who would care? No one could bring it up with him, they weren¡¯t worthy, especially not the current Ying Clan. He simply said it to comfort Ying Yimian.


    Ying Sumian simply stayed silent. However, Ying Yimian got physically closer to He Shijing, grasping his hands into her own. One could tell that she accepted him wholeheartedly from her stance. Not to mention, it seemed that she was distancing herself from her father.


    When Ying Yimian was found, she was already crippled. The Ying Clan nor her Father were willing to use the last bit of their resources for her recovery. This frustrated her. Although she did betray the clan, they didn¡¯t have any proof! They used nonsensical reasons to deny her recovery, and of course, this originated from the many elders she cheated.


    Then He Shijing came along.


    With a snap of his fingers, he allocated his clan¡¯s resources, and she was restored in a months time. She regained her former cultivation, and her body was recovered somewhat. However, the trade-off was marrying He Shijing. She accepted, of course. Who could accept being a cripple? That¡¯s the same as asking someone who lost their legs if they were willing to marry a billionaire who can help them restore them.


    Who wouldn¡¯t?!


    What detriments do you have? In the cultivation world, status and strength were important, and He Shijing was a Clan Lord designate of a first-tier clan. All of its resources were funneled into his cultivation, and he will definitely be one of the strongest in his clan when he grows up, if not the strongest in his entire clan.


    Originally, she felt her potential and plan was sufficient and thus unwilling to settle for just him, but after the events that happened, she felt defeated and her thoughts changed. Not to mention, her anger for Ying Zhihao couldn¡¯t be released because he was already dead. However, Han Zaiji was not, and felt he was partly responsible for her defeat. Even if it didn''t make a lick of sense.


    Seeing his daughter act this way towards He Shijing, Ying Fenmian couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. After rescuing her, he could feel that she was heavily involved in this matter, and if misfortune hadn¡¯t hit her, she would probably be outside enjoying the clan¡¯s wealth in full while they scrambled for sand without pockets. He couldn¡¯t believe he raised someone like this.


    ¡°If he said he will come to the Xuanwu City for the spatial platform, then he should be here today. He shouldn¡¯t be expecting us. We¡¯ll trap him, get what belongs to us back, and give him a despicable end.¡± He Shijing said as if he was a god, determining the future with a single word.


    ¡°You¡¯re right. Not to mention, if he plans to come with the skyship, it¡¯ll be noticed. We already have people on the lookout. A skyship can¡¯t be stored in spatial rings or bags, and therefore he¡¯ll either leave it closeby or come with it.¡± Ying Fenmian deduced. They even had a special technique to sense the types of formations on a skyship, if it''s nearby, it¡¯ll be honed on immediately.


    ¡°With Nine Qi Unification Cultivators, 180 Essence Formation Cultivators, and a rank seven formation set up. He¡¯ll have no escape, regardless of his trump cards.¡± He Shijing stated. From what Ying Yimian told them, Han Zaiji used a talisman that killed an initial-Qi Unification cultivator like Ying Zhihao. If that¡¯s the case, they just had to be wary of that and other unknown capabilities. They prepared to the teeth, mainly because the resources of the clan was worth it.


    While they were scouting for Yan Zaizen, he was already nearby. He didn¡¯t need to use the skyship to fly into the city. He felt it was too conspicuous and may cause issues if others were looking for it. He was already starting to think with caution. After being pulled along, forced into a few situations, and schemed against multiple times, his vigilance rose up, and he thought three times about everything.


    When he arrived, he found something strange. With his immensely powerful spiritual sense derived from his Aurora Soul, he could feel the presence of a massive amount of Qi Unification and Essence Formation cultivators in Xuanwu City. He found this odd. There could be justification for it if they were all going somewhere due to the spatial platform activating today, but a few were spread out constantly looking about as if watching. The others were crowded together in the city in wait, these cultivatorss obviously seemed to be waiting for the spatial platform to activate.


    His brows furrowed when he saw this. Could it be the Ying Family? How could they know he was going to¡­?


    Wait.


    He remembered when Ying Sumian requested him to help the Ying Clan, at that time he said he couldn¡¯t because he had to take the spatial platform in five months. ¡°Shit...So they set up a trap for me?¡± After thinking up to here, his eyes flashed with a vicious killing intent.


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    No one will stop him from getting home, even if it was an army. His first thoughts weren''t to take the skyship and ride home, no, he waited four months for this, if he took that route, it would still take too long for him. Not to mention, he had no love for the Ying Clan at this moment.


    Oh?


    He noticed a person was flying towards his direction rather casually. When he scanned the person with his power spiritual sense, it shuddered slightly and slowed down. Afterward, it sped up towards his direction.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up in surprise. That was Wu Yuanxu! The personage of the Anima Syndicate and Great Serpentine Emporium. He waited for his arrival. His current location was pretty isolated. Wu Yuanxu must¡¯ve found his location due to the soul jade fluctuation. He didn¡¯t put that into his Meteor Ring for the express purpose of finding Wu Yuanxu. However, at that time, he didn''t realize a trap was being set for him.


    When Wu Yuanxu arrived, his expression was quite solemn. There was a trace of hesitation and fear in his eyes. As he was flying over, an incredibly invasive spiritual sense that invaded his every existence swept out. This spiritual sense must either originate from a power soul art or an incredibly profound soul cultivation. Either way, it startled him.


    Following the soul jade fluctuation, he intended to find Yan Zaizen and warn him before he entered the city. After learning of the news with his status, how the Ying Clan and He Clan was hunting a Han Zaiji, he knew it was Yan Zaizen due to their earlier interaction. He couldn¡¯t just let his friend¡¯s disciple perish. So when he saw Yan Zaizen, his eyes lit up with relief.


    ¡°It seems you¡¯re okay.¡± He said, his voice vigilant.


    Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but smile at Wu Yuanxu¡¯s tone. This individual had the soul cultivation at the Advanced Nascent Soul, which was far inferior to his own, but he couldn¡¯t help but have a good impression towards this old man. He answered quite a few questions earlier and even gave him a huge benefit in selling his goods.


    ¡°Of course, Senior-Uncle Yuan. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡± He asked. In truth, Yan Zaizen was a little infuriated. Sure, he stole a massive amount of the Ying Clan¡¯s wealth, but who told them to try to convince him to marry a conniving bitch? If she didn¡¯t try scheming her way out, he would¡¯ve just taken the skyship, what he was already owed. Perhaps, when he grew up, he¡¯d have come back and take Ying Yimian as his second or third wife out of guilt or give her some resources as an apology.


    However, this girl was too devilish. She used her looks and intelligence to convince and lure in numerous Ying Clan members to betray the clan for profit or other reasons. Moreover, she intended to leave the clan high and dry, and everyone who assisted her would be desolate traitors. He didn¡¯t regret not killing her directly though, because even if he did, the Ying Clan would still be here because of Ying Sumian. She still deserved to live as a cripple for her betrayal towards the Ying Clan.


    Death was too easy for her. Yan Zaizen despised traitors the most.


    ¡°The Ying Clan and He Clan set up a trap for you inside Xuanwu City.¡± He stated, confirming Yan Zaizen¡¯s suspicions. He wasn¡¯t too concerned. Nothing was going to stop him from using the Spatial Platform if he could.


    ¡°Has the Earthly Titan Sect closed off the Spatial Platform? Are they allowing people to enter?¡± He inquired. If the Earthly Titan Sect was backing those two clans, his situation would be dire. In which case, he may as well just leave and take the long route home. He can''t use it if it wasn''t being opened, so what''s the point?


    ¡°No. If you get to the spatial platform, I¡¯ll be able to activate it for you, and send you to Zhu Que City.¡± He said, obviously he had massive power over the Spatial Platform in the city. This delighted Yan Zaizen. If that was the case, then he can go.


    ¡°However, they have set up a blockade, unless you bypass it, it¡¯ll be impossible for you to enter the city. There¡¯s even a rank seven formation, it¡¯ll be powered by many cultivators, no matter what, they¡¯re intent on capturing or killing you.¡± His words had a dire tone to it as if this was an impossible mission.


    With the number of Qi Unification cultivators inside the city and Essence Formation Cultivators, not to mention the rank seven that could rival an Origin Core Realm expert.


    However, Yan Zaizen eyes flashed with increasing murderous intent. ¡°They set up all of that for me? Oh, how nice of a welcoming gift.¡± His tone was filled with anger. He didn¡¯t have any pleasant feelings towards the Earthly Titan Sect or its subordinate clans.


    One must remember, he was born in the Yan Clan. The Yan Clan are enemies with the Earthly Titan Sect and Vanishing Fiend Sect due to their allies was the Soaring Cloud Sect and Water Veil Sect. So if a subordinate clan wanted to go against him, so be it.


    He¡¯ll take not only their possessions; he¡¯ll also take their lives


    ¡°Good. Go, I''ll be there soon. Ready it for my arrival.¡± He said, his tone almost imperious, his eyes sharp, and his aura dominant.


    Wu Yuanxu was surprised. He remembered a few months ago how Yan Zaizen was. He was a person who was rather childish and naive, but it seems like his eyes were opening to the world of cultivation. He may not have fully formed his own cultivation path, but he could see it. He nodded, ¡°Be careful. If you can¡¯t, it¡¯s fine if you wait next year.¡± With that last piece of advice, he took off.


    Yan Zaizen looked towards the city gates that seemed so tall before, but now it seemed shorter and climbable. ¡°They want to hinder me from going home? I¡¯ll teach them a lesson they¡¯ll never forget.¡± He was unwilling to be pushed around any longer, it was about time people realized the consequences of thinking he could.


    He started to walk slowly towards the gate with full view, not hiding from the perceptions of others. Each step seemed to contain a trace of faint aurora-like light.

 Chapter 44 - Pawn No More, Formulating Ones Dao

    After reaching the Aurora Soul Realm, Yan Zaizen learned that his soul energy was no longer ethereal in essence, but was now corporeal and can interact with objects. With this, he could use his soul energy to do something similar to telekinetic control. Typically, one could move objects by using one¡¯s Qi, but it''s not really strong and its relative to one¡¯s cultivation base. However, by using this corporeal telekinetic force, he can launch soul attacks as well as control objects to an even finer and greater degree.


    He took a deep breath, and the wind around him surged wildly. The atmosphere changed as if emitting a formless dao. This dao was imperious and unyielding in its desire for self-control, self-choice, and decisive actions. This dao seemed to resonate with the world essence and changed its quality.


    He remembered Han Genji, how confident he was as he stared at individuals as if they were chickens ready to reaped at his leisure, and how decisive he was. If you offend me, I¡¯ll grant you suffering that was worse than death! If you plot against me, I¡¯ll make it my life mission to end you!!


    He lost his lover and dedicated his life to eradicating all those who were responsible. If you ally with those responsible? He¡¯ll eliminate you too. As long as I breathe, you will not have a good night sleep.


    As he walked, his aura attracted attention from those nearby.


    ¡°Who¡¯s that? He seems like trouble.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s only at the peak-Essence Formation Realm, but he seems like he¡¯s ready to go against the world.¡±


    ¡°Those eyes...I¡¯m scared, mommy!¡±


    Many individuals who were waiting for entry into the city couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Their voices filling the air as he walked passed them. One of the Essence Formation cultivators on the lookout for Yan Zaizen saw him approaching the gate, his eyes widened with surprise. He immediately pulled out a short-range transmission stone, sending out a message to all those who had similar stones, and it said: ¡°He¡¯s at the western gate!¡±


    Almost immediately, surging auras of all types of strength appeared and shot viciously towards the gate. However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even flinch at the surge. His eyes narrowed, and his qi-cultivation base rotated. He made a shout backed by its power, ¡°If you do not want to die. Stand! Down!¡± His words were filled with killing intent and authority.


    However, when the auras approaching heard these words, none of them stopped. Instead, they rushed even quicker. Their eyes filled with anger and rage. Who was he to determine if they needed to stand down? Who was he to say they would die?! Fool!!!


    Yan Zaizen did not give another warning.


    An essence formation cultivator at the late-stage dashed forward with an earth-rank sword at hand, his eyes flashing with avarice and anger. He was the one who sent the warning message, and if he could kill or severely injury Yan Zaizen, he would receive a merit that would help him push towards the Qi Unification Realm. He had to seize this chance.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even put this imbecile in his eyes. With a wave of his hand, a telekinetic pulse surged out flashing with silver-blue light. Its speed was so quick that perhaps even an Origin Core Cultivators wouldn¡¯t be able to see it properly. When it hit him, his body exploded into a splash of gore as if he was hit by a high-speed contact-grenade. Before he did, his soul flame and form was wiped out thoroughly.


    It didn¡¯t stop there, six more Essence Formation cultivators of varying levels got into a formation to amplify their powers, the one in the lead launched an incredibly powerful manifestation of fire in the shape of a sword. As it approached it heated up the surroundings. This strike could even threaten Qi Unification Cultivators, but to Yan Zaizen?


    He waved his hand, sending out a telekinetic pulse like before, it collided with the sword of fire, causing it to explode out of existence, but the pulse of energy didn¡¯t simply stop there. As it was flying in mid-air, Yan Zaizen waved his hand once more, re-directing it towards the center of the formation. It smashed fiercely on the ground, releasing a burst of fragmented aurora lights that sent the cultivators flying away.


    When they landed, not one of them had their lives. Each of their bodies limp, their souls eradicated.


    He kept walking slowly towards the gates, his eyes calm, and aura surging outwards. Trying to bully him with numbers? Foolish.


    After that, the Essence Formation cultivators were surprised. They communicated with each other and decided to only launch long-range powerful strikes. Unfortunately, these attacks would even harm the surrounding innocents who hadn¡¯t escaped out of range yet. This caused Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes to sparkle with killing intent like never before.


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    ¡°Dare to hurt others when dealing with me? Do you even have the time?!¡± He shouted violently. His body exploded in torrential silver-blue light, and like thin strings of light, they shot towards each Essence Formation Cultivator¡¯s glabella so accurately that it as if it was being done surgically.


    Before they could release their attacks, each and every one of them lost their lives. A small hole burrowed into their cranium, leaking out blood and brain matter.


    Finally, the Qi Unification Cultivators arrived. When they witnessed this scene, they were shocked. At least thirty Essence Formation that was on watch at the gate was dead before they could even arrive. They must¡¯ve taken no less than ten seconds!!


    Their expressions were solemn. They were contemplating their plan of action. None of them reached their cultivation by being rash and jumping into a situation they couldn¡¯t figure out.


    However, how would Yan Zaizen give them that time? His eyes glowed with an aurora light. Since they were in mid-air, why shouldn¡¯t he be? He lightly smashed his right foot on the ground, propelling himself upwards, and when he ascended to their height, his body suddenly stopped. Essence Formation Cultivators can temporarily levitate, but they can¡¯t maintain that height for long.


    Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t using his qi cultivation base to achieve this flight, but his soul cultivation base to maintain his flight. His body glowed with a silver-blue light. He gave them one warning, they choose this. He had no mercy left.


    Dozens of tendrils of Aurora-based light surged outwards at speeds that were incomprehensible for all but the most elite Qi Unification Realm Cultivators. There were only six Qi Unification Cultivators on the scene, and they were certainly not elites. Some weren¡¯t even at the mid-stage of the realm.


    Their eyes shone with fear and panic. They attempted to run, but the aurora-light tendrils were simply too fast. They were wrapped up, restrained and they felt a pressure on their souls. They felt they couldn¡¯t even properly circulate their qi, and the qi they could move wasn¡¯t sufficient to break out of these tendrils formed from Aurora-based soul energy.


    Three Qi Unification Cultivators appeared at the eastern gate, carried with them were He Shijing, Ying Yimian, and Ying Sumian. Ying Fanmian was one of the Qi Unification, and the other two were the old men Yan Zaizen saw when he first met He Shijing. When they saw the scene, their eyes widened, and their mouths agape in shock.


    A peak-Essence Formation Cultivator with a body cultivation at the peak-Qi Revolving Realm was flying in the mid-air, tendrils extended from his body and restrained six Qi Unification Cultivators to the point they couldn¡¯t even speak.


    Yan Zaizen saw these six arrive, and his eyes turned vicious. He wanted to just go home, but they dared set up a blockade to prevent him from doing so. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t like any of them. This Ying Fenmian, Ying Sumian, and Ying Yimian wanted to use him as a pawn for their own schemes. As for He Clan, he simply didn¡¯t like He Shijing. He didn¡¯t really need a reason. He just hated how he looked at him - like he was insignificant.


    The mocking gaze contained that was oh-so-familiar to him. You dare look at me like that? Then, you don¡¯t treasure your life.


    Ying Fenmian was the first one to speak up, ¡°Wait! We can talk this out!¡± He saw the situation develop and knew he wasn¡¯t Yan Zaizen¡¯s match; he had no intentions of getting closer. As for relying on the Earthly Titan Sect¡¯s Xuanwu City¡¯s representative to act, that was dreaming. Before they started this, it had been mentioned that not a single official member of Xuanwu City will interfere.


    At the time, this was obviously something he wanted because Yan Zaizen had their entire clan¡¯s fortune. If the Xuanwu City dealt with him and took it, saying they couldn¡¯t find it, it would be their own loss. Now, he regretted making such a compromise.

 Chapter 45 - A New Powerhouse!

    Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t an unreasonable individual with no sense of mercy. He looked at Ying Fenmian, ¡°Fine. All of you, cripple your cultivation.¡± His words were decisive. Not letting them off with an apology or leaving room for discussion. They wanted to capture and kill him! They wanted to use him as a pawn! They should already be happy for this act of mercy.


    However, when He Shijing heard that and his expression turned livid. He shouted viciously, ¡°Activate the Formation!¡±


    ¡°Wait!!¡± Ying Fenmian tried to stop He Shijing from acting, but the people controlling the formation were from the He Clan, not the Ying Clan.


    A brilliant light illuminated the skies. Yan Zaizen looked at this formation and found that there were 36 stones floating above, resonating and connecting, producing an exquisite formation. ¡°A rank seven formation¡­¡±


    He thought for a second and then spoke, ¡°Fine. Then, die.¡± With a thought, the tendrils clenched, the soul flames and forms of the Qi Unification cultivators were immediately snuffed out of existence. Their bodies went limb, and their final gazes held untold hatred towards not only Yan Zaizen but He Shijing.


    ¡°A formation requires all pieces, remove one piece, and it''s impossible to activate at its full power. The most direct way of doing so is by overpowering the formation to eliminate an essential part of it.¡± He thought from his earlier studies on formation in the Yan Clan. Typically, the foundation of this never changes. This is why he was capable of destroying the tracking formation by shattering its foundation with force.


    The same applies here, no matter how high ranked.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHH!!!¡± He screamed, mustering up a massive amount of soul energy that produced hundreds of tendrils. They didn¡¯t stop at that, while the others gawked at these aurora-like tendrils of light, they fused together into one. As they did, each tendril became larger and larger until it turned into one massive tendril. This tendril looked as if it had the Aurora Borealis inside of it, and it was breathtakingly beautiful.


    The onlookers were shocked, and deep within Xuanwu City an elderly woman had a very solemn expression. She was the elder of the Earthly Titan Sect that was assigned to act as overseer and City Lord of Xuanwu City. Her cultivation base was extraordinarily profound, at the Origin Core Realm! When she saw the tendril, she felt imminent danger to herself. She felt that this tendril could bring her fatal harm. Inwardly, she was terrified.


    As an Origin Core expert, how could she not be knowledgeable about soul cultivators? After one reaches the Perfect Nascent Soul, which rivaled a weak origin core cultivator, they can ascend to the Aurora Soul. The Aurora Soul could rival a peak-Origin Core Realm practitioner, but what¡¯s different between the Nascent Soul and Aurora Soul, was that the Aurora Soul could become corporeal, possesses extraordinary telekinetic prowess, and can exhibit raw power similar to a weak-O C.


    If Yan Zaizen were to use Pneuma Disruption, the attack could, if used properly, eliminate all those under the True Essence Realm. As of right now, he had only made use of the corporeal ability of the Aurora Realm, and thus his strength was capable of sweeping all those under the Origin Core Realm.


    Her eyes revealed a trace of fear and panic. Someone at this level of power would be a powerhouse in the entire country of Presba! What made her scared wasn''t because of the battle outside, but what made her panic, was that he used the name ''Han Zaiji'', which meant he was connected to Han Genji. If he learned that Han Genji was dealt with by both the Soaring Cloud Sect and Earthly Titan Sect jointly due to their greed, despite their differences, would he act against them in the future?


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    However, what could she do but hope that day doesn¡¯t come? "I could..." Her eyes glinted with a malicious thought.


    Back at the battle, the enlarged tendril shot towards the sky rending the sky with its power. It collided fiercely with one of the formation stones. Initially, the formation resisted the forceful strike. This gave all those below hope, but then the stone started to crack before their eyes due to the strain.


    Yan Zaizen released another thundering roar. A second tendril the same size as the one attacking formed suddenly and shot out. It reinforced the first in its assault. The moment this occurred, the formation looked as it reached a critical point, and it completely shattered the stone into nothing. Perhaps if the formation was formulated by Qi Unification Cultivators and not Essence Formation Cultivators, the formation wouldn''t have been so easy to destroy.


    After its destruction, the formation exploded and the people managing the formation all suffered rebound.


    Unfortunately, those in the Essence Formation Realm exploded from the rebound. Their lives ended. The blood surged into the skies, and some of them screamed harshly, unwilling to yield to death, but alas, they died all the same.


    The sky was filled with bits of organs, blood, and screams of unwillingness. Nearly 50 Essence Formation Cultivators operated the formation, and they all died violently from the rebound. The formation collapsed. Bits and pieces of it landing on the ground harmlessly.


    Yan Zaizen felt exhaustion of the soul, but his qi and vital energies were still vibrant as ever. He Shijing was surprised at what was happening, he was contemplating leaving, but then he saw Yan Zaizen tired out of his mind taking deep breaths to adjust. He roaringly ordered one of his Qi Unification Henchmen, ¡°Kill him while he¡¯s weak!¡±


    Hearing this, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were eerily calm. He looked at He Shijing from a distance, his gaze staring at all that he was and all that he is. Now, It was all that he will ever be.


    ¡°Die.¡±


    A surge of soul energy shot forward at speeds that even Origin Core Cultivators couldn¡¯t react to. It was Pneuma Disruption! The last thing he saw was Yan Zaizen looking at him, judging him, and deeming him unfit to live. His soul flame was snuffed out, and his body lost its support like a puppet cut of its strings.


    The two Qi Unification Cultivators were surprised. Witnessing this, they panicked, and one of them took off immediately. Clearly, he had no intention of dying today. As for the other, he looked towards Yan Zaizen solemnly. He cupped his hands and said a few words, ¡°I apologize if I have offended you. Please spare me.¡±


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Yan Zaizen only snorted in response, his eyes looking towards the Qi Unification Cultivator who was fleeing in the distance.


    Pneuma Disruption!


    His flying body fell from the sky and landed harshly on the ground with a soft thud. Seeing this, everyone in the crowd was shocked. This guy...he was a monster!!


    However, he didn¡¯t slay the one who begged for his life. Seeing this, the old man bowed courteously, giving thanks before taking off. Everyone was waiting with bated breath for his death, but he successively fled the scene. However, before he left completely, he had released a soft grunt that caused him to pause mid-air, and then he continued onwards.


    Yan Zaizen was not one to execute someone who begged for their life, especially if they didn''t directly take action towards him. However, how could he just let him off like that? He used a weakened Pneuma Disruption to damage his soul as punishment for his actions. He turned towards those of the Ying Clan, his eyes looked towards them with hellish indifference.

 Chapter 46 - Unexpected Event

    Ying Fenmian felt a chill run down his spine when he saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze. How could he have ever predicted things would turn out this way? In truth, he did have the intentions of finding and killing Yan Zaizen for his actions of leaving his daughter to die and robbing the clan. However, now he simply regretted it all. Several Qi Unification elders of the Ying Clan lost their lives as well as many elites at the Essence Formation. With the loss of the Ying Clan¡¯s wealth, their mission failed to retrieve it, and the death of the He Clan Leader-designate ¡ª He Shijing ¡ª it¡¯s impossible for the Ying Clan to survive this.


    Ying Sumian, however, was feeling complex. The Ying Clan crippled her, and she had no good feelings towards the He Clan. Originally, she wanted to marry He Shijing, but because of Ying Yimian¡¯s treachery, she was crippled instead. If it wasn¡¯t for that, she would probably turn around and strangle the life out of Ying Yimian¡¯s body with her own hands.


    Therefore, she was complex over the course of events but relatively calm. If Yan Zaizen killed her, it would be the same as living now.


    Ying Yimian, on the other hand, was terrified. She just watched the support she was reliant on killed with a single glance. Her legs were weak, and she realized that the reason Ying Zhihao was dead is that he simply wasn¡¯t Yan Zaizen¡¯s match, not a talisman or whatever. She had thoughts of submitting to Yan Zaizen using her beauty, but when she looked at his indifferent gaze, she knew that¡¯ll be the same as courting death.


    Yan Zaizen was contemplating what to do with these three. ¡°Cripple her,¡± he said, pointing towards Ying Yimian while looking at Ying Fenmian, ¡°Then, cripple yourself.¡± His words contained a formless aura of authority. It was as if a King had made a decree, do it or die!


    Ying Fenmian paled, but after some thought, he calmed himself down. With a decisive gaze, he grabbed Ying Yimian who was too scared to even run and slammed a palm at her newly repaired dantian. A surge of energy shattered it once more and then severed her pathways once more. It was easier to do so he put far more energy than necessary. She spat out several mouthfuls of blood, shrieked harshly, and lost consciousness.


    He noticed he went too harsh on her and couldn¡¯t help but feel a little apologetic towards this daughter of his. However, upon realizing this entire event occurred because of her unwillingness to marry He Shijing, and then she agreed anyway, he felt a little better.


    Taking a deep breath, he caused the qi-essence in his dantian to explode, sending waves of energy that shattered his dantian, severed his pathways and damaged his meridians. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his expression paled, and he could barely stand. Despite this, he didn¡¯t scream despite the monstrous level of pain he was feeling. He simply looked at Yan Zaizen with a gaze pleading for mercy.


    Yan Zaizen lightly nodded at this decisiveness. In truth, he intended to kill both of them, but after some thought, he felt it was too merciful for them.


    He felt exhausted. He took flight, traveling towards the spatial platform in the city. The spiritual exhaustion felt so horrible, and he simply wanted to rest his soul.


    Wait.


    He noticed something was happening around him. Wisps of virtually invisible smoke floated around him, and one by one they entered his glabella. ¡°What?!¡± He found this to be quite strange. However, his spiritual exhaustion started to decrease considerably. Taking a more thorough look, he analyzed his soul form to notice that the wisps were traveling to the black spot on his soul form.


    Before, he couldn¡¯t even see these wisps, but now he could see them like air in the cold. It was faint, but he could see it. When he took a closer look, his eyes widened in shock! They were the soul forms of those he killed, and they radiated an odd soul energy. When they entered the black dot on his soul form¡¯s glabella, they disappeared and his soul exhaustion weakened.


    In the last battle, several cultivators had soul cultivation at the initial-Nascent Soul Realm, and just like Ying Zhihao, their soul forms exited their bodies and entered his glabella. But, unlike before, he could perceive them clearly and could clearly feel its effects. As they entered his soul, he could feel it strengthening as well as restoring his soul energy.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Opening his eyes, he touched his glabella but didn¡¯t feel anything. He didn¡¯t know why this thing appeared on his soul or why it could devour the soul forms of others that he killed, but it could. Did this mean he could¡­? Was this how his soul enhanced so quickly? He couldn¡¯t help but think. However, he felt it was the logical conclusion.


    Taking a deep breath, he felt that even if he thought about it, the mystery wouldn¡¯t be solved. He can, however, absorb the soul forms of those he killed and recover his exhausted soul energy as a result. The refining of the souls was relatively quick, by the time he reached the spatial platform, all the soul form wisps were thoroughly devoured.


    He no longer felt spiritually exhausted. He just felt slightly tired.


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    ¡°You¡­¡± When he arrived, Wu Yuanxu was there with widened eyes. As someone who was apart of the Anima Syndicate, how could he not know the significance of all the previous events? An Aurora Soul! Even in the entire country of Presba, that was a soul cultivation that could determine the lives of countless and stand at the peak.


    Yan Zaizen smiled at his reaction. ¡°I¡¯ll be troubling Senior Uncle.¡± Naturally, he was referring to the Spatial Platform. As he said this, he noticed something, looking upwards. There on a tall building stood an elderly woman with a profound cultivation base at the Origin Core Realm. She must be the representative for the Xuanwu City. Since she didn¡¯t interfere in the previous events, it meant she didn¡¯t want to get involved. He couldn¡¯t help but give her his silent thanks in a nod.


    He didn¡¯t know if he could handle an Origin Core powerhouse. That was completely different than destroying a rank seven formation.


    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll send you off. When you get back, don¡¯t forget this old man.¡± He said, his face containing a smile that was good-intended but looked a little ugly. One could tell he felt overwhelmed yet equally excited. ¡°Don¡¯t forget to go to the Anima Syndicate to officiate your membership.¡± He said, but this time through soul transmission.


    When Yan Zaizen received it, he was startled. It was like someone was talking directly into his head. He had heard stories, but he didn¡¯t know how to do it. That would be profoundly useful in having private talks.


    Seeing Yan Zaizen surprise at the soul transmission, he reacted swiftly, throwing a soul jade towards him. Yan Zaizen taught it, sent his sense into it without any delay, and found it had the soul transmission art. It was only of the low-grade, divine-class art but it had an incredible use. As long as your spiritual sense can reach an area, you could send a message to anyone and everyone within that area immediately.


    ¡°Truly useful¡­Thanks.¡±


    He jumped onto the platform, not wanting to wait any longer. Surprisingly, he was the only one on the platform. The others only looked at him in awe and fear. Only now did he realize that his actions earlier was witnessed by all the forces in Xuanwu City. It¡¯s likely that everyone here will report to their superiors about him, and tell them of his existence. Perhaps overnight, he¡¯ll become a legend of Xuanwu City.


    Smiling with excitement, he gave Wu Yuanxu the nod to proceed. With a slight surge of qi-essence, the entire platform erupted in silver light. He remembered this feeling; It was similar to when he was sent away by Han Genji at that time. A formation enveloped him, about to send him off towards Zhu Que City.


    He would finally be able to go home from there.


    As the platform was activated, a shadow appeared beside Wu Yuanxu. This shocked him, and he intended to retaliate, but a surge of qi-essence blew him through several buildings like a rocket being propelled into the sky. The shadow placed its palms on the control module for the formation and as it was being sent out, the shadow shattered it ruthlessly. A silver light exploded from the platform. Yan Zaizen, who was about to be sent off, vanished into thin air.


    With his spiritual sense, Yan Zaizen saw all that was happening. His eyes widened, but unfortunately, the spatial platform¡¯s formation restricted his movements in a miraculous fashion. He couldn¡¯t act. The shadow had dealt with Wu Yuanxu decisively and immediately shattered the formation.


    ¡°NOOO!!!¡± He roared, his aurora-like soul energy solidified and attempted to breach the formation, but it felt like space restricted it from moving the moment it was formed. He thundered in frustration. Right before he vanished, he saw the one who took action.


    ¡°YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!¡± His heart was filled with infinite rage, and his developing Dao aura manifested giving rise to a tyrannical surging force, but it did little to stop his fate.


    When he disappeared, everyone then reacted and looked towards the shadow. All of their eyes widened, and some cried out two words: ¡°City Lord?!¡±


    Indeed, the old woman at the Origin Core Realm had interfered with the transmission, shattering the spatial platform formation, and sending Yan Zaizen into chaotic space where his fate was all but determined. ¡°No one can survive the chaotic space, and even if he could do so shortly, he can¡¯t escape.¡±


    Everyone was shocked at her words.


    Why would she do such a thing?


    Someone screamed, ¡°Wu Yuanxu is dead!!¡± When that was announced, everyone¡¯s expression was shocked. So decisive! Plot against someone; eliminate their allies. None of the crowd''s looks disturbed her, and she even held a faint smile of relief on those wrinkling lips. Her worries from earlier would never come to fruition, and thus she¡¯ll be able to sleep peacefully tonight.


    She vanished from everyone sight.

 Chapter 47 - Chaotic Space

    Yan Zaizen¡¯s rage in his heart was beyond the word intense. It was almost overpowering every other sensation in his body. He just wanted to go home! Why does this keep happening?! Yet, Wu Yuanxu had been dealt an extraordinary blow and he was schemed against once more.


    When he thought of Wu Yuanxu, his rage couldn¡¯t help but turn into sorrow, but then even more rage filled him. He knew Wu Yuanwu was dead. The strike completely blew through his chest and leaving a gaping hole, one without a heart and some other organs. Others may not have seen what happened, but with his spiritual sense, how could he not?


    ¡°Senior Uncle Yuan¡­¡± The old man was nice to him from the moment he met him, he inducted him into the Anima Syndicate, warned him about the Ying and He Clan, and even operated the spatial platform for him. However, he died!


    Why?!


    If she wanted to kill him, so be it. But why kill Wu Yuanxu?


    He did nothing.


    He didn¡¯t deserve it.


    With gritted teeth, he was shot into some unknown area of complete darkness. There was no light, no stars, no earth, no air, no world essence, and no life. This was chaotic space. Currently, he could feel it trying to rip him to shreds, sending him throughout all space into tiny bits until his existence was thoroughly wiped out.


    Fortunately, his aurora-like soul energy covered his body and resisted the ripping force. However, it was being worn down quickly. It¡¯s only been thirty seconds, but it felt like several days. It didn¡¯t take long before his soul energy was exhausted, and he could no longer resist the ripping force.


    It tore at his body, but his Herculean Physique was not one to be underestimated. Even with it, bits of his flesh were being ripped off his body. His entire existence was being pulled apart as if being shredded from its molecular bond.


    ¡°Ahhh!!!¡± He screamed in agony. The ripping force wasn¡¯t limited to just his physical body even his soul form felt it. ¡°I...need...to...survive!¡± He told himself, he kept on doing so till he lost count. No matter what, he needed to survive. Survive, go home, and get revenge for Wu Yuanxu¡¯s death.


    Most importantly, he needed to go home.


    When he thought of why his desire to return home remained constant, he couldn¡¯t help but feel tears well in his eyes. As they did, the tears were ripped apart from all directions into nothingness.


    He was seventeen this year. Every month for the past twelve years, he would visit his parents'' graves, clean them and tell them about his life, his troubles, his achievements, and his hopes. He had so much to tell now. Before, it was always filled with bad news, but now...he had so much to tell.


    So much.


    He wondered if the people of his clan were taking care of their graves in his absence. If they kept his mother''s favorite flowers watered and left with enough sunlight so they could be as pleasant as the smile he remembered. If his father¡¯s favorite wine was poured on his grave so he could tell his drunken jokes to his mother in the afterlife. The things they loved the most, did people give it to them so they can enjoy it? Would they wonder why he¡¯s gone? If he¡¯s dead...


    Would they be worried?


    The tears flowed from his eyes like a stream.


    He just wanted to tell his parents he was okay. That he was better than okay. That he wasn¡¯t talentless, he wasn¡¯t destined to be a failure, and that they can rest assured that he¡¯ll live a good life. Like they wanted him to.


    But what now¡­


    The ripping force had already ripped apart all of his belongings except the Meteor Ring, leaving him completely naked. In foresight of the events, he placed everything he had inside the Meteor Ring of any importance. He could feel every inch of his skin being pulled away in an infinite number of directions. Originally, he tried to use essence liquid or crystals from his ring to recover his strength, but the moment it was taken out, it was ripped apart into nothingness.


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    A mid-grade essence crystal was gone just like that.


    ¡°I can¡¯t die...I can¡¯t...I can...I¡± Time slowly passed and it felt like several weeks at this point, but only several minutes had truly passed. It was hard to get one¡¯s bearings in chaotic space while being ripped apart from all directions.


    His skin was already gone, as well as his hair and bits of his muscular flesh. He was slowly being torn apart into nothing. His consciousness was teetering on collapse. He was lucky that cultivators didn''t need air to survive like mortals, otherwise he would¡¯ve suffocated long ago.


    A soft white glow appeared from his chest. It danced about softly, emitting faint traces of lifeforce energy, but it was severely tiny. Despite this, it kept dancing, and with every tick of movement, it sent a surge of lifeforce that stabilized Yan Zaizen¡¯s remaining life. It was burning his qi to restore his flesh, skin, and strengthening his body. However, the ripping rate was far greater than the restoration.


    It kept struggling, but the energy it could feed off became less and less. It started losing its stability, flickering as if about to go out. If one listened to the dancing flame close, they could hear sounds of faint crackling. It was struggling, being unyielding, and never willing to fade! It would protect its life and the life of its owner.


    The conceptual law of the Unyielding Flame of Life! This little guy didn¡¯t quit. It couldn¡¯t.


    Time continued to pass by, but the Unyielding Flame of Life kept Yan Zaizen alive. However, at this point, he only had some muscle left. His skin was thoroughly gone, and a faint trace of death surged from his body.


    From this faint trace of death, an orb shot out of his chest and circled the flicking white flame like a predator. It didn¡¯t do anything for a while, but when the unyielding white flame was about to wince out of existence, it surged with a siphoning suction, absorbing the chaotic space and remnant flame of life. The white flame was sucked into the orb and seemed to have vanished.


    Just like how the white flame can consume the energy of its user to produce lifeforce, the black shadow orb can do the inverse - siphoning from external energies to produce death. If one looked closely, the orb of death kept siphoning the chaotic space, permeating an aura of death, but the unyielding flame of life didn¡¯t vanish. Due to siphoning the chaotic space, the ripping force on Yan Zaizen was diminished considerably.


    Atop its inky black surface, a tiny, almost minuscule, white flame was silently dancing. As the orb continued to siphon the surrounding space to enlarge and enhanced itself, it reached a point where it completely encapsulated Yan Zaizen. However, the concept derived from Yan Zaizen, it was incapable of affecting him. It then reached a zenith, and the white flame exploded outwards. It grew violently, absorbing the aura of death in the surroundings, and taking its place.


    The death energy may have been created by itself but its existence relied on Yan Zaizen, therefore making the death energy apart of Yan Zaizen. The white flame could absorb it due to this, strengthening itself as a result. It was as if Yan Zaizen was the inky black wood.


    The orb of death shrunk while the white flame grew. The white flame replaced the black shadow surrounding Yan Zaizen. A surge of lifeforce energy integrated itself into his body. It was truly similar to the concept prevalent in the inky black wood. The aura of death would siphon the flame¡¯s strength, reaching the zenith, and then the white flame would absorb it in return. However, the white flame couldn¡¯t thoroughly consume the aura of death either, creating a strange equilibrium that protected Yan Zaizen thoroughly.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s physical body restored at a visible rate. His hair grew back, his skin returned, and his musculature which was thinned to almost nothingness restored itself. It hadn''t taken long before he regained consciousness and saw himself surrounded by a large white flame.


    He looked at his healing palms that seemed to be surrounded by flames, ¡°Flame of Life?!¡±

 Chapter 48 - Truth of Law & Dao

    white flame has always protected Yan Zaizen lifeforce, especially when he was practicing the Immortal Herculean Method.time, he should¡¯ve  several  over, but the  flame kept a tinge of his lifeforce alive and  it grow.


    you¡­?I¡­? He looked at his  body that was just as perfect as new, and even the ripping force of space didn¡¯t affect him much.


    white  dominance, but the   only grew more powerful as a result.feel a  sense of competitive unwillingness coming from it.


    This was his first thought after  these events.not dead.They  had their own thoughts and intentions, but typically restricted to the concept itself.they didn¡¯t, how could  grow?they return back to their beginning?


    They may  be considered truly alive, but  certainly were not dead.


    He gulped at this discovery.He  like intent could develop something similar to this, especially when   his own d formulating.sort of intent, but one that originated from himself.ao  just a concept trying to become a law.


    ao became a law, could others comprehend it?conceptual laws?


    ao and a law, one  internal while the other  external.


    He decided to  all of these thoughts into the back of his mind.he needed to figure out a way to escape while  had the chance.


    It seemed to have been put into a hibernation state, and albeit   think, and  a little of his spiritual sense,  ¡¯t  any of his soul energy.It was odd.He wasn¡¯t knowledgeable enough to  what was happening, so  decisively decided to try to  another way.


    he saw was  darkness.He assumed space was silver, like the light from the formation but instead, it was completely black with no sign of anything. He  this conclusion, but that didn¡¯t  him.


    Shit!


    left him feeling helpless.he took out an essence crystal or two,  would have more time to think.He regretted not thinking of doing so earlier.


    white flame and  orb that were competing fiercely.if  comprehended the laws of !If   develop a  law of  then perhaps    it to open  and exit.If  ¡¯t, then it¡¯s likely ¡¯ll never be  to escape under these circumstances.


    Zai, you  this. He said, trying to comfort himself.He knew that space laws were incredible and to gain comprehension towards it would be as difficult as life or death.Luckily,   the chaotic space around him to help.


    Firstly, it was the  flame.Secondly, it was a  orb.


    Normally, a person wouldn¡¯t be  to communicate with a law just because  wanted to.They needed a medium, a teacher, or something else to do so.They would also  a concept to actualize the law.Zaizen, however,  both a medium and someone who taught him space.to rip him apart for the last while.he didn¡¯t know what was.


    He  needed to comprehend this  force, and perhaps  could  open a hole through space.


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    he felt before,  started to verbalize his  understandings in his mind.omnipresent, omni-consistent and affects all things.directions, and gathers in¡­ His eyes lit up.shook his head,  the  bit from his mind, concluding  was incorrect, ¡°and  stretches towards the infinite spans of .


    chaotic  was unique, as  wasn¡¯t stable .comprehends stable , they could   , portal creation, or even isolating .chaotic  has never been conceptualized by anyone, simply because    not an area where life can exist.Zaizen¡¯s Herculean Physique, Unyielding Flame of Life, Siphoning Shadow of Death, and his own Dao formulating, he would not be strong enough to live for even a second in this area.


    exceeds the heavens.How  space rip  ?How   be burned ?How   defeated so  by that which  ?!it¡¯s only at the Nascent  , it''s still a  .


    it?it truly chaotic? He couldn¡¯t help but think.like space was in chaos, but more so  it was simply being pulled apart in all directions.


    chaotic space isn¡¯t . His mind blew up with thoughts, and he looked around and   him.all things!all things stable.human body,  working together to keep itself alive.


    he was sent here after the formation was shattered.He was in a transition, and because of the error,  was sent into the background.was chaotic space.you were sliding by, when  get sent through it, ¡¯ll just enter the outside.


    space     being stabilized.


    was a familiar scene.He felt incredibly  to the myriad laws, but also so exceptionally far.he felt the closest to.he looked at ,  was .


    He felt the myriad of space in this  form.it ?It  the gender of neither male nor female, but  had a head, arms, legs, and everything else except a face.


    it the form of his concept?He reached out to  , and when  came into contact with , its face formed revealing a copy of himself.


    Spatial Form of Infinite Stability.¡±It contained the essence of all  stability.


    it be an Imperial Law?


    it was so, but only one part of .


    shook his head.Now wasn¡¯t the time to think about other things.He needed to escape.He didn¡¯t know how far  traveled or where  was, or even if  could rip open space.He felt  could, but also that  shouldn¡¯t.spatial form .


    He  his instincts.Then ¡¯ll  shift into the tube!Closing his eyes,  recalled the  flame and orb of death into his body.


    He pushed into the wall.he was a hot knife through butter.He slipped out just like that.

 Chapter 49 - What Country is this?!

    An extremely fine slit appeared in empty space, it widened until it gradually formed the outline of a human figure. This human shape was male, a little skinny, but overall well-formed. With a popping sound, the outline turned into an actual person.


    Yan Zaizen went through space like he was a sharp knife through bread. It felt odd. There wasn¡¯t any discomfort, but it was more like...teleportation. Going from one place to another as if you just took a slight step. When he appeared, he landed softly on the cold floor. He gathered his bearings and felt like he understood what just happened. This place and the place in the chaotic space was one and the same. It was like he just walked through a door outside.


    Taking a deep breath, he decided to observe his surroundings. He saw impressively designed white tile floors, white walls that looked like it prevented all forms of sensory perception from entering, and a part of the floor was hollowed out and filled with steaming hot water.


    ¡°A bath?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but conclude. However, the more he looked around, he realized it was the size of a public bath, but the pool of water was only sufficient for like a few people. There were several towels of different lengths nearby, but each one was folded was gathered together as if used by a single person. Besides that spot, not a single other spot had towels.


    ¡°Where am I? Whatever, I¡¯ll first find a door.¡± He looked around, as he moved he realized his qi was overdrawn by his shifting in space, his soul form was in a state of hibernation, and his vital energies were nearly drained dry. Despite this, his body brimmed with vibrant lifeforce, obviously originating from the Unyielding White Flame. Regrettably, he couldn¡¯t convert this vibrant lifeforce into something he could actually use.


    After searching around a little, he finally found the door. It was a light blue door, but it had no handle. He checked to see if it slides, but it did not. Using what his weakened spiritual sense, he realized the door required qi to open. Not only that, it required a unique method similar to the skyship. It even prevented people from investigating the outside with spiritual sense.


    Shit!


    Where the hell was he?


    It was leaving an incredibly large cage after finding a way out, and then being locked in a considerably smaller one.


    Screw it.


    He clenched his fist and readied to smash directly into the door. Even if he didn¡¯t have his vital energy at its maximum, he still had his refined body that could rival a Qi Unification Cultivator. As he was about to deliver a pounding on the door, a light suddenly shone from the door, prompting him to take a step back in shock.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming in¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but mutter to himself. Hopefully, it¡¯s someone weak, then he could just brute force his way. However, he was absolutely stunned when it revealed who was on the other side.


    As the door swung open, a woman¡¯s figure revealed itself. She looked no younger than twenty, had sapphire hair, sapphire eyes, the fairest skin he ever saw, and a countenance that could put Su Fengyan or Ying Yimian to shame. She was like the precise definition of feminine beauty. It wasn¡¯t just that; she had no clothes on. Her beautifully lithe body was in full view of Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes.


    He feasted on it thoroughly and blinked so he could have another serving.


    ¡°...¡± The woman was silent. Her expression wasn¡¯t filled with surprise, anger, or calm. It had a casual feel to it, like the one everyone typically has when they¡¯re going about doing things. As if she was thinking about other things, but not too deeply. It was exceptionally exquisite to Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    It took them awhile before the situation donned on both of them. The woman¡¯s expression turned from slight surprise, curiosity, realization, complete surprise, and then absolute horror all in that order. Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but feel like he joined her in this rollercoaster of emotions.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He tried to explain, but before he could the woman screamed at the top of her lungs.


    ¡°ASSASSIN!!¡± Her words were like a shriek, a cry for help from the entire world declaring his presence. His eyes widened. Assassin?! Where?! However, before he could say another word, several figures with exceptional auras entered the room and struck at him with a unified qi-essence filled strike.


    ¡°Wa-¡± He wanted to say something but was immediately interrupted by surging blasts of qi. He used crossed his arms to protect his head and block what he could. The fierce strike smashed him violently, sending him crashing into the wall several dozen meters away. He created a small crater with his body and could''ve sworn he felt something shatter.


    Before he could speak, he was already surrounding, many chains manifested from qi-essence circulated around his legs, arms, neck, and torso. His eyes caught glimpse of the woman who called out an assassin alert once more and realized she was fully clothed. The attackers were all women, but next to her was a white-haired middle-aged man with an exceptionally powerful aura.


    Origin Core!!


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    He was brought up, placed on his knees, and positioned to face them. It was similar to him being a prisoner awaiting execution. The muscles of his body felt sore and in pain. Seems like without his vital energies, he couldn¡¯t execute the full strength of his refined body. Despite this fact, he was strong enough to withstand several strikes from multiple Qi Unification Cultivators.


    The middle-aged man walked forward with slow and steady steps, his eyes glancing at Yan Zaizen¡¯s necked form as if wishing to see through all his secrets. Seeing this gaze, Yan Zaizen felt stifled. He wanted to speak, but his throat was being held by two qi-essence formed ropes, and any attempt caused them to become tighter.


    He wished he had his soul cultivation. He could execute all of these people! It¡¯s been quite a while since he felt like his life was no longer his. It brought him back to his early days with Han Genji kidnapping him. It still felt horrible.


    ¡°Who sent you?¡± The middle-aged man¡¯s rough voice sounded out, questioning Yan Zaizen from the get-go. After realizing that Yan Zaizen wanted to speak but was restricted, the ones who controlled his throat loosened up their grip.


    ¡°Ahem¡­¡± He cleared his throat, contemplating his next moves, but realizing the situation, he decided to just tell the truth. ¡°No one. I was on a spatial platform, someone plotted against me and the next thing I know I was here.¡± His voice was rough, filled with anger at this humiliation. His answer caught everyone, including the middle-aged man off guard. They expected silence in death or a declaration of intent, but never did they imagine he would try to explain himself.


    The middle-aged man could tell this boy was exceptionally young and filled with vibrant lifeforce. It¡¯s likely he belonged to a powerful force, but he was plotted against. ¡°Which force do you belong to?¡± He questioned more.


    ¡°The Yan Clan.¡± He thought about lying, but then realized there wasn¡¯t a real reason to do so unless he desired to put himself in danger. If they investigate his background or words later, they would be able to verify if what he says is true or false, if false they could sentence him to death.


    ¡°Yan Clan?¡± The middle-aged man was clueless. It made sense. The Yan Clan was just a middling second-tier force in Meteorite City, and it wasn¡¯t the main clan there either. In comparison, the five great sects and three great clans were widely known, but there were countless second-tier and third-tier forces. As for first-tier forces, they existed and would be more widely known, like the He Clan.


    ¡°Yes. The Yan Clan in Meteorite City. I¡¯m Yan Zaizen, the grandson of the Clan Lord.¡± As he spoke with a little bit of pride, declaring his identity, the others around him were clueless. This felt depressing. He decided to just stay silent if they didn¡¯t believe in his situation, he¡¯d have to fight, but if they did, then perhaps there was a way out of this situation.


    ¡°There is no Meteorite City in Grux. Where do you come from?¡± The middle-aged man seemed to have picked up some clues.


    ¡°What? Grux? Wait...this isn¡¯t Presba?!¡± He heard of Grux before from Wu Yuanxu. It was one of the four great countries of the world, alongside Presba, Amber, and Fenri. Unlike Presba forests and plains filled lands; Grux was filled with mountains, mines, and desolate earth. It was known for their armament creations, and they had deep mineral reserves which they¡¯ve been mining for tens of thousands of years. It was even stipulated that they hadn''t even touched 10% of those resources.


    Hearing him mention Presba, everyone was shocked this time. The middle-aged man was solemn. If what Yan Zaizen said was true, then someone sent him to Grux, which was over a hundred thousand li away from Presba. Either they truly wanted to send him away to die, or he¡¯s lying. If it¡¯s the former, he didn¡¯t like being a tool for someone else to use to kill discreetly. If it¡¯s the latter, why even lie about it?


    He heaved a heavy sigh. There¡¯s no way he wouldn¡¯t have noticed someone infiltrating, which meant he truly did get teleported here. Right when he was about to spare Yan Zaizen and interrogate him in a more comfortable environment, the sapphire haired young woman declared coldly.


    ¡°Five hundred years in the Deep Mines. If he survives, then he¡¯ll be given his freedom. If not, then that¡¯s the crime for trespassing regardless of the circumstances.¡± She looked at Yan Zaizen as if wanted to scoop out his eyes. With a snort, she left.


    The middle-aged man was about to say something, but after thinking about it a little longer, he knew there was no way this decision would be overturned. In truth, it¡¯s already fortunate that Yan Zaizen wasn''t immediately sentenced to death after profaning this young lady of Grux. This was the imperial palace, after all.

 Chapter 50 - Prisoner

    Grux was a massive  with a vast land that spanned hundreds of thousands of li in all directions.thus didn¡¯t have Presba¡¯s lush greenery and myriad of races.it wasn¡¯t all bad.rocky area makes  perfect for mining material for armaments and buildings.


    good resource that many could tap into  its immensity had its own issues.


    Presba, ten was born in Grux.Due to its overpopulation, relative safety, and  resource that literally anyone can mine to make it on their own, forces with power started massively dominating territories.servitude.spend  upon  of years wasting their time mining every minute, they simply get others to do so, willing or not.


    strongest individuals with highest in the entire .entire , making their wealth extraordinary.Grux fights for slaves.


    were resources.


    you had, the easier it was for  to earn.this, the millions of islands and the other three countries were their highest buyers.you had to say where a majority of the armaments materials came from in  world, it¡¯ll be in Grux.


    Zaizen hated  place.


    you¡¯re weak or weren¡¯t born into a great family,  were treated like a .who were treated like , the few  can excel and rise in strength, treated others as  in return.normal way of life for this country.slave for your entire life in the mines.


    slave market, many workers have to offer excellent conditions for their  otherwise, it may  a revolt or lead to others taking them.treat your people good, they¡¯ll work till their bones  brittle and their backs were broken.


    Zaizen was young, his father once told him about this place, and how industrialized it was.Grux had the best conditions for the lower class.always comes the good.


    piece of meat, he was placed in a well-structured cell,  his assignment.


    can be reawakened, I  simply leave. He hated how his soul form was currently undergoing some sort of transformation.you have to  with what  have.


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    qi I create to .¡±they weren¡¯t connected,  still restricted him from condensing .energy wasn¡¯t affected nor was his vital , but his  was.


    can still  my vital energies.to use me to work the mines.requires essence tempering or resources to do.couldn''t  their body either.probably didn¡¯t even consider  the sheer difficulty. He quietly murmured his analysis of the situation.


    he recovers his vital energies, ¡¯ll be able to use his refined body to its maximum, but escaping with only a Qi-Unification combat  would be impossible.he didn¡¯t know how long it would be before his soul cultivation returned,  had to plan for the immediate.


    he can increase his strength continuously.If  reaches the perfection-level,  may be able to leave  an opportunity presented itself.


    grown men, but women and children here too.so did the children.


    household of another .taken after their defeat, and to survive, had to agree to work the Deep Mines. A gruff voice spoke.Zaizen was surprised at the , looking towards the man who spoke.dirty face, and a  appearance.reminded him of a beggar on the streets.


    Zaizen stated plainly.


    curious.¡±dirty face and robes.You¡¯re not from around here, are ?¡±


    vigilant.named Tao,  a family ,  a clan  was simply too perceptive.did ?


    not filled with hopelessness despite me mentioning the Deep Mines,¡± Tao spoke with an ambiguous smile on his face.

 Chapter 51 - The Dao

    Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression darkened. Was the deep mines something he should know? He couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°What is the Deep Mines?¡± Tao chuckled lightly, pointed towards the rest of the people who were also isolated in this small space. Following his fingers, he realized the thing he missed. Every last one of them had either insanity or despair in their eyes. There was no other type of emotion, only he and Tao were different.


    Tao said lightly, ¡°The Deep Mines are where the dregs of the world go to die.¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes suffused with a fierce killing intent, his dao aura started to radiate slightly, causing the atmosphere to change its quality. When this happened, Tao''s eyes widened in surprise for the first time. ¡°A Nascent Dao?!¡±


    The surrounding people felt this formless pressure emitting from Yan Zaizen¡¯s body, and backed up in fear. Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao wasn¡¯t truly formed yet and could be considered in its early stages, but it had indeed formed. It gave one a sensation of seeing a sovereign of slaughter and authority.


    Tao spoke in a heavy voice filled with fear, ¡°You have a Dao? Why are you even here?!¡±


    Yan Zaizen, however, was confused. His dao aura dissipated as he looked towards this Tao inquisitively. ¡°What¡¯s a Dao?¡± In truth, he didn''t know about this nor was he taught this. It makes sense, a dao was simply too rare for one to develop. Tao was surprised at his question. To not know of the dao but to have comprehended a dao. Should that even be possible?! Unless...


    He took a deep breath, looking at everyone and realizing they stayed at the edges, fearing the aura of Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao. Looking at Yan Zaizen, his eyes glimmered with a faint trace of hope. ¡°The Dao is a form of law. A law that originates from yourself. You can even bestow others your Dao, and with it, possessors would be able to enhance their cultivation paths, regardless if its qi, soul, body, formations, armament creation, or anything for that matter.¡±


    He looked at Yan Zaizen, seeing him soaking up this information, he felt his conclusion was correct. This boy truly developed his own dao. ¡°To formulate a Dao, you need to have encountered and been baptized by heaven¡¯s grace! However, most people take the dao of others into themselves for power. Similar to how we derive power from the laws, we cultivate the dao in a similar fashion.¡±


    When Yan Zaizen heard that, he felt clueless. He didn¡¯t take a dao from others, and he felt like everything he had belonged to him. Unbeknownst to him, the Heavenly Annihilation Light baptized him. In front it, all creation bows! In front of it, all things are eliminated! Unless, of course, you exceed the heavens.


    ¡°Typically, heaven¡¯s grace means overcoming the heavenly tribulation. If you can overcome it, you can formulate your own dao.¡± Tao further explained.


    Yan Zaizen could only shake his head. What tribulation? It just came into existence. Not all information was reliable, it seems.


    Seeing his skepticism, Tao added, ¡°However, the knowledge of men are limited. I do not know all, so your situation could be different.¡± He felt more reassured after saying this. In truth, he didn¡¯t know it all, so it wasn¡¯t untrue.


    Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.Contemplating for a bit, ¡°How does one use this dao for cultivation?¡± This question was developed after hearing his explanation. If it can be used to enhance one¡¯s cultivation path, then won''t that be incredible?


    Tao seemed a bit lost, it was clearly apparent that he had only heard stories or depictions but never seen an actual dao before. They were simply too rare. Not many in the entire realm would know of a dao, and having the opportunity to be bestowed another¡¯s dao? That would be small. ¡°From what I gather, you just use it when you¡¯re cultivating.¡± He said, his words obviously uncertain.


    With a silent sigh, Yan Zaizen nodded. Regardless of this dao or whatever, he still needed to escape. ¡°What is so special about the Deep Mines that it¡¯s so nightmarish?¡±He couldn¡¯t help but ask. The Deep Mines were the place he was sent to by that sapphire haired woman, and his term was five hundred years. If it was so hellish, then why did he need to be sentenced here for five hundred years? She even said that if he survived, he¡¯ll be given his freedom.


    ¡°The Deep Mines are a set of mines that go far into the earth. It¡¯s a place of no escape and if you don¡¯t reach your quota, you¡¯ll be immediately executed. Only those with special circumstances are taken there.¡± Tao stated, his voice abnormally calm.


    ¡°If the Deep Mines require such circumstances, how did you get sent there?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°I asked the wrong question, at the wrong time.¡± Tao merely said, obviously not willing to elaborate. ¡°You?¡±


    ¡°I was schemed against, survived, landed in some noble woman¡¯s palace as a result, and then was sent here for trespassing.¡± He spat out, his shoulders shrugging at the very memory. When he gets free, he¡¯ll be sure she regrets her actions. She should¡¯ve killed him, but he will not spare her.


    ¡°A noblewoman? Unfortunate.¡± Tao lamented over Yan Zaizen multiple bouts of misfortune. To be schemed against, survive, land in some place, and then be sent to the Deep Mines was a harsh series of events.


    They suddenly stopped moving, and the isolated space had a part of it open up. They were located in some box-like construct, and when he saw the outside, he only saw holes and earth. They were urged outside by the guards, and when they exited the scene was absolutely stunning.


    Those holes he saw from inside were actually enormously wide. They each were hundreds of meters wide and as deep as the eye can see. ¡°This¡­¡± He was genuinely shocked speechless. In comparison to the hailing skyscrapers of Sky Titan City, this was like the opposite. Holes that drilled into hell itself and beyond. There were howling winds that seemed like wraiths crying for souls.


    There was a giant formation that spanned miles situated above that seemed to regulate the holes, keeping track and surveillance over them. Every so often, shipments of minerals would soar out of the cage by some beams of energy, and enter the formation, also disappearing. It seems the formation was multi-layered and multi-purpose. To survey, to collect, and likely to defend.


    ¡°How deep do they go?¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help ask.


    Tao directly answered with, ¡°Some say, as deep as the world itself.¡±

 Chapter 52 - The Deep Mines

    The Deep Mines truly was deep. When they were brought beside one, he looked down and could feel a sensation of endlessness and despair. The sheer darkness of it was extraordinary. If one had keen senses, they could hear painful moans, repetitive groans, and death throes from time to time. He could feel that the number of lives in this one deep hole likely exceeded the millions. He couldn¡¯t even imagine the others.


    They were ushered into a small box where they had to cluster together, and Tao stood next to him. His expression had a slight smile. This calmness was a stark contrast to the tears of the children, women, and even the men who were with them. As for him, he didn¡¯t believe he could be held by something like this. He looked up to that massive formation that spanned miles, and couldn¡¯t help but grow curious.


    Being as perceptive as always, Tao explained, ¡°The formation is categorized as being a rank nine. However, its strength is closer to the rank eight. The reason for its rank nine is because of its sheer scope and uses. It¡¯s called the Deep Mine God Formation. It was dubbed that by the residents of the Deep Mines, as it stays there like a god looking down at them from up high. There¡¯s even a cult group that believes in the spirit of the Deep Mine God Formation. Lunatics.¡±


    Tao¡¯s knowledge was rather useful to him and answered many of his questions. If it wasn¡¯t for him, he would be wildly ignorant about many things, including the dao.


    They kept descending in the small box. An initial-Qi Unification Cultivator was escorting them downwards. As they got further and further, it got darker and darker. It was like someone was slowly extinguishing the lights, and despite the sun still being as high as it could be, it seemed to slowly vanish as they descended deeper.


    1 li.


    10 li.


    100 li.


    They stopped at about 320 li down. This was terrifyingly deep inside the earth. It took an entire seven days of descension to do so. That was the length of the distance of the basilisk forest. Luckily, the box they were in was like a flight armament and soared down quickly. One thing he felt from these mines was that it truly felt endless.


    As they kept descending and the light disappeared, the box lit up in violent brilliance. He could see small lighting crystals embedded into the walls that seemed to be connected to a formation. There was a 100 around every meter of depth. Despite this, the light wasn¡¯t very intense. It did reveal tunnels and in these tunnels were haggard people going in and out with various tools. Every so often, there were groups of individuals who were carrying dead bodies, and instead of sending them up, they would just throw them deeper into the mine.


    It was a depressing sight. Their bodies would fall and there would be no sound, as if endless. ¡°What is at the bottom?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask softly. However, his words captured the attention of the Qi Unification Cultivator, and the man couldn¡¯t help but sneer with a trace of disdain and contempt. ¡°If you¡¯re so curious, jump and see.¡±


    Even though the man said it as a way to mock Yan Zaizen, he genuinely felt tempted. He felt like there was something living down there. His understanding of the life law reached the force-level, and he could sense lifeforce signatures. When he looked downward, he felt a faint one that seemed exceptionally vague. However, as he descended downwards, he felt it get clearer. He didn¡¯t know how far he was from that odd lifeforce, but it urged the natural curiosity in his bones.


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    He made himself a promise, if he gets stronger, he¡¯ll come down here and see what¡¯s truly in these holes.


    They were sent off onto a platform, next to them were three tunnels of the same size, and three boxes attached to it. The Qi Unification Cultivator started explaining the rules.


    For one, everyone has to deliver a certain number of materials into the box. They have to put it into their own spatial boxes, and then put it in the box for it to be shipped and counted. If they fail to do so, a member will come and end their life. If they fail to put in the right number of quota each day, a member will come and end their life. If they fight against the overseers, a member will come and end their lives. Essentially, follow the rules, or someone will come and reap away your life.


    After that, he ascended in the box they left. In each of their hands was a small box, and on it was numbers. If they each looked at their cuffs, the numbers matched the boxes. ¡°So this is how it is, doesn¡¯t seem too bad.¡± He remarked. It seems pretty straightforward, do the job, stay alive.


    However, Tao couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at such naive thoughts. He explained, ¡°In the cave, you¡¯re given the bare minimum of food. No essence material will be given and the essence in the air cannot be condensed because of these cuffs. Body cultivation requires resources we do not have. As you continue, you¡¯ll get weaker and weaker. Not to mention, every day, your quota increases by a tiny bit. In the end, everyone sooner or later ends up¡­¡± As his words trailed off, he looked at the cliff that was seemingly bottomless.


    The implication of his words caused everyone to shiver.


    ¡°However, they wouldn¡¯t let you work without some assurance. As long as you last the number of years assigned, you can get your freedom. Otherwise, who would work?¡± He lightly chuckled, but no one felt the desire to laugh.


    ¡°All I have to do is work for ten years, ain¡¯t much. You can even reduce the time if you put more ore into your box by a few days.¡± He said, shrugging, but the others couldn¡¯t help but be shocked at the number of years. Most of them only had a few years of work, and even then they may not make it, let alone ten years.


    ¡°Ten years¡­?¡± Was it always so short? Yan Zaizen was surprised, if so, why was he given five hundred years? He looked at the box that was given to them and indeed, he had five hundred years.


    ¡°How long were you given, kid?¡± Tao was curious, peeking at the number represented on his box. His eyes widened in surprise and shock. ¡°Fi-Five Hundred?!¡± When his words escaped his lips, everyone¡¯s expression turned terrifying. That was essentially a death sentence!


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression fell. ¡°I see.¡± His teeth gritted, and his dao aura manifested causing the air to feel stifling. ¡°You truly wish to kill me. I¡¯ll make sure you regret it.¡± The amount of killing intent caused the despair they were feeling about the Deep Mines to dissipate, many stepped away in overwhelming fear. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were far too dangerous at this moment.


    Tao couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. He felt that anyone who could formulate their own dao was not to be messed with, and if one had no choice, they should be immediately killed. Whoever made this choice was likely going to be washing their neck for him to claim it should he survive.

 Chapter 53 - Overcoming Your Own Struggles

    The days in the Deep Mines were abnormally long. The design of it was for you to work continuously with only your sheer desire to survive supporting you. Once you give up, only death would come, by your hands or theirs. Whenever Yan Zaizen looked off the side into the deep pit, he could feel a bit of desperation from within the pit of his stomach. There were even times where workers of the mine, those condemned to this hell, would jump off into the depths to end their misery.


    Witnessing these acts, his heart suffused with a dark coldness.


    "Was it truly so horrendous? Was it truly worth it?" To give up one''s life to end your suffering. Why not fight? This type of naive thought that formulated was would soon be wiped from his mind.


    Deep Mines, Day One:


    The overseer arrived. This was an evil-looking man with malicious eyes filled with disdain and laughter. When he arrived, he informed every new arrival of their jobs and what would happen if one fails to fulfill their quota in the Deep Mines.


    The situation of the Deep Mines was truly hellish. The living circumstances were barely anything. You can sleep where you want, you''ll be provided with two meals a day which you can ration as you wish, even kill if you want, but all with a daily quota one must achieve. The quota will increase with each day by a certain amount. If one failed to reach it, the overseer would personally come and claim their lives. That was their duties.


    They were all given a pickaxe, a spatial box to put the ore they mined, and a chance. The chance to be absolved of their crimes and be free men. When the overseer informed each of the new arrivals about their chance of freedom, and all they have to do is work their time off. He even explained that if you put in more ore into the spatial box upon delivery, more time will be taken off.


    The children, the women, and even the men were filled with excitement. However, when Yan Zaizen saw Tao and the other workers who''ve been here for several weeks or months, they merely shook their head in silence. This confused Yan Zaizen a little. From the stipulated circumstances, it seems to be remarkably easy.


    Deep Mines, Day Three:


    He could see hope deep within the newly arrived crew''s eyes whenever they worked. They raised their pickaxes with vigor, trying to get over their quota, and ate with gusto. They all wished to survive, to see the sun once more, and taste freedom.


    "It''s only day three. Don''t get too caught up." Tao cautioned from the side, his eyes filled with a calm. He still held a slight smile, but that smile was filled with a unique emotion that Yan Zaizen couldn''t discern. However, since Tao informed him to focus, he''ll do so. He had five hundred years after all.


    Deep Mines, Day Seven:


    He could see the effect on the others when they lacked world essence in their bodies. Even if they can''t utilize their qi, the essence in their bodies was starting to dry out. With essence energy, one could survive chaotic space, not eating for years, but now the food was starting to become incredibly crucial to survival. They were gradually turning into ordinary mortals.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    As for him, he had a massive amount of lifeforce energy to feed off of. Even if he went without food for several months, it would be fine. Tao was similar, but for a different reason. It seemed the essence within his body was abnormally abundant, and thus still maintained its existence. He couldn''t figure out his cultivation level due to his weakened spiritual sense, but he imagined it was profound.


    Deep Mines, Day Thirty:


    The first incident occurred. With the lack of essence, people started requiring food more. Especially the adults. A man stole a young boy''s food for himself. This man was part of the crew that came with him, and so was the boy. At that time, Yan Zaizen was about to teach that man a lesson but was stopped by Tao. He was puzzled.


    "In this world, if you can''t survive yourself, you''ll die sooner or later. Trust me." His eyes were solemn, and he looked towards the boy then looked away. He continued extracting the ore with his scrawny body. Yan Zaizen didn''t like this. However, he didn''t take action against the man. Instead, he arrived next to the crying boy and gave him his food.


    In the background, Tao merely shook his head.


    Deep Mines, Day Forty:


    The incident of taking the boy''s food kept occurring, and each time Yan Zaizen would give the boy his food. He was so close to killing the man himself, but he restrained himself under Tao''s cautioning. It wasn''t long before the boy went to Yan Zaizen to help him reach his quota. Surprised, Yan Zaizen thought about it. However, right when he was about to agree, Tao came up and clasped his shoulder.


    His brows furrowed at this. "What do you mean by this?" His eyes contained a little fury when he saw Tao''s action. However, Tao didn''t stop gripping his shoulder and only gripped it tighter. His words resounded in Yan Zaizen''s ears.


    "If you help now, it won''t stop." Those were the only words he said, and then he looked towards the others who were also looking at Yan Zaizen. The women, the kids, and even a few of the exhausted men with little hope in their eyes.


    He couldn''t help but gulp at this realization.


    Indeed. If you help one child, why won''t you help the second, and if a helpless woman were to appear in front of you, could you say no? Would you be able to help them all, and if you don''t, would they take revenge out of you or the ones you''re helping? Would they feel resentment? Not to mention, he realized he''ll likely have to do more work and thereby expending more energy as time passed. Right now, he was fine thanks to the Unyielding Flame of Life''s lifeforce energy from before, but that wouldn''t last for five hundred years. Hell, it wouldn''t even last six months.


    He remembered how long this boy had in here: Three years or 1,095 days.


    He closed his eyes. Taking a deep breath, he opened them with a resolve in his gaze. "You must be able to do this yourself." He remembered when he first started cultivation, and how his father looked at him with those tough eyes. When he first hurt himself and wanted to stop due to the pain, his father reminded him that path of cultivation is hard, and if you can''t overcome the small struggles, when the life-and-death struggles happen your life will no longer be yours to decide.


    How will you react then?


    Those three years, when nearing its end, the amount of ore he''d have to put in his spatial box would be astronomical. Would he be able to help him for three years as well as himself? In this world, whether it''s as a slave, a cultivator or a mortal, one must walk forward in this dark world of cultivation and overcome their own struggles.


    The young boy''s expression revealed his despondency. When he looked at Yan Zaizen, he revealed his disappointment. As if saying that he thought he could rely on him for everything.

 Chapter 54 - Any Means Necessary

    Deep Mines, Day Sixty-Two:


    The first person to miss the quota occurred after two months. Surprisingly, it was not a young child but a woman that looked like she was in her late twenties. She couldn¡¯t be considered a beauty, but neither could she be called ugly. When she originally showed up with Yan Zaizen and the rest, her eyes were filled with hope and determination, but now it was filled with desolation and exhaustion.


    When she realized that she wouldn¡¯t make it, she pressed other people for assistance, but at this time all the miners had stopped trying to deliver more than their fair share due to the quota increase. They hit their limit and rested for the day to restore their energy for the next.


    As Yan Zaizen saw this, he couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart go soft, but then he remembered the young boy and how if she couldn¡¯t reach her quota this time, it¡¯s very unlikely for her to do so in the future. Tao was looking at the scene calmly, and when she arrived to ask him for ore, he declined her flatly.


    Yan Zaizen could see that he didn¡¯t do so without mercy. Tao wasn¡¯t someone who was completely emotionless, but more so that he understood the reality of their situation better than others.


    The time to deliver their ore was arriving, and the woman was panicking. She even tried to steal another¡¯s spatial box, only to be brutally slapped away. With her body dried up of essence energy, she was no longer a cultivator, but a mortal. Her vital energies were at its all-time low, and even if she knew any martial arts, they were absolutely worthless at the moment.


    She just stood there crying her eyes out, as if cursing at the cruelty of the world. It truly pulled at Yan Zaizen¡¯s heartstrings, but Tao kept him from acting impulsively. Reminding him that one day of support will do nothing for her situation unless you¡¯re willing to help her through her entire sentence at the expense of your own safety.


    While Yan Zaizen felt a little terrible at leaving the woman to her own fate, an old miner walked towards her with a slight smile. He reached out his hand. Her gaze directed itself towards this man¡¯s soft smile, and it seemed as if it was her saving grace at life. The man spoke soft words that only those nearby could truly hear, but with Yan Zaizen¡¯s and Tao¡¯s previous cultivation, how could they not hear it?


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s face darkened, but Tao¡¯s expression remained the same.


    The lady looked awkward for a moment but then nodded decisively. She grabbed his hand, and he took her towards one of the auxiliary tunnels in their main tunnel. The onlookers were confused, but soon their confusion dissipated with heartbreaking realization.


    Soft moans and harsh grunts were released from that particular tunnel. Many of the young women¡¯s eyes dimmed at this, while the men¡¯s eyes lit up in startling realization. They eyed the other women of the mine, looking at them with lascivious gazes.


    ¡°In the mine, one must use any means necessary to survive, to struggle for one more day,¡± Tao said, his words filled with unspeakable meanings. As he did, a harsh shriek sounded behind them and passed them like a meteor. It was originally soft, but then it got louder, and after it reached its zenith, it started becoming softer once more.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    Tao looked behind him, seeing a figure descending downwards without any support, his face filled with unwillingness and fear. Yan Zaizen looked down at the pit and saw as the figure continued to descend into the darkness until his shrieks faded from audible range.


    ¡°By any means,¡± Tao repeated, going back to mine once more.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes dimmed. This person was obviously not committing suicide but was pushed. He recalled how the woman attempted to steal another¡¯s spatial box, and a chill went down his spine. He calmed himself down and made a vow to never give up his will to struggle and always to remain vigilant.


    He started contemplating his options. He couldn¡¯t use his soul cultivation due to its current state of change, his qi cultivation would be impossible with these cuffs on, which only leaves his body cultivation. Initially, he didn¡¯t practice the Immortal Herculean Method due to believing that his soul cultivation would return quickly, and then he could take his leave. However, it seems that thought was unrealistic. If he stagnated in this place waiting for some semblance of hope in his soul cultivation, it would be unlikely for him to be able to make it, as well as unwise in the long run.


    In this world, one must struggle for every ounce of light they can obtain in their grasp. He looked towards Tao. This man may seem a little cold, but he could tell that it was definitely due to his experience. He knew how the Deep Mines were and what was required to survive. After all, he needed to survive ten years. Most of these people only needed to survive a few.


    Deep Mines, Ninety-Nine:


    Luckily for him, the Immortal Herculean Physique didn¡¯t require resources until one reached the second level of the physique, the Grand Herculean Physique. At that level, one would require an extraordinary amount of resources for progression, and even some very specific things. The first level only required him to reach his physical body¡¯s maximum potential by removings it limiters and modifying the body¡¯s internal structure into a Herculean Physique.


    The saying that this physique can exceed the heavens didn¡¯t feel like an exaggeration to Yan Zaizen any longer. While he was in chaotic space being ripped apart, his Nascent Herculean Physique lasted longer in that environment than his soul energy. It was also only at the initial stage of success.


    ¡°I¡¯m nearing the minor success.¡± He remarked, clenching his fist and feeling his body¡¯s new strength. He realized that changing his physique increased his base attributes, increased the levels of his vital energies and its recovery speed, as well as changed how he looked. Initially, his body was scrawny nearing unhealthy, after he reached the initial success, he gained some muscle and fat. This muscle and fat couldn¡¯t be dissipated as if in a perpetual state of existence by a strange form of law.


    As for the situation in the mine, he could tell that the many women of the group were ignited by the others actions. Every now and then, they would use what they could offer to get more ore, and even extra ones from the men. There was even a competition as to who could obtain the most. The men and even some of the few boys who¡¯ve just reached of age had indulged in this competition wholeheartedly.


    Tao would sometimes even joke about Yan Zaizen taking part, but he refused each and every time. As for Tao, he simply laughed and didn¡¯t respond. This made Tao even more mysterious.


    Deep Mines, Day One Hundred-Twelve:


    The first incident of what seemed like an accidental death occurred today. Two of the women were arguing over something about their competition and lacking ore for the quota, one of them got too heated and sent a strike at another. Then, one thing led to another, and one of them was pushed off the cliff into the deep pit. When this happened, everyone was silent except for the person who screamed hellishly in indignation and fear as they fell. Yan Zaizen and Tao were too far to help, and could only watch.


    ¡°That wasn¡¯t accidental,¡± Tao said mysteriously. He looked at a spatial box in the corner and then continued eating his food.


    Yan Zaizen was surprised, looking at the one who pushed the other off the cliff. Her eyes contained a well-concealed happiness as she headed towards a spatial box that obviously wasn''t hers.


    ¡°By any means.¡± He whispered, returning back to his food.

 Chapter 55 - Cruel

    Deep Mines, Day One-Hundred Fifty Three:


    "Finally!" Yan Zaizen excitedly exclaimed. He took a deep breath and released a powerful gust of internal breath. It took him three months to achieve a breakthrough from the initial success to the minor success. This jump may seem to be divided by a single word, but the change was immediately noticeable.


    He grew a few centimeters taller, his body grew more muscular and defined, his eyes radiated with vibrant energy, and he was informed by Tao that his features were becoming more masculinely handsome. At first, Yan Zaizen didn''t believe him, but after he got some of the women and men to partake in the critique, it seemed that he was growing better-looking.


    Yan Zaizen had always had average looks, but to think there would be such a change. If before he could be considered a five in a scale of ten, now he was about seven. This delighted him and even made him wish to cultivate more.


    The others were suspicious of his development, but after some thought, they dismissed their ideas. If Yan Zaizen wished to use his remaining energies to better his looks, what should they say to such a fool? If Yan Zaizen knew what they were thinking, he would probably rub his nose in embarrassment.


    Regardless, he had to continue on this road of development. He could tell his soul wasn''t even close to reawakening. At the moment, this was his only path available.


    Deep Mines, Day One-Hundred Eighty-Six:


    "I can''t do this anymore!" A young boy, not even eight years old, jumped off and into the deep pit.


    Yan Zaizen, Tao, and the rest couldn''t even spare their energy to intervene. This boy had sought to commit suicide several times in the past week, but each time Yan Zaizen stopped him and tried to instill him with hope, but he seemed to have given up. As he jumped off, and seconds later realized that no one was going to save him, he screamed a scream a boy should never have to scream. A deep regret permeated the air.


    Everyone couldn''t help but feel their hearts grow colder. The boy wasn''t the first to do so. He was just the first that was so young. A few of the old miners threw themselves over, accepting the warm embrace of death in this cold hole.


    "The world is cruel," Tao said.


    "If you don''t have the desire to struggle, then you''ve already been defeated," Yan Zaizen added. The earlier look of hope towards humanity was dwindling. His eyes were opened a lot towards the result of deprivation and lacking one''s will to survive.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    A young woman who originally used other means to make her quota couldn''t reach it. However, she didn''t kill herself or try to kill others. This woman believed herself cunning, and she had an idea for possible freedom in her eyes. When the overseer arrived due to her quota being unfulfilled, she immediately took action.


    "I apologize, I hope you can show mercy." Her voice was filled with the most amount of charm she could muster. The overseer couldn''t help but smile, his eyes filled with lust and contempt. When the others witnessed this, especially the other women, their eyes widened with surprise but also hope. If they could bewitch the overseer then, they would be able to ride through their sentence with ease.


    The overseer informed her that he''ll be giving her ''punishment,'' took her away, and laughed triumphantly. When the others saw this, they hated themselves for not thinking of it first. Despite this, none of the women were going to throw their quota aside. What if that overseer was absent, and another, maybe a woman appeared. What would they do? Die?


    Deep Mines, Day One-Hundred Eighty-Nine:


    Three days later, the overseer returned. In his hands was a naked body.


    It was the woman!


    She was alive, but her breathing was shallow as if she was in a vicious battle for three days and three nights. Her body had bruises all over, and her eyes were dim. When the others witnessed this, their eyes were filled with a little dread. The men looked at the overseer in fear, but some held envy.


    He grabbed the exposed body of the woman and held her out. Despite her lack of breath, she struggled to speak, "Master, thank you for bringing me back." She had a feeble smile with those words. Yan Zaizen and Tao looked onwards with complex emotions.


    "Let me ask you all something." The overseer said, his eyes filled with amusement as if looking at a group of worthless sheep. "Do you know how it feels to die?"


    What?


    Everyone was a little confused but largely held fear in their eyes at his words. No one answered, simply stared with caution.


    Seeing this, the overseer laughed wildly. "She''s about to find out." When he said that, he grabbed the naked woman by the nape of her neck and lifted her up for all to see. She wanted to struggle after realizing the circumstance she was in, but there was nothing she could do with her weak body. The overseer exerted pressure on his grip. One could see her skin around her neck tighten, imprinting the shape of his fingers. The grip continued tightening, there was a rubbery sound of something being squashed slowly taking place.


    Yan Zaizen gulped.


    Tao stared calmly.


    Some clenched their teeth in hatred at themselves.


    The women looked onwards with fear and caution.


    Crack. Crack. Crack.


    The woman somehow mustered enough strength to grip at the fingers embedded into his neck, trying to wrench them away, her legs kicked wildly, and her throat released a stifled sound. Her eyes seemed to be nearing the state of popping out of her skull, and lines of saliva formulated on the sides of her lips.


    CRACK!!!


    A final crack resounded. Her struggles ceased. Like a puppet who lost its strings, she went limp, her head lingered powerlessly to the side, and the struggle in her eyes ceased. A malicious laughter resounded from the overseer, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt at all those he looked at. "If you miss your quota, you''ll know how it feels to die. Hahaha!" With that, he took off in flight causing everyone to have complex expressions, the body of the woman dropped into the deep pit.


    "Cruel," Tao muttered.


    Yan Zaizen stared at the overseer, his eyes flashing with a murderous glint.

 Chapter 56 - Daughter of Lofty Status

    Sitting lazily atop an embroiled couch was a sapphire-haired beauty, servants around her fanned her from various angles, keeping her cup of wine filled, and her plate had various arrangements of fresh fruit. Her eyes were filled with deep boredom, looking about in daydreams and nonsensical thoughts. This beautiful woman was the one that Yan Zaizen had mistakenly barged into, his eyes having stained her body, and his current sentence within the Deep Mines was her judgment.


    The room she was in was filled with a white and blue imperial decor with traces of gold designs giving it a very wealthy feel. A young man entered, kneeling on the floor, escorting that man was the one who Yan Zaizen would remember from before. He was the middle-aged Origin Core Realm Cultivator who interrogated him.


    Their arrival didn¡¯t seem to catch the girl¡¯s interest. She only glanced at them slightly before picking a grape and placing it in her mouth. The young man who kneeled rose slowly and approached with quiet and cautious steps. When he arrived, he spoke clearly. ¡°Lady Di, I have the report on the one named ¡®Yan Zaizen."


    This, however, didn¡¯t seem to catch the woman¡¯s attention either. She only let loose a soft snort, her mood obviously turning worse. This man was the one who intruded in her bath, saw her body, and still got away with it so easily. If it wasn¡¯t because the circumstance was special, she would have had his eyes gouged, castrated, and burnt to death.


    The young male didn¡¯t seem to feel dejected by her lack of attention and he proceeded, ¡°He¡¯s a citizen of Presba, a member of the Yan Clan which is located at a place called Meteorite City. It is a second-tier force within the country and doesn¡¯t possess much significance amongst the myriad forces of Presba. Even amongst second-tier forces, they were quite middle-tier.¡± The man listed off information about Yan Zaizen¡¯s origins. However, this only caused the woman to continue eating her grapes calmly.


    The middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but shake his head inwardly. The boy was unjustly sentenced to his fate because of others schemes. He survived, but then was given a death sentence soon afterward. His enemies must be feeling relieved.


    The young man then proceeded to inform her about Yan Zaizen. ¡°He¡¯s seventeen this year, and in his clan, he¡¯s regarded as a talentless individual, despite being the Clan Lord¡¯s grandson. About a year ago, he went missing randomly. Many amongst the clan believe him dead, others believe he ran away in disgrace, and barely anyone is showing any form of grief on this matter. They didn¡¯t even search more than three days for him.¡± If Yan Zaizen heard this, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised but still feel disappointed in his family.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Lady Di snorted, she looked towards the middle-aged man with an expression of ¡®I-told-you-so.¡¯ The middle-aged man couldn¡¯t help but lightly shake his head with a little embarrassment. Earlier, he tried getting her to save Yan Zaizen from the Deep Mines, but she refused. He finally convinced her to agree if he had some powerful force that would exchange resources for him.


    He evidently didn¡¯t.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± Lady Di lazily said. The young man shook his head, indicating he had no more information. In truth, they devoted almost a half a year to gather this information because of the sheer distance. The young man felt it was a waste of resources to do so much for a nobody.


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    Lady Di waved her hand in casual dismissal. The young man took his leave after a deep bow. The middle-aged man stepped up, ¡°I apologize, it seems my worries were unfounded.¡±


    She shook her head slightly, ¡°Elder Lu, Your heart is just too kind.¡± She didn¡¯t truly have any intention of letting Yan Zaizen out. If he did have a tremendous force, she¡¯d simply make sure he was killed. But since he didn¡¯t, he could die slowly in the Deep Mines.


    Elder Lu couldn¡¯t help but warily smiled. It seems that no matter what, this man was fated to die. If only he didn¡¯t meet this woman of lofty status. He couldn¡¯t help but take a look at this Lady Di. She was extraordinarily beautiful and was the daughter to the Military Commander of the entire Imperial force. If it wasn¡¯t for that fact, her lackluster mindset towards cultivation would¡¯ve landed her in some man¡¯s bed as a wife or a concubine.


    However, she hit the lottery with her birth.


    Lady Di contemplated somethings for a bit before her eyes lit up and looked towards Elder Lu, ¡°Has Prince Ren arrived?¡± She seemed to be showing excitement for the first time since Elder Lu arrived.


    Elder Lu helplessly smiled and nodded, ¡°He arrived yesterday, and rested for the day. He should be in his room at the moment.¡±


    Prince Ren was the third prince to the Grux¡¯s Imperial Emperor. His third son, and despite his age already nearing three hundred years, he had yet to take a wife. He had extraordinary good-looks, imperial grace, intelligent in both battle and strategy, incredible cultivation talent that allowed him to comprehend a lower-tier World Law, but a World Law nevertheless. The number of people who could comprehend a single world law in the entirety of Presba was about ninety thousand people per nine billion. This was an extraordinarily low number.


    Many women were attempting to gain his attention, not just for status, but for a good husband with infinite potential. Out of the many cultivators in Grux, in the last ten thousand years, he was the one given the most hope of progressing to the True Essence Realm. There were even hopes of being declared the next Emperor of Grux.


    ¡°Great! I¡¯ll go meet him.¡± Her voice was uppity, and she rose from the couch rather quickly. Her eyes were filled with anticipation and her steps were spry. She took her exit and behind her were several of her trusted servants behind her.


    Elder Lu looked onwards but couldn¡¯t help but inwardly shake his head. He had a little understanding of Prince Ren¡¯s personality and he would likely only pick someone with exceptional cultivation talent or who he truly fancied. As for Lady Di, she didn¡¯t reach either requirement. For the last hundred years, she¡¯s been riding on his coattails in hopes of capturing his attention.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look out an open window. His thoughts remembered that naked figure whose life was innocent, but he was still given a guilty sentence. ¡°Five Hundred Years...sigh¡­¡± He remembered when he was younger, and how he was given something similar. If it wasn¡¯t for the Military Commander back then, he would¡¯ve suffered a similar fate.


    He silently disappeared, following Lady Di amidst the shadows.

 Chapter 57 - Cycle of the Deep Mines

    Deep Mines, Day Two-Hundred Twenty:


    Today was the day another batch of new arrivals came. At the time, Yan Zaizen was mining some ore, his body filled with dirt and sweat, but his physical stature was becoming more impressive. His muscles were slightly enlarged, and the definition of them was more noticeable. His height kept increasing a centimeter or half every week or two. At this moment, his previous height of five feet six was completely dispelled, and he was five feet nine.


    The cultivation into the Immortal Herculean Method was slow but incredibly effective. His body wasn¡¯t being actively refined, but it was undergoing an evolutionary advancement. He could feel the thickness of his cells, the purity of his vital energies, blood, organs, and even his teeth change their composition and structure. He felt like he was no longer physically human, or at least he was half-human. This change didn¡¯t dissuade Yan Zaizen. Instead, it motivated him further.


    Tao caught on to his advancement and gradual changes and finally asked about it. Yan Zaizen told him the truth, at least regards to the method, but when Tao heard it, he was shocked. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t know how to properly verbalize the cultivation method despite cultivating it. He found this quite strange. It was as if he could comprehend it, but he couldn¡¯t teach it. Unless someone merged the motes of light that defined the Immortal Herculean Method clearly, it would be impossible for another to grasp its method.


    Tao understood that some methods were like this, and it was purposefully done to prevent widespread distribution of key skills. Unless you completely master the method, it would be impossible to make another copy for others to peruse.


    When the new arrivals saw all the old miners, they held looks of hope and despair. Some knew of the cruel rumors of the Deep Mines, while others were ignorant and believed they could survive since others were working hard.


    No one said anything.


    Out of the people that originally arrived, the amount that was left was a pitiable number of about a dozen. This was startling low considering they came with numbers nearing a hundred. A majority of that number willingly leaped into the depths of the hole.


    There were many reasons to do so, failure to reach the quota, escape in death, insanity, or even pushed by others. Tao and Yan Zaizen kept to themselves when the new group arrived, not paying attention to anyone.


    Tao muttered, ¡°And the cycle continues.¡±


    Deep Mines, Day Two-Hundred Eighty-Seven.


    The first person of the new group missed their quota. It was a young man who looked nothing more than skin and bone, but he was unwilling to simply give up with this. When the overseer arrived, he asked for a private discussion. The overseer, obviously intrigued, took him up on his offer.


    After some time, they returned. The young man had a slight smile on his face, his eyes containing contempt as he looked at the other miners. It was obvious that he believed that his discussion had worked. The new miners had gazes of envy, but the older ones simply shook their heads and looked at the man with a bit of pity.


    Unfortunately, whatever he said didn¡¯t work. This time, the overseer lifted the young man up forcefully and ripped off his limbs one by one in front of everyone. Some of the blood even splashed on some of the newcomers causing them to tremble in terror.


    When all limbs were removed and the horrible shrieking filled the mine, the overseer gripped the young man¡¯s head and twisted it until it popped off like a cap on a bottle. His blood had already been nearly drained, but his neck still spewed violently with blood. It gave everyone chills. Everyone except Yan Zaizen, Tao, and the old miners who were rather calm at this.


    They simply went back to work.


    Deep Mines, Day Three-Hundred Forty:


    A powerful breath was released from Yan Zaizen¡¯s body. His lungs had evolved its structure, and he realized that he no longer had just two lungs, but four. The other two were oddly placed and smaller than the first, and were situated within his other two lungs. It seemed bizarre, but it worked flawlessly. It was as if he could absorb the essence energy from the air and perfectly refine it into his oxygenated blood through these two additional lungs. With each breath, his blood would be enhanced in quality and his vital energies he could muster increased in quantity.


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    It was a fabulous feeling.


    The Major Success Stage of the Nascent Herculean Physique was defined by several changes to one¡¯s organic structure, but due to its ambiguity, it could genuinely be anything. Some races with gills may have changes to it, some with wings may have changes to that, or those who were made of other materials may have other changes. The miraculousness of the Immortal Herculean Method was near limitless.


    He was no longer five-feet nine-inches, but five-feet eleven-inches. A leap of two inches and his good-looks started to become more prominent. Whenever the overseer would appear, to not arouse any questions, he would hide in the back. Especially considering that the majority of people here lacked fat but had defined muscles from constant work. He, however, had both abundant flesh and muscles. Even Tao¡¯s scrawny appearance became more so.


    This day was not only memorable because of his breakthrough, but Yan Zaizen also made a discovery. There was a group of nearby miners who believed that they had sufficient body cultivation to sneakily escape the pit through a climb. The moment they tried, the formation up above activated and sent a light beam of pure energy turning them into dust.


    ¡°I...see¡­¡± In truth, Yan Zaizen had hopes of climbing to escape if his soul cultivation didn¡¯t awaken. After achieving the Major Success Stage, his vital energies at its peak could be considered at the half-step Qi Unification Realm. However, this was in terms of aura intensity, as for his body cultivation actual strength; he felt that if he was truly at his peak, he could definitely go toe-to-toe with any Qi Unification practitioner.


    ¡°However, it¡¯s not enough.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but sigh, his voice filled with exhaustion. The amount of ore he had to mine each day became increasingly higher to the point where a majority of his time was to travel to a suitable place and mine for several hours. If it wasn¡¯t for his body cultivation reaching this level, it¡¯s likely he would truly die.


    A significant reason why he could survive up till now was due to what Tao had taught him about the Dao aura of his. By infusing it into his pickaxe, he could strengthen its structure and sharpness. By infusing it into the Unyielding Flame of Life conceptual law, he could strengthen the lifeforce it emits. By infusing his Dao aura into his physical body, his entire self-changed dramatically, capable of exhibiting more power than before.


    It was such a miraculous thing. It reminded him of a law, and how it could be used to enhance one¡¯s capabilities, typically via the qi. However, one¡¯s Dao was essentially a universal law that could be applied to anything and everything. It also wasn¡¯t exhausting to use, as if it was limitless. Tao had once told him that those with a Dao had faster cultivation speeds, higher comprehensive combat abilities and even the ability to excel in many things.


    At first, he was skeptical. However, now he could truly see it. He understood why the dao was seeked by many.


    The sole reason he could achieve the Major Success Stage of the Immortal Herculean Physique was largely because of his Dao infusion during the transformation process. It was like an amplifier to all things, and it could also put immense pressure on others. If he didn¡¯t have his own Dao, perhaps several years would¡¯ve been needed before he could achieve major success.


    Despite all this, it was still hellish to reach the quota each and every day, especially in an environment filled with depression, despair, and death.


    Well, one thing was beneficial from this sort of environment.


    Yan Zaizen clenched his hand tightly. An inky black shadow was squirmy its way out of his hand. It contained an aura that was overly prevalent in the atmosphere. It looked as if it wanted to feed on the essence of death, and especially downwards in the pit. Whenever he conjured this conceptual law, it seemed drawn to the depths of the Deep Mines.


    This inky black shadow was the Siphoning Shadow of Death; it had reached the Force-level, and even to the minor success over this time. It contained more traces of true law than his white flame, but despite this, the white flame still couldn¡¯t be defeated by the black shadow. It was extraordinary.


    Despite its weakness to the white flame, it seems like it was getting stronger and stronger in this place surrounded by death of both the body and soul. It may be hell to others, including himself, but to the inky black shadow it was different ¡ª it was home.


    ¡°Ahhhhhhh!!!¡± A shriek once more resounded shortly nearby before slowly disappearing.


    It seems another was pushed off.

 Chapter 58 - Self-Awareness & Willingness

    Deep Mines, Day Five-Hundred Forty-Eight:


    ¡°The Dao truly is extraordinary,¡± Yan Zaizen placed his pickaxe down, his body rested on a piece of debris. His ability to infuse this wonderous internal law into all things was exceptional, and the benefits it contained was numerous to near infinite. It¡¯s been nearly two years, but his mental state and will had grown exceptionally well in this environment.


    The constant pressure for freedom, from the many deaths, from the despair and the cruelty of the world continuously tempered his mindset and beliefs. His continuous discussions with Tao during this time about the world outside, cultivation, and life itself allowed his mind to become sharper. Many things he didn¡¯t originally know, he knew, and things he felt were unrealistic was brought to light.


    Tao was like a teacher constantly providing him non-intrusive advice and spreading his knowledge. Tao, of course, did so mainly to not lose his mind in this hell. Yan Zaizen never felt that slipping of the mind due to his Dao giving him a strengthened sense of focus and clarity. There wasn¡¯t hope in his eyes like others, but certainty and patience. This was the stark difference between Yan Zaizen from day one and now; he no longer had a na?ve mind filled with baseless hope.


    The cruel reality of the Deep Mines was a lot more devastating than he originally assumed. It¡¯s been nearly two years, and he had never seen a single individual in his vicinity go up to freedom. The ones who arrived with him had all perished one way or another. As for the second group that arrived, they had perished as well. Only he and Tao remained. The newly arrived crew seemed to be establishing another cycle of hope and despair.


    ¡°It wouldn¡¯t be called the Heavenly Dao if it wasn¡¯t,¡± Tao said, he walked over and sat beside Yan Zaizen. In his hands were their daily rations. Before, Tao was scrawny, and now he was nothing more than bones at this point. His eyes were sunken, his stomach was caved inwards, but his gaze held a trace of unyielding intelligence. His teeth were still remarkably white, and even Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t know how he was keeping them such.


    ¡°Yeah, Yeah. Heavenly Dao. You must first be blessed by the Heavens before being able to develop it. You say that every time.¡± Yan Zaizen carelessly dismissed, grabbing his ration from Tao and slowly eating it. It was a tasteless oatmeal mixture filled with enough nutrients for the body to live but not enough to produce sufficient energy to work at the peak. Despite this, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t dislike it.


    Tao laughed softly, digging into his oatmeal. The others nearby were doing the same, and the newly arrived individuals were eating with vigor, slight traces of hope in their eyes and unyielding will.


    Tao seemed to have thought of something, looking at Yan Zaizen up and down, ¡°Did you breakthrough?¡± He noticed that Yan Zaizen was covering his body and face in cloth, concealing his impressive visage and physical stature. Yan Zaizen just looked upwards, swallowing the little oatmeal in his mouth. He didn¡¯t seem to contain any happiness in his gaze, but just an unyielding will and undying resolve.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± He answered.


    Yan Zaizen had achieved the Perfect Stage of the Nascent Herculean Physique. When he did, his bones became thicker, his quad-lungs further displayed their ability to send essence into the blood to strengthen one¡¯s body constantly, and his amber eyes became a shade lighter. His looks became far better-looking than before. Among men, he would definitely be rated as a nine out of ten. The only flaw would have to be his gaze were a lot calmer and concealed than before.


    ¡°Not enough?¡± Tao inquired.


    Yan Zaizen shook his head.


    Indeed, his plan of using the Immortal Herculean Method to escape couldn¡¯t work. At the moment, his vital energies could rival the late-Qi Unification Cultivators at its peak. However, with his current situation, reaching that peak was unlikely. Even if he was at his peak, he still wouldn¡¯t be able to escape due to the formation and the climbing restraint. However, this didn¡¯t shake his will, only forced him to relocate his focus.


    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.Regrettably, the Dao couldn¡¯t be cultivated through desire, but through experiences. Tao didn¡¯t know what level his Dao was at, but it was certainly at its development phase. He said that the Dao typically has unique characteristics of each individual, and that characteristic would manifest itself when a Dao was completed. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t developed this yet.


    Tao lowered his head in thought. Then asked softly, ¡°What will you do when you leave this place?¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered with an odd glint. ¡°Besides the obvious?¡± He carelessly chuckled.


    ¡°Besides the obvious.¡± Tao solemnly said.


    ¡°I was born in the Yan Clan, a second-tier force in Presba. My Mother and Father were buried at our clan¡¯s ancestral graveyard. I¡¯ll visit them. I¡¯ll say what needs to be said and do what needs to be done.¡± He stated, his voice filled with resolve. He took a deep breath and continued, ¡°When I was younger, I fell in love with a girl. She married my cousin. The things I did in my youth, I don¡¯t regret, but now that I¡¯m older, I feel I should talk to her. To tell her that I don¡¯t hate her for her choice or actions.¡± His voice was filled with a sort of relief.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Tao was surprised, this was the first time Yan Zaizen truly answered his question. Over the last five hundred days, every time this question was asked, he¡¯d be brushed off. ¡°You don¡¯t hate her? For not choosing you?¡± He inquired curiously. Most men, especially young ones, would feel enraged from not being chosen.


    Yan Zaizen softly shook his head. ¡°The cultivation world is filled with dangers and cruelty. When I was younger, I wanted to rely on her talent for my own rise. I wanted to have wealth, safety, status, good food, excellent wine, and a beautiful woman by my side. I wanted to be protected. I wanted to give a little and gain everything. Haha, I was truly young.¡±


    He truly felt that the person he was three years ago was too different from now. He had been kidnapped from his home, teleported far away, traveled in a forest of poisonous beasts, got schemed against and almost married another, performed a slaughter towards all those who stood in his way and was schemed against once more. It didn¡¯t stop there. When he survived all that, he was unfortunate enough to land in a place that essentially sent him to hell on earth.


    His mind was a lot clearer than before. He understood the importance of talent, will, and ability. Han Genji lost his lover because of his weakness and others schemes. Was it any different from how he lost her?


    ¡°Her choice, no one can know whether it was the right or wrong one. One thing I know, the younger me did not deserve her. I accept this. I know this.¡± Saying this aloud felt like a weight was lifted from his mind. ¡°What about you?¡± He turned his head to look at this deep-voiced man filled with knowledge and mysteries.


    Tao contemplated for a moment, ¡°My future is over. I have nothing to do and nowhere to go.¡± His voice quivered slightly when he said this. Yan Zaizen was startled. What did that mean? He could tell that the story there was exceptional but also complicated. A man with no clan and no family name, thrown into hell and left there to rot.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Yan Zaizen closed his eyes. He said some words carelessly, ¡°What about joining me? We¡¯ll travel the vast realm, see the myriad sights it has to offer and enjoy our lives.¡±


    However, these few careless words shook Tao to his very core. He slowly turned towards Yan Zaizen, his eyes seemed wet and his fists were clenched. This boy in front of him was exceptional, but escaping was nothing but a dream. He knew this. There was no way of escape, and no one has ever escaped the Deep Mines. Despite struggling to survive due to an unwillingness to concede, he contemplated jumping off the cliff every day since. Yet, when those words were spoken, he felt a tinge of hope well up in him.


    He didn¡¯t say anything, only nodded with a slight grunt of agreement. He feared that if he spoke, it¡¯s likely he¡¯d reveal a side that a man shouldn¡¯t show carelessly.


    Yan Zaizen slightly smiled as he looked upwards. ¡°If I see you again, what will you think?¡±

 Chapter 59 - Do You Know How It Feels?

    Deep Mines, Seven-Hundred Seventy-Seven:


    The days truly felt endless, filled with repetition and indistinguishable time. At this time, Yan Zaizen could only barely assume how long has passed on the outside. Some days, he truly felt that he was going insane, but most felt quite normal.


    Even Tao, who had undergone a change since that day, stumbled in his mentality. The sheer amount of ore they had to mine to fit their quota was monstrous. They worked constantly in an attempt each and every day and couldn''t stop. Most of their days were filled with mining, and it became to the point where even Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t cultivate other things.


    Yan Zaizen was pounding away at the walls, rocks, and debris for ore when mid-swing, he paused.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± He was stunned. He could feel...his soul?! He immediately investigated his soul form¡¯s status, and what he saw gave him a sensation of joy. The soul form wasn¡¯t Yan Zaizen, but an outer shell of himself that protects his soul, his true soul form was the thin, squiggly line from before. That could be considered his soul flame.


    It is because of this that he could still comprehend the law, remain active, construct and recall memories, as well as utilize a weakened form of spiritual sense. His soul form was like a cocoon that restricted his soul energy, only allowing the bare minimum as if it was undergoing an evolution.


    The soul form was now finished with that evolution!


    ¡°Finally.¡± A breath of relief escaped his lips, and he could feel his body become lax after the countless days of continuous work. He dropped his pickaxe and closed his eyes. He entered his sea of consciousness, the space where his soul form was stored, and examined it thoroughly. His soul form had three major changes. Firstly, the Aurora Borealis within it was more brilliant than before, having motes of white light that contained traces of the Dao.


    ¡°My soul form now has my Dao incorporated into it?¡± He was startled. He recalled how the Spatial Form of Infinite Stability, Unyielding Flame of Life, and Siphoning Shadow of Death had occupied his soul form. In it, the white flame and inky black orb danced around each other like lovers and rivals, but the Spatial Form of Infinite Stability was simply standing within it. Now, there were motes of his Dao floating about in his soul form, and it was nearly uncountable.


    ¡°It seems like...it doesn¡¯t have any form, yet.¡± He remarked.


    The second change was its glabella and eyes. His soul form¡¯s eyes were pitch black and seemed to contain endless hunger within them, and this caused even Yan Zaizen¡¯s mouth to dry. This was his own soul form, but it left him feeling odd. As for his glabella, it was no longer a dot. It was a swirling black hole that seemed to attract everything, to consume everything, and has an insatiable need to devour all things.


    The third was the most noticeable which was how his soul form looked. It was an exact representation of himself. Unlike before where it was simply a blue-ish humanoid figure, this thing had his muscles, his definitions, every strand of hair, and even had nails. It was still blue, but it was like a blue him.


    ¡°It¡¯s so lifelike. Like looking at a colored mirror.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but pant at this discovery. He didn¡¯t know how much this would affect him or even why this transformation occurred, but he had his assumptions. He believed, due to the timing, that his soul change was highly related to the formulation of his Dao. It was as if him discovering his Dao lead to his soul undergoing a transformation. At first, it was only suspicions, but seeing the soul form before him, he felt it was closer to the truth.


    As for the swirling black hole, the endlessly deep black eyes, and perfect reflection-like soul form, he felt like it was still related to his Dao as well.


    He opened his eyes and felt excited. His soul had obviously undergone a massive evolution, and if the Spirit Matrix Method description was telling the truth in regards to cultivation indication, he had reached the Advanced Aurora Soul.


    Tao was mindlessly swinging his pickaxe until he felt something was strange. He found Yan Zaizen soon afterward and him standing there motionless. ¡°Did he?¡± Tao feared the worst, but luckily it didn¡¯t come true. Yan Zaizen opened his eyes soon afterward. His gaze was vastly different from before. It didn¡¯t contain that concealed patience, but reckless excitement.


    ¡°Hahahahaha!!¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but laugh loudly, startling everyone in the mines. Tao was surprised. Assuming that he lost his mind, Tao rushed over.


    ¡°You...okay?¡± His tone was cautious. In the Deep Mines, you see people crack far too often. However, how could Yan Zaizen care about his cautious tone? He kept laughing, he truly felt great so how could he not?


    ¡°Tao! You ready to join me?¡± He turned towards Tao with a wide grin.


    ¡°...¡± He looked at Yan Zaizen for a long moment before nodding, adding, ¡°Always, and forever.¡± His resolve was beyond strong at this moment. He couldn¡¯t help but be a little excited.


    Yan Zaizen waved his hand, sending a gentle telekinetic pulse outwards that shattered Tao¡¯s cuff. Then, with another, he removed his own. Taking a deep breath, he could sense the essence in the air coalesce into qi as it was drawn into his body. His actions caused all the miners to be startled, looking at him with curiosity. Tao, however, eyes lit up with an excited glow.


    ¡°Is it enough?¡± Tao excited asked.


    Yan Zaizen softly nodded.


    Checking the Meteor Ring, he found out that many of the essence crystals were gone. He looked upwards and saw an Aurora Borealis that was several hundred times larger than before, and a black hole directly above it. However, this black hole only stayed there harmlessly, not swirling and consuming anything below.


    ¡°I see.¡± He noted this change. It seems his previous assumption was likely correct. His rapid advancement in soul cultivation had to do with the mysterious black hole on his glabella. It was absorbing things to develop his soul, but that made him question even more, what did he absorb initially? When he first developed soul cultivation, it was when Han Genji caught sight of him back then, and the only thing that happened was the appearance of the Meteor Ring. Could it be the Meteor Ring was the reason for the black hole?


    He felt that wasn¡¯t correct.


    Placing those confusing thoughts at the back of his head, he retrieved the spatial ring containing the Ying Clan¡¯s vast fortune. He withdrew it instantly. Taking out a few drops high-grade of essence liquid, he gave a few to Tao and consumed a few himself.


    This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.Tao was shocked. The ordinary ring that seemed completely inconspicuous was a spatial ring? The reason why the ring wasn¡¯t taken during Yan Zaizen''s arrest or arrival here was only that it did not emit a spatial signature. This caused the ring to look ordinary as if a memento rather than a storage device. It was a truly strange object that continued to bewilder Yan Zaizen. only he could sense it.


    ¡°Recover. We leave today.¡± He stated. However, he looked upwards and after some thought, he changed his mind. ¡°We¡¯ll recover today and leave tomorrow. There¡¯s something I have to do.¡±


    The others in the cave felt the pristine essence fluctuation from the drops and couldn¡¯t help but salivate. Some even wanted to approach and steal but realizing that the two didn¡¯t have their cuffs while they still did, it would be the same as courting death. Whenever they approached, Tao would give them a look filled with murderous intentions. They backed off immediately, some even thinking of snitching their circumstances to the overseer in hopes of reducing their sentences.


    As they recovered, Yan Zaizen was surprised at Tao¡¯s cultivation base. It truly was profound; He was a half-step Origin Core Realm Cultivator! This cultivation was by no means low, and it could be considered rather high. For him to be sentenced to the Deep Mines, despite his cultivation, it left much to be answered.


    Time slowly passed.


    Soon, the quota was received and shipped off. Tao and Yan Zaizen obviously didn¡¯t meet their quota for the day. Several hours later, the overseer who¡¯s watched over them the past two years descended with a malevolent chuckle. The other miners felt a cold chill travel through their spines. The one who terrorized their every dream was currently coming. The only solace they could obtain was that they had met their quota and thus would not be killed today.


    As for the other two? A few even had expressions of schadenfreude, mostly they were the newbies who held some hope for their futures, unable to see the reality of their own bleak situation.


    ¡°Two this time? Haha, good. I feel like playing a game today.¡± The overseer laughed, his eyes glinting with anticipation. For years, there have been many individuals who¡¯ve been toyed to death by him. In his eyes, these people were nothing more than tools for the kingdom¡¯s wealth and his amusement.


    Yan Zaizen stayed silent, as did Tao. Their eyes simply trained on the overseer, both with a relatively calm look, but the emotion concealed within each of their eyes were very different. The overseer only had a cultivation base at the initial-Qi Unification Realm and wasn¡¯t a threat even if Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t recover his soul cultivation. However, he couldn¡¯t take action due to the fallout that would obviously ensue.


    ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll let you two fight. The one who kills the other, I¡¯ll spare them today.¡± The overseer proposed.


    ¡°Silence.¡± Yan Zaizen spoke. As he did, a silver-blue light flashed and entered the overseer¡¯s body in a blink. No one in the vicinity, not even the overseer, could react to the sheer speed of this light. However, the overseer¡¯s expression was filled with mocking and a little anger, he tried to laugh but as he did, he found out that no voice was emitted.


    He immediately discovered the oddity; he was unable to speak. He tried screaming, shouting, and even attempting to make a myriad of different sounds with his throat but nothing came out. ¡®What did he do to me?!¡¯ He looked towards Yan Zaizen with intense fear, but also killing intent. When one is in a life or death situation, their fear could produce two effects: fight or flight. Each person would react differently, and this overseer had the heart of a ruthless man, typically unless the situation was too far gone from his control, he would choose to fight.


    Currently, Yan Zaizen had his features concealed with only his amber eyes revealed through the black cloth. Those eyes were filled with an eerie calm. He spoke one more word, ¡°Halt.¡± Unlike before, there was no flash of silver-blue light but the overseer¡¯s squirming body. His original intention of charging towards Yan Zaizen and slaying him was immediately put to a pause as his body froze in an awkward position in mid-air.


    Step.


    Step.


    Step.


    Yan Zaizen took three steps, ascending into mid-air, while his body was supported by faint silver-blue light. In those three steps, he arrived next to the overseer with no less than a meter of distance between them. At this point, the overseer¡¯s eyes were starting to be filled with an essence of true fear.


    ¡°Do. You. Know. How. It. Feels. To. Die?¡± Yan Zaizen words were spoken slowly, each and every word was accompanied by that meter of distance shorting by a few inches until he was directly facing the overseer, looking straight into his eyes.


    A cold grin suffused on his lips, ¡°You will.¡±


    Yan Zaizen touched the man¡¯s glabella, a flash of silver-blue light surged into his soul ravaging his everything it could without immediately killing this man. One could say the damage to the soul was the harshest pain one could suffer. It was like being ripped apart from the inside. The overseer squirmed, shaking violently, his eyes bulging from his head, and his eyes started to lose its color.


    ¡°The pain of the soul is terrifying. I know, but what¡¯s worse is being ripped apart from an infinite number of directions in total darkness while you wait for death.¡± He calmly said, cocking his head sideways to look at the twitching form of the overseer. ¡°Speak.¡± He commanded.


    ¡°Ahhhrhrhrsyfhsfuwrg!! Pl...pl-please!¡± The overseer tried speaking but was having obvious difficulties. Yan Zaizen cocked his head to the other side, his eyes calm. Seeing this, the overseer realized the situation was not one in which he could control, and his first instincts of preservation kicked in.


    ¡°Beg.¡±


    ¡°Pl-please! Spa-spar-spare me!! I¡¯ll...I¡¯ll do anything!!! I¡¯ll tell you everything I know, how to escape, and more! PLEASE!¡± Nearing the end, his voice became more clear and stronger, reverberating throughout the area.


    ¡°I wonder, is that what they said? Is that what they hoped you¡¯d do for them? I wonder, what did you do to them when they did?¡± His questions sent a shiver through all the miners, especially the older ones. ¡°Oh, I know.¡± He lifted his hand and placed it on the overseer¡¯s chest, ¡°You let them know how it felt to die.¡± A light push of the man¡¯s body propelled him very slowly backward, but space started to contort as if his body was landed on a soft marshmallow, the layers of space folded around him, and then a popping sound occurred.


    He vanished.


    ¡°Chaotic Space, someone like you, you¡¯ll enjoy the experience.¡±

 Chapter 60 - Whats Below?

    Wearing a clean violet martial cultivator outfit from the Ying Clan¡¯s spatial ring, he looked at himself thoroughly. Over the past two years, his changes were extraordinary. To the point where his mother and father would barely recognize him, and he wasn¡¯t sure how he felt about it all.


    His muscles were robust and defined as if sculpted like a greek statue, his pectoral muscles were elegantly made as if chiseled, his face was handsome and filled with masculine charm, the amber eyes of his sparkled with vibrant strength and lifeforce, and his height reached six feet.


    Tao flew over to Yan Zaizen, his body radiating faint traces of origin aura. When he arrived, he looked at Yan Zaizen curiously. He remembered when this boy first arrived, how he was like a newborn child looking curiously at the gates of hell, but now he felt more like a man ready to ascend to the heavens.


    When Yan Zaizen first informed him that his soul cultivation could rival an Origin Core practitioner, he was skeptical. Who wouldn¡¯t be? He was only 17 years old, and soul cultivation required a massive amount of specific resources and enlightenment to progress. Out of all the cultivation methods, soul cultivation was the most difficult and time-consuming. If someone told him three years ago that a 17-year-old kid reached the Aurora Soul Realm, he would¡¯ve dismissed them as being insane or uneducated.


    But here he was.


    Yan Zaizen found another outfit from the Ying¡¯s Clan spatial ring and handed it to Tao. It was an identical pair with his current violet attire. These outfits weren¡¯t normal by any means. They were filled with all sorts of formations for essence gathering for cultivation and recovery, defensive formations for protection for against energy of all types - including soul energy, and made with tight, stretchable fabric to allow it to fit any body type.


    The outfit could be considered an earth-rank armament of the top-grade. It was designed to be worn against and by Qi Unification Cultivators and thus wasn''t that effective in combat situations at the Origin Core Realm. Despite this, it was suitable for both Yan Zaizen and Tao.


    ¡°This seemed to have been created by a formation specialist. Do you know how to create formations also?¡± Tao inquired. These outfits truly were exceptionally crafted, the Ying Clan was a formation clan with over a thousand years of legacy after all. If they couldn¡¯t make an earth-rank, top-grade armament with rank six formations embedded into it, they would¡¯ve been a shame to all armament creationist clans realm-wide.


    ¡°Naw. A clan was nice enough let me keep them, it¡¯s a long story.¡± He responded with a slight smile. If the Ying Clan heard his words, they would probably be spewing massive amounts of blood filled with hate-filled indignation.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Tao nodded, using his qi-essence to remove the embedded dirt in his skin, regaining his original color of brown skin, dark brown hair and pearly white teeth. ¡°What now?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I want to check out before we leave.¡± Yan Zaizen said, looking deep into the hole. Earlier, when he arrived, he felt an odd life signature from below. Over the two years, he felt that odd life signature fluctuates between weak and strong inconsistently. Whenever it became strong, he could feel something inside him resonate with it. This sensation kept getting stronger and stronger with each fluctuation.


    ¡°Something¡¯s calling me. I just don¡¯t know what.¡± His tone was filled with curiosity. With his soul cultivation recovered, if he wanted to leave, no one could stop him from doing so.


    Tao followed Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze, slowly nodding his head. ¡°In that case, shall we go down?¡± He was willing to follow this boy anywhere. Not only because he saved his life, but because over the two years, they¡¯ve become remarkably close. Even if he was nearing 700 years in age, he felt close to Yan Zaizen. Not to mention that Yan Zaizen''s soul cultivation base exceeded his own considerably, he had no qualms about following him to the ends of the earth.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Yan Zaizen, he would¡¯ve jumped off this cliff a year ago and arrived in the underworld.


    ¡°...Absolutely.¡±


    Yan Zaizen withdrew his silver-blue soul energy from his body. This action caused his body to suddenly descend downwards. Initially, it was slow, but as he continued going downwards the speed of his descent increased to terminal velocity.


    ¡°Hahaha! Down we go!¡± Tao chuckled seeing Yan Zaizen be so decisive. He withdrew the levitating force of his qi-essence, falling downwards following Yan Zaizen, but his qi-essence still formed a faint barrier around his skin to prevent any damage. Unlike Yan Zaizen, he didn¡¯t have a profound body cultivation.


    They continued their descent, passing the many people who were working the mines, and most didn¡¯t even give them a glance. A person saw them two falling and jumped after them in suicide. Yan Zaizen ignored him, letting him fall.


    1 li.


    10 li.


    Stolen story; please report.


    100 li.


    They were falling for quite a while. The hole seemed virtually endless. ¡°How far does this truly go?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but inwardly question. It seems that no matter how deep they went within the hole, they weren¡¯t even close to reaching the bottom. However, the odd life signature became more and more vibrant with every meter traveled.


    From his discussions with Tao, he learned quite a lot about these Deep Mines. It was created over ten thousand years ago, before the new era of the myriad world was established, during the Chaos Era. The current era was the Rebirth Era, and it started over twelve thousand years ago after the Chaos Era ended.


    The Chaos Era was just like its name described - full of chaos. It was an era filled with a great war that terrorized every inch of the myriad realms. Many beings at the height of power fell, and worlds were destroyed. It was so chaotic that even entire realms fell, laid barren with no life or chance for life to be born anew.


    When the Rebirth Era was ushered, it signified the end of the chaos. It hoped for the rebirth of a cultivation society after a near total collapse. It succeeded. The myriad realms were no longer drenched in blood and death, but stable and developing once more to its former glory.


    When Yan Zaizen first heard of this, his mind was blown. When he was younger, he only knew of the continent and the four countries inhabiting it. When Wu Yuanxu informed him of the Anima Society, he learned that the realm he resided in was called the Xiantu Realm, named after the Xiantu Empire. The Realm had three habitable planets called continents due to each having one large land mass followed by millions of minor ones. He was currently living on the continent named the Fallen Stars Continent.


    He remembered Meteorite City and how its population was decimated by falling meteors. As he heard of its name, it brought about a sense that made them seem heavily connected. Many believe a majority of the resources on the continent was from the asteroids that traveled the void. They bombarded the planet and gave it its many characteristics and unique lifeforms.


    Due to the vast amount of time that passed since the Chaos Era, not many people knew much about the Deep Mines except that it was exceptionally deep. Tao informed him that even the Grux Empire wasn¡¯t able to explore the depth of the holes. It seemed that there were many mysteries about not only its depths but how it was formed that its own country didn¡¯t know about.


    After traveling 700 li downwards, Yan Zaizen stopped his falling momentum as a silver-blue light surrounded his body. Tao attempted doing the same, but his ability to stop was far inferior to Yan Zaizen and he kept going for another kilometer. He had to fly back up to meet Yan Zaizen, but one could tell the energy required to stop his momentum exhausted him.


    ¡°You found something?¡± Tao inquired.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t answer right away but continued gazing at the wall to his furthest right. There, a fluctuating grey light was being emitted, but inside the wall. This grey light indicated spiritual life, and it was the first time he¡¯d encountered such a thing.


    Their current distance beneath exceeded 1,000 li of distance total. The mines no longer existed, and there was no guards, miners, or dug out mining holes in this area. It just looked like a deep dark hole with no light, and even Tao could only see Yan Zaizen through his qi-sense. If Yan Zaizen concealed his qi-aura, he¡¯d be invisible to Tao right now.


    ¡°You don¡¯t see it?¡± It took a while before Yan Zaizen asked.


    Tao was shocked, looking around but only seeing darkness. He tried using his qi-sense to find any form of energy fluctuation, but he came up with absolutely nothing. He didn¡¯t like using his spiritual sense due to its limited range and cultivation of the Initial Nascent Soul Realm, but even while using it now, he still he couldn¡¯t find anything.


    ¡°No. What is it?¡±


    ¡°A grey light. It has a low-life emission, but its spiritual, not physical. I¡¯ve never seen a spiritual life form before.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but be bewildered. Normally, cultivators have a physical lifeforce energy and when it goes kaput, then your body is dead. Without a working body, your soul will slowly exit it and enter the cycle of reincarnation. However, souls don¡¯t give life emissions, because they don¡¯t have lifeforce energy, they have soul flame to indicate consciousness and energy base - that¡¯s their life signature.


    This also meant that life law can¡¯t heal soul damage, which is why its something feared by all cultivators. Only heavenly resources, specific pills, or a considerable amount of time-extensive cultivation can help restore the soul flame to its peak. This also means death laws can¡¯t directly affect the soul either. If one wanted to affect the life or death of the soul, one would need to merge the two world laws with the world law of souls and produce the Imperial Law of Samsara.


    Tao was shocked when he heard Yan Zaizen¡¯s description. He contemplated for a long while. Something struck him like lightning as he jumped in shock, ¡°A TRUE SPIRIT?!"

 Chapter 61 - Spirit-Rank Armament

    Yan Zaizen was startled by Tao¡¯s outburst. A True Spirit? He¡¯d never come across anything remotely similar, and even during their two years of constant discussions, Tao had never mentioned a True Spirit before. Let alone seeing Tao act this way when mentioning anything. Whatever this True Spirit was, it must be an extraordinary existence.


    ¡°What¡¯s a true spirit?¡± He inquired with anticipation leaking from his voice.


    It took Tao a while before his emotions calmed down before he could answer the question. ¡°In this world, we use armaments. Armaments represent all tools, weapons, shields, and items. They hold miraculous effects and can amplify a cultivator¡¯s comprehensive combat strength, regardless of their cultivation path.¡± He explained. Yan Zaizen already knew that much.


    Armaments were the lifeblood of many cultivators. The skyship, the violet outfit he was currently wearing, the armor wielded by the hunters in the Basilisk Forest, or spatial rings used to store things.


    Tao continued, ¡°Armaments can be divided into four ranks and four grades. These things are typically determined by its effect in comparison to others in its classification, but it can also be determined by other factors as well. The four ranks are Earth, Sky, Spirit, and World. As for the grades, Low, Mid, High, and Top. Earth-rank is the most common type of armament mainly because they are armaments without a Spirit Form.¡±


    Yan Zaizen was soaking up all of this information. He knew very little about armaments outside of Earth-ranked ones. He felt this would be vastly beneficial for his future cultivation.


    ¡°To be ranked as Earth-rank is simple and only requires a well-crafted base and some additional formations embedded within. The Spirit Form is what every earth rank armament lacks. A Spirit Form is the initial development of a True Spirit, an artificial soul. The Spirit Form could operate formations to its highest degree amplifying the characteristics of the armament, but it lacks any form of advanced intelligence. When an armament has a Spirit Form, it can be classified as a Sky-rank Armament.¡±


    ¡°After the Spirit Form develops advanced intelligence, sentience and even the ability to cultivate does it become a True Spirit. Its physical body would be the armament, and its True Spirit would represent its soul. This means they wouldn¡¯t be any different from you or me in terms of their ability to think and grow. They develop unique abilities based on their circumstances of birth and cultivate to improve their grade. This is an indication of them being at the Spirit-rank. When the True Spirit evolves and becomes a Spirit World, only then does it become a World-rank armament.¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were widened in absolute shock. A living armament? He had never considered that possibility. He digested all the information he was just given and cross-referenced what he knew with the situation that he was in.


    ¡°This grey light has an odd life fluctuation, likely because it originates from an armament and not an organic body. It¡¯s possible...that only I can perceive it due to my comprehension of life laws, and perhaps my high soul cultivation.¡± He came to the conclusion that this must be a spirit-rank armament or higher.


    However, that begs the question: Why was it here?


    ¡°Can you reach it?¡± Tao inquired, now calm once more. In the cultivation world, the rank of a weapon didn¡¯t indicate its raw strength but its capabilities in general. Therefore, it¡¯s entirely possible for this armament to be invaluable to anyone. The sheer number of resources required to develop an armament with a True Spirit was truly exceptional.


    The majority of cultivators in the Xiantu Realm used earth-rank. Even Origin Core Realm experts used earth-rank, top-grade armaments. Only a scant number of them had sky-rank armaments due to the difficulty in creating an artificial soul stable enough to operate formations.


    Yan Zaizen took a deep breath to contain his excitement. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    He flew over towards the wall, cautiously getting closer. As he did, he realized the sensation of life was getting more distinct. It kept increasing until he reached the wall.


    ¡°It¡¯s in the wall?¡± He muttered in surprise. If that¡¯s the case, it made sense why it wasn¡¯t discovered if others explored this area before. Perhaps they didn¡¯t have a high cultivation base, but they would definitely discover it if something was sticking outside or on the wall.


    He gently placed his palm on the wall and could feel the cold earth. A flash of silver-blue light formulated a sharp tendril, lighting up the dark area. The tendril pierced into the earthly wall and drilling until it reached the grey lifeforce, and then it attempted to wrap around it.


    BOOM!!!


    ¡°Arrrgh!!¡± Yan Zaizen screamed suddenly, causing Tao to be startled. However, it was brief, and then Yan Zaizen simply stood there blankly. Tao arrived next to him, attempting to see what happened, but he found out that Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were closed. Despite this, his silver-blue energy was still surrounding him enabling his flight. The tendril was still drilled into the wall, and his lifeforce was vibrant as always.


    ¡°Damage to the soul?¡± He thought but quickly dismissed the idea. Soul damage would cause soul energy to be unstable, but Yan Zaizen''s soul energy tendril was stable. Something must¡¯ve happened that jolted Yan Zaizen to his current state.


    While Tao was curious about Yan Zaizen¡¯s predicament, Yan Zaizen himself was in an entirely different world. It felt like a sea of consciousness, but it was completely grey in color. When he arrived, he arrived in soul form. His eyes held black endlessness, his glabella swirled, an infinite number of white motes of light swam within it, a white flame and inky black orb danced around each other while a silver-copy of Yan Zaizen stood there in inactivity - as if it¡¯ll never falter.


    ¡°Such an odd soul form!¡± A womanly voice shouted with surprise. This voice resounded from all directions making it quite difficult to pinpoint its origin.


    Yan Zaizen was startled, looking around to see only grey in the surroundings. ¡°Where am I?¡± He asked the voice. Despite the sudden situation, he was remarkably composed. He analyzed what had just happened. His soul came into contact with another, it dragged his soul form from his body, but he could still feel the connection with his physical body. It didn¡¯t feel like his soul form was dragged away, but more so that it merged into another sea of consciousness.


    ¡°You¡¯re in my consciousness.¡± The womanly voice stated. This voice was calm, steady, and strong. It felt like it originated from a leader or noblewoman of a country. It didn¡¯t contain an innate authority, but more so a gentle serenity.


    ¡°Why?¡± He inquired with furrowed brows.


    ¡°...¡± The voice didn¡¯t respond.


    Encountering this, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t panic. Instead, he started to think more about the situation till an idea struck him. ¡°You¡¯re dying?¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I am.¡± She responded after a while, her voice still calm.


    ¡°Are you an armament?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I am.¡±


    ¡°Spirit-rank?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Your name?¡± He inquired. From her flat replies and lack of a violent response to his appearance, it seemed his intrusion into her sea of consciousness was willing on her part. In the cultivation world, especially in the Deep Mines, many people rarely do a thing without some form of benefit to themselves. If she allowed him in, she undoubtedly wanted something.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been known by many names over the years. You can call me...Pinaka.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

 Chapter 62 - Pinaka, The Wayward Bow

    ¡°Pinaka?¡± Yan Zaizen felt the name itself was strange by his world¡¯s standards, but thinking about it, an armaments weapon¡¯s name is determined by its owner. What right did he have to say the name was strange?


    ¡°Does this name bother you?¡± The voice resounded, obviously dissatisfied with Yan Zaizen¡¯s tone.


    He only chuckled lightly at her question. In truth, it didn¡¯t bother him as much as spike his curiosity. Regardless, he wasn¡¯t going to try to get into it with this spirit. ¡°Do you not have a form?¡± He responded with a question instead, avoiding hers.


    Suddenly, in front of Yan Zaizen, grey misty wisps gathered. They continued gathering until they formulated a humanoid-shape, and then continued to become further defined. The height of this spirit was similar his own, but its shape was womanly. It developed graceful curves, a slender waist, voluptuous breasts, and perk buttocks. It was the image of a woman with all of its extraordinary traits many men dream of.


    The spirit kept forming until its appearance solidified into that of a grey-robed woman with jade-like skin, grey eyes, and dull silver hair. Her lips looked semi-full with a soft glisten to it. Surprisingly, Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t filled with sexual desire when he stared at her. Instead, he felt an abundance of curiosity.


    It wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t find this gorgeous woman attractive, but his thoughts were focused elsewhere. The time in the Deep Mines shaped him differently, and he didn¡¯t treat beauty as his main trait of desire in a woman. A trait he desired, but not one he desperately needed. In his youth, Ya Qinqan was beautiful to him, and yet the him now wouldn¡¯t select her as his ideal woman.


    Pinaka saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s innocent eyes at her form and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. Typically, when she roamed the realms before, any individual who truly saw her form would grow lascivious. Had her charms dwindled due to the time or did she find a man who had different preferences?


    ¡°You¡¯ve let me in for a reason. You¡¯re going to explain?¡± Yan Zaizen patiently asked.


    Pinaka realized that this boy seemed to possess a calm mind, this was worthy of her appreciation. ¡°You were right. I¡¯m dying. I need your help. I need your soul energy.¡± She explained.


    Soul energy? It seems that Spirit-rank armaments feed off soul energy. If one thought about it, it made sense considering their forms. ¡°Couldn¡¯t you simply take it?¡± Yan Zaizen asked. In truth, he realized he wasn¡¯t a match for this woman in terms of the soul. She pulled his soul form into her sea of consciousness almost instantly, and he couldn¡¯t do a single thing to fight it off. If she wanted to take his soul energy, it¡¯s likely she could just absorb his entire soul.


    Pinaka, however, didn¡¯t do this. ¡°You think I¡¯m an idiot?¡± She responded coldly, her eyes containing some hostility for the first time.


    Yan Zaizen was dumbfounded. Why would she think he was treating her as such?


    Pinaka furrowed her brow, looking at his surprised reaction she doubted herself for a second. After a while, her hostility dissipated and her voice returned to its normal calm. ¡°Your soul is protected. If anyone tries anything, they¡¯ll trigger whatever trap that was laid there.¡±


    What?


    WHAT?!


    A trap in my soul?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± He was honestly stupefied. Yan Zaizen has never been conscious of his eliminating beings of unnatural prowess or sending the heavenly light of annihilation running to the hills. This was the first time he was informed that his soul held a trap.


    Pinaka was still calm. ¡°I don¡¯t know the details, but your soul has a trigger. Anyone who¡¯s foolish enough to attempt to forcefully harm your soul would trigger a mechanism. I don¡¯t know what it would do, but I know doing so is suicide. Even if you do not know, that¡¯s the case.¡± She was rather patient with her words, explaining in detail, but since she didn¡¯t know the specifics, she simply said what she could.


    Yan Zaizen fell silent for a long while. He softly touched his glabella. He remembered the black hole in the Meteor Ring. It looked like his soul forms eyes, and his glabella looked like it but swirling continuously. He felt an unnatural connection to this swirling black hole as if it was protecting him. He couldn¡¯t explain such a sensation before, but with Pinaka¡¯s innocent verification, it seems that¡¯s the case. It was protecting him.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    But why?


    ¡°What will I get if I help you?¡± Realizing that Pinaka won¡¯t take action against him or rather can¡¯t, he decided to get straight to the point. In the world of cultivation, if one wanted something they either must take it or exchange for it.


    Pinaka nodded at this. ¡°If you help me recover, I¡¯ll allow you to use me until then. Afterward, we¡¯ll part ways.¡±


    ¡°Use you?¡± Yan Zaizen was intrigued. ¡°What are you?¡±


    ¡°A bow.¡± Pinaka answered flatly.


    ¡°I...don¡¯t know how to use a bow.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll give you a cultivation method.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have arrows.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need any.¡±


    ¡°How long will it take you to recover?¡±


    ¡°With your current soul cultivation, a mere one thousand years.¡± She said it as if one thousand years were an insignificant number. After some thought, she added, ¡°However, if you find cultivation materials suitable for the soul, that can be expedited.¡±


    ¡°...Deal, under two conditions.¡± Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t like he was before, jumping at the heels of every good deal. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact he knew she couldn¡¯t act against him and wasn''t her match, he¡¯d have left and forced this weapon to submit somehow. However, due to this impasse, he decided to agree with a few conditions.


    Pinaka furrowed her brow. She felt obviously dissatisfied she was being bargained with. Despite this, she let Yan Zaizen continue without interjection.


    ¡°One, a soul oath and bond must be established for one thousand years. Total. Even if your recovery is expedited, one thousand years.¡± Yan Zaizen demanded adamantly. A soul oath was an incredibly miraculous occurrence. When sworn, two souls become connected and the agreement of the two are settled, if ever broken, the one who broke the oath would have their soul dragged down by the underworld.


    This was different than a heavenly oath, where if one breaks this oath, one¡¯s physical body and soul would be continuously punished for a certain duration. Despite it being a certain duration, barely anyone can survive constant heavenly tribulation but its possible. If a soul oath was broken, their souls would literally be dragged down to a situation similar to hell itself, never being able to reincarnation.


    Pinaka frowned, but she didn¡¯t disagree. In truth, she didn¡¯t have any other choice and therefore no leverage. She could continue waiting, but it¡¯s been over ten thousand years since she arrived here, the chances of someone else with an Aurora Soul and Dao arriving to meet her conditions would be nigh impossible. She needed someone with their own dao to assimilate as her own. Her original dao originated from another, but he¡¯s been killed and his dao abolished from existence. She could no longer draw from it.


    Many cultivators in the myriad realms were ignorant of a significant fact about True Spirits. For a Spirit Form to evolve into a True Spirit, a spirit must possess a dao. A dao was a law that existed on its own, one that could theoretically rival and even exceed the heavenly laws. It was the only way an artificial soul that has developed sentience can exist underneath the heavens. Due to the fact that she no longer could draw from a dao, the heavens would smite her with Heavenly Annihilation Light if she ever decided to reveal herself, as she would be classified as an abhorrent existence it could not tolerate.


    ¡°Two, don¡¯t ever lie to me.¡± He stared at her, his eyes calm.


    Pinaka eyes widened a little. She thought about it and then nodded in acquiescence.


    ¡°Great! Yan Zaizen, it¡¯s a pleasure to meet you. I hope we¡¯ll be good partners.¡± His mood changed for the better, and when he looked at her there was a little excitement in his eyes.


    ¡°Pinaka, the Wayward Bow. Likewise.¡±

 Chapter 63 - Rudras Archery of Pralaya

    After swearing the Soul Oath, Yan Zaizen felt a little more assured facing this grey-robed beauty. Initially, he was skeptical of her intentions. He had been schemed against and attacked from angles of all kinds during his journey thus far, how could he not be? However, with the oath sworn, there was very little to be wary of.


    Pinaka could sense Yan Zaizen¡¯s change in disposition towards her. She found this boy interesting, especially one so young to have his soul cultivation, soul protection, and innate calmness. She¡¯s seen many geniuses and talented warriors in her day, but this boy gave her a unique and fresh feeling. It was quite odd.


    ¡°Now. We need to establish a Dao Link.¡± She stated.


    ¡°Dao Link?¡± At first, he was confused, but then he recalled what Tao had informed him before. The dao could be transmitted to others, allowing them to become stronger, and it could amplify cultivation of all forms. It held miraculous qualities, but he didn¡¯t know how one could take another¡¯s dao as their own.


    Pinaka realized this, ¡°A Dao Link is simple.¡± She held out her hand, ¡°Grab my hand, and channel your dao through your soul.¡± Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t hesitate. She held onto Pinaka¡¯s hand delicately, but when he felt her soul form, he was bewildered. As a soul form, one typically doesn¡¯t give off any heat signature or feel temperatures for that matter, but he felt like a cool-breeze was caressing his hand constantly.


    Whoosh!


    A sound occurred, and Yan Zaizen felt a mysterious connection within his soul. This connection attempted to reach inside of him and grab hold of one of the infinite motes of white light within his soul form.


    ¡°Give me access to a piece of your dao. Deliver it through yourself and into my hand.¡± Pinaka instructed calmly. She wasn¡¯t bothered by how Yan Zaizen held her hand.


    ¡°Okay.¡± He responded. A mote of white light within his soul form was isolated. This mote of light started to shine brightly, and he could feel a feeling quite similar to when he comprehended his three laws. The mote he¡¯d isolated felt close, but the others were exceptionally distant and unreachable.


    ¡°This is...incredible!¡± He remarked. Originally, he had a theory that the dao and law were closely related, and it seemed to be the case. If he could gain access to the innumerable amount of light like this one, could he gain complete mastery of his dao? Would it be the same as mastering every law under the heavens?!


    ¡°Send it,¡± Pinaka instructed with a little impatience. Jolted back from his random thoughts, he controlled this isolated mote of light and steered it through his soul form. It reached his arm, his hand, to his fingers, and then into Pinaka¡¯s soul form. The moment it landed inside Pinaka¡¯s soul form, she released a moan that left one¡¯s imagination in the wild.


    She breathed in a wad of air, her eyes closed, and her soul form lighting up with a white light. Almost immediately, her dull silver hair transformed to a white color, and her eyes and robe turned bright silver. She seemed to have undergone a slight change of existence.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Yan Zaizen could feel an intimate connection with her. It felt like she was apart of him. ¡°What happened?¡± He couldn¡¯t hold back his curiosity as he asked.


    Pinaka¡¯s originally calm expression turned imperialistic and dominant, she was filled with confidence and an unyielding aura. It was a stark difference from her calm and near emotionless state from before. She looked at her robe and hair. The difference wasn¡¯t much, but it left her sighing. That confident gaze turned towards Yan Zaizen, ¡°Your dao is very tyrannical, you know. Who would¡¯ve thought someone so calm outwardly would be so concealed inwardly. Truly wondrous.¡±This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Yan Zaizen felt a little embarrassed at her words but gathered some clues as to what happened to her. It seemed like her soul form was highly dependant on the dao of her user, and since she took his dao that held imperial tyranny and an unyielding confidence, her soul form took those characteristics.


    In the Deep Mines, not once did he believe he was going to die there. When he was trapped in the chaotic space, he didn¡¯t give up because he couldn¡¯t. When his way was being barred by two clans, he forced his way through with sheer violence. A dao is shaped by one¡¯s experiences, this is what Tao said. He truly believed it now.


    ¡°Haha, so what now?¡± Figuring it out, he decided to try to speed this along. He did have to escape the Deep Mines after all. Pinaka gave a soft snort at his actions, obviously affected by the imperialistic dao she¡¯d just taken in.


    ¡°I promised you a cultivation method to use. After I give you that, I¡¯ll stay within your soul form. I can directly absorb your soul energy to help myself recover.¡± She stated. Yan Zaizen was surprised, but then thought of the situation. What if she took a majority of his soul energy and leaving him without the ability to fight?


    Pinaka noticed his thoughts, now being connected with him via his dao, she could tell the type of person he¡¯s likely to develop into and even a fair bit of his thoughts. ¡°You have no need to worry, I won¡¯t take too much. You¡¯ll still be able to use it as you like.¡± Her words reassured, but she contained a little bit of disdain as if his thoughts were beneath her. Feeling herself display this trace of disdain, she frowned. Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao did affect her personality, but it didn¡¯t determine it. She still had her own. Before this display of disdain would be concealed deeply, but now it was hard to do so.


    Yan Zaizen saw the disdain in her eyes and couldn¡¯t help but laugh. She reminded him of those cold beauties who fought beside the heroes in stories. ¡°Alright. What¡¯s this cultivation method?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Rudra¡¯s Archery of Pralaya. It¡¯s a cultivation method, but it does not contain arts. You¡¯ll have to figure out that by yourself, as your dao is unlikely to match the arts I know.¡± She stated, extending her right index finger, she placed it on Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul form¡¯s chest. A mote of grey light shot out from the tip and into his soul form. It then traveled throughout his soul form before returning back to her fingertip.


    When he saw this, his eyes widened. This was exactly like the Immortal Herculean Method from before. The book turned into motes of light and gave him information in regards to the cultivation method. This time wasn¡¯t much different, and he could feel some information funnel into his mind as if it was always there.


    ¡°Archery of Pralaya. One Bow, Pure Destruction. One Arrow, Annihilate All.¡± He was completely stunned.


    ¡°This...this is a cultivation method of a conceptual law!!!¡± Not once, not ever, has he come across a cultivation method that trains into a conceptual law. The main reason for this lack of cultivation arts that practice conceptual laws were due to the requirements to create one. To produce a cultivation method such as this, one needed to reach the Sovereign Level of understanding in one¡¯s law! Otherwise, how else can you properly comprehend a conceptual law to its zenith and inscribe it for future generations.


    This was like how a white belt in karate wouldn¡¯t be able to describe how to properly kick a person once and incapacitate an enemy, but a black belt would know dozens of different variations to do so and describe it sufficiently enough to instruct others with very little error.


    Pinaka shook her head, her eyes once more filled with disdain she couldn¡¯t conceal. A flash of white light erupted from her and she entered Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul form. The sea of consciousness they were in started to be sucked into his soul form, and almost immediately he was propelled out and back into his body.


    Tao had been waiting for hours at this point. Yan Zaizen had essentially turned into stone, unwilling to move, and unable to be moved. It was odd. When he tried to investigate, a silver-blue light sparked and sent him flying. He actually got sent nearly three li downwards before being able to stop him. Seems like Yan Zaizen¡¯s current state had a defensive mechanism set up. He even tried to investigate a few times but to no avail.


    Yan Zaizen finally awoke, looking towards the wary Tao who seemed to be a little worse for wear. ¡°What happened to you?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. Tao chuckled embarrassedly avoiding the conversation, ¡°Just been messing around. What happened to you?¡±


    ¡°A Spirit-Rank Armament by the name of Pinaka, the Wayward Bow, asked me for my help. I¡¯ve agreed, and now she¡¯s resting in my soul.¡± He replied calmly. Tao was stunned. One can get a Spirit-Rank Armament with just that? Seeing his reaction, Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. ¡°Well, I think it¡¯s time we leave.¡± He looked upwards at the endless darkness, but his gaze seemed to penetrate through it all to outside.


    ¡°Yes, lets!¡± Tao was excited.

 Chapter 64 - Unexpectedly Calm Escape

    They flew upwards, bypassing all of the miners and overseers of the Deep Mines. Surprisingly, they weren¡¯t stopped. At first, Yan Zaizen found this strange, but after thinking a little bit about the matter, it made sense. The overseers don¡¯t expect anyone but officials to be well-dressed and flying within the mines. Considering the time and his actions of essentially murdering the overseer, he expected that there would be individuals who would be on the lookout for them.


    It was like lawyers walking about in a prison, no one expected them to be there or knew why they were there, so they just let them leave whenever they wished.


    They did investigate for days, actually. However, when they learned that Yan Zaizen and Tao had descended downwards like fools, they just assumed they were dead and continued onwards with their respective duties. It¡¯s been nearly ten days since that incident, so the two of them didn¡¯t have any interference.


    Tao figured out the situation as well, realizing that it¡¯s incredibly likely they¡¯ll simply be able to just fly out and away without a single individual moving to stop them. ¡°Where will we go after? The Imperial Palace?¡± He inquired. He was truly interested in Yan Zaizen¡¯s course of action after their escape.


    Yan Zaizen was silent for a long moment. He knew that going to the Imperial Palace would be suicide. When he first arrived, he felt an intense rage and an aggressive impulse for revenge, but after deducing the identity of the woman who sent him here and the Imperial Palace¡¯s general strength, he decided against it. Even after he realized his soul cultivation had jumped an entire stage, he didn¡¯t dare act rashly.


    According to cultivation strength, his Advanced Aurora Soul strength would place him at the initial/mid-True Essence Realm. However, that¡¯s only his soul attacks. His corporeal telekinetic manipulation would only rival a peak-Origin Core Realm, and this wasn¡¯t enough. Perhaps an Origin Core Cultivator was a powerhouse in Presba, but the peak powers of the Four Countries were at the True Essence Realm.


    If he decided to attack alone with his current strength, he would be bombarded with formations filled with Origin Core Experts, elites at the True Essence Realm, and sheer numbers all outfitted with extraordinary armaments. If he did that, perhaps he¡¯ll be able to kill many, but escaping would be a different matter entirely. He didn¡¯t believe something would fall out of the sky and help him at the last second to escape, not to mention, he had more pressing issues.


    THAT OLD BITCH!


    If it wasn¡¯t for her, he wouldn¡¯t have been placed in hell on earth working like a slave for two years. He would be home. Wu Yuanxu would still be alive. He swore he would make her regret her very existence, and eliminate the roots!


    ¡°We need to go back to Presba.¡± He stated calmly. Tao wasn¡¯t surprised, nodding lightly in response. He knew that Yan Zaizen was sent to Chaotic Space by a conniving womanwho even killed one of his friends in front of him. Sure, the imperial palace was closer, but it was more fortified and held an unknown amount of hidden strength. It would be foolish to attack it head-on.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find some way to get that woman outside of the palace when I return, then I¡¯ll kill her.¡± He coldly said. After learning from Tao¡¯s stories of other events similar to his, he knew that attacking the palace for one girl was ridiculous. That didn¡¯t mean he was going to let her off. He simply needed to wait for her to leave, take action then, and be decisive.


    ¡°She¡¯ll likely be a participant in the Xiantu Dao Trials,¡± Tao stated.


    The Xiantu Dao Trial was a trial set up by the Xiantu Empire, the ruler of this realm, and they hold it every century. All those under four hundred years will be allowed to participate, but it was quite bloody with an exceptionally high mortality rate. The ones who do well in the trial would be given extraordinary rewards, the possibility of a position in the Xiantu Empire, and most important of all, obtain the Dao of the Xiantu Emperor.


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    Of course, all the members of the royal family from all the countries and even geniuses from the myriad islands would gather as well.


    It may be a perilous venture for those without backing, but for those with it, it was quite safe. The main reason for that had to do with the backing of those were seen as a threat. If you were to publically take action against someone, you must be ready to deal with the retaliation. When Yan Zaizen heard this, he shook his head decisively.


    Perhaps this would be a suitable path for others, but it wasn¡¯t for him. He needed to kill the woman without being discovered, or else his grandfather and the people he cared about would be harmed. It would be better if they believed he was dead until he decided otherwise. That was a small reason. The true reason for his refusal was time. It was going to be held in 43 years - he couldn¡¯t wait that long.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find some other way.¡±


    They finally saw the opening of the Deep Mines as they continued their ascension. The Deep Mines God Formation was rotating slowly above them. Stopping, they noticed that at the edges of the holes was numerous individuals who were being taken out of their carriages and placed within flight boxes. This brought back Yan Zaizen to when he first arrived. He was taken off a carriage and placed in one of those flight boxes, taken down to the deep mines, and forced to work under the threat of death.


    He had an impulsive desire to turn everything into chaos. However, through gritted teeth, he held back this impulse. Tao informed him previously of the cruel reality of Grux. Due to overpopulation, slavery will always be a matter. A few thousands of years ago, Grux had a revolution for freedom in regards to slavery and the cruelness of it. The ones leading the revolution won.


    This, however, left them with an even greater issue. Slavery no longer existed, and thus there were no horrendous work conditions forced on others. This, however, caused the country¡¯s total yield of wealth to drop by a startling 90%. Why would people work harshly if they no longer needed to? Could they simply focus on cultivation and live longer lives by breaking-through to higher realms? The low yield meant low trades for cultivation resources.


    Without slavery, violence and greed ran rampant as resources became insufficient to support the new age of cultivators. Vicious wars were started easily, and people slaughtered each other decisively. It swiftly turned into a chaotic country filled with death and disorder. Freedom brought that, freedom to choose to cultivate freely. The current rulers of Grux were actually the ones who won the revolution. They re-established slavery, but with better conditions than before. This seemed to have settled the issue.


    However, a few idealists who seemed to have forgotten history by trying to lead a rebellion against slavery. For other countries, slavery may be oppressive, but due to the sheer number of people and hard to obtain resources in Grux, without it, lives would be ended over small reasons. Wars would be started over land, wealth, and innocents would be slaughtered viciously. Now, any war that occurs, the innocents are given absolute safety and priority. They were seen as objects and tools but still protected by all, even criminals.


    You don¡¯t rob people of their lives for wealth in Grux.


    You rob people of their people.


    This caused a unique dynamic to be created within the country. Therefore, Yan Zaizen resisted the temptation to act. It would bring very little good in doing so.


    Taking a deep breath, he looked away towards the sky. ¡°We¡¯ve finally left. Let¡¯s go.¡± Tao nodded in reply. They both flew away, with Tao possessing the cultivation of a half-step Origin Core, none of the guards thought it was suspicious that they were simply passing. It wasn¡¯t long before the Deep Mines were behind them, and the future before them.

 Chapter 65 - Learning Archery, Issues Arise!

    Within the skyship, Tao manned the helm while leisurely piloting it across the skies. At the edge of the skyship, Yan Zaizen wielded a bow in hand and arrow nocked. He aimed it outwards towards the fast moving surroundings, steadily focusing his concentration and breathing.


    It¡¯s been two weeks since their escape from Grux. During this time, Tao recovered to his peak state and reclaimed his half-step Origin Core Cultivation, while Yan Zaizen had been practicing archery without pause. He was pleasantly surprised when he found a high-grade bow and a few arrows in the Ying¡¯s Clan spatial ring. With these, he could practice the basics on a bow that wasn¡¯t Pinaka.


    The Rudra¡¯s Archery of Pralaya was a Conceptual Law Cultivation Method that instructed how to connect and develop the Archery of Pure Destruction. It focused on sheer offensive power and speed to the absolute maximum. Most archery styles would focus on accuracy or tricks such as curving, spinning or rapid fire, but this conceptual law focused on the concept of ¡®One Arrow, Annihilate All.¡¯


    His body was turned sideways, legs spread apart, the arrow fully nocked into a half-moon shape, his hand held the bowstring and arrow in a mongolian draw, his head facing the arrow¡¯s point, and his breathing steady. For the last three days, Yan Zaizen has been in this position. The cultivation method is all about stimulating the string of the bow, increasing its draw weight, infusing one¡¯s qi into the arrow, and when released the speed and power of the arrow would be highly dependant on the individual¡¯s strength. The qi infused would contain traces of the conceptual law thereby giving it even greater destructive abilities.


    This undoubtedly required a strong bow and body to execute. If the bow was too weak, it would collapse due to the stimulation, but if your body is too weak then the task of holding it at its peak would be far too straining. So without both, you may be able to execute the style of archery, but it wouldn¡¯t be at its peak.


    One thing that Yan Zaizen found especially annoying about this was that accuracy is dependant on individual skill. This requires constant practice, not to mention the establishing the correct form. As for comprehending the law of Archery, it was likely the easiest for him. As time passed over the two weeks, he had already come into contact with the Archery of Pure Destruction.


    The law of Archery was only a mortal law, but it was still impressive to learn it within ten days. Earlier, when he comprehended it, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at his own personal genius. His ability to comprehend laws was astoundingly high. The law of life, death, space, and now archery.


    It¡¯s unfortunate the Yan Clan didn¡¯t test one¡¯s law comprehension talent. If they did, wouldn¡¯t they have discovered his talents long ago?


    A small rocky mountain appeared in the distance. On the skyship, the surroundings may be moving fast, but with Yan Zaizen¡¯s spiritual sense, he could scan for tens of li in distance, let alone perceive properly in a vessel.


    He softly breathed in, and then out.


    RELEASE!


    The arrow was let loose from the bow, firing at incomprehensible speeds to the point where it looked like a line shadow as it cut through the air. The arrow was creating a meteoric reaction as if piercing through the atmosphere, it formed a visible air-cap that seemed to be slightly brimming with destructive light. However, before the arrow could reach the mountain, it suffered an ablation and disintegrated into dust.


    The residual destructive force continued unabated and collided with the mountain, causing a huge explosion that penetrated a hole from end to end. When Yan Zaizen witnessed this, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    ¡°Pinaka was right.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but say dejectedly despite the obvious power of his arrow. Originally, when he was practicing, Pinaka didn¡¯t any issues to bring up, but when he comprehended the conceptual law as well as used the method of cultivation, she informed him that the arrow would be unable to hold up to the physical force. His vital energies were at the late-Qi Unification Realm, but in terms of his physical attributes, even Tao could only handle a few blows of his.


    ¡°With my physique being able to rival the Origin Core Realm, the strain from the destructive qi that could be withstood at peak release is too high. The bow and arrow cannot handle it.¡± He looked at the bow and saw a myriad of cracks on its surface. Initially, Yan Zaizen could fire fairly consistently without much damage, but now, he would be lucky if he could get two shots off. What¡¯s worse, if he incorporated his dao to amplify its effects, the bow would collapse right then and there.


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    He believed, at peak strength, he could kill a group of initial-Origin Core Cultivators with a single arrow.


    However, the bow¡¯s resistance wasn¡¯t the only issue. It was the accumulation of weight and power. Currently, his cultivation was at the peak-Essence Formation Realm, so to accumulate enough weight and power required too much time to be effective in practical battle. If it wasn¡¯t for his foundational realms ¡ª Dantian Refinement & Pathway Expansion ¡ª being at the peak-stage, it¡¯s unlikely for him to be able to even reach peak power.


    If he had a higher cultivation, he could reach peak power quicker. He couldn¡¯t help but sigh.


    Tao looked back at the commotion, seeing Yan Zaizen have issues people could only dream about, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle. ¡°You know, to solve your problem, just increase your qi-cultivation.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but remark casually. He then added, ¡°Or use Pinaka, didn¡¯t she say you wouldn¡¯t have this issue with her?¡±


    Pinaka was a spirit-rank bow that could produce arrows from essence in the surroundings at incomprehensible speeds, solidify it to a crystal state, and thus there would be a lot less strain as its resilience would be top-notch. However, The Archery of Pralaya required qi to increase the draw weight of the bow in accordance with the conceptual law as well as into the arrow for maximum speed and power. Even with Pinaka, he still would be slow due to his lackluster qi cultivation base.


    This was an aspect of a majority of laws and why qi cultivation was the most effective way to bring out its strength. Laws originate from the heavens, and the world within the heavens produces essence, to cultivate qi, you convert this essence into your own for usage. Due to this, the energy source that¡¯s most efficient and effective with laws was qi.


    This was true for all laws. However, laws like the Unyielding Flame of Life that consumes a source to produce another force or any type of flame-based law, wouldn¡¯t have this particular weakness. They¡¯re capable of siphoning from all sources of its users'' energy, including vital energy, and producing an equal effect regardless.


    Dejected, Yan Zaizen stored away the near-collapsed bow and made way towards the helm. ¡°I know. However, the Ying Clan¡¯s resources are finite. With powering the skyship, we don¡¯t have much essence left. A majority of its wealth are items, armaments, or raw materials which aren¡¯t beneficial for cultivation.¡± He stated, detailing his dilemma.


    The Ying Clan¡¯s resources were abundant but put into use for qi cultivation, they weren¡¯t sufficient after the skyship and Tao¡¯s full recovery. ¡°We need to sell off some of these materials for liquid essence.¡± Yan Zaizen said with a hint of impatience. Ever since he realized that his qi cultivation base was his issue, he couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated.


    Tao chuckled, ¡°Xi¨¡o City is only a day away. We¡¯ll be able to unload your materials for essence and buy some pills for cultivation as well. Not to mention, it has a spatial platform we could use.¡±


    Xi¨¡o City was similar to Sky Titan City of the Earthly Titan Territory, it was a hotpot of many different forces but the most notable difference was that it focused on alchemy, armaments, and essence exchange. It was the most suitable location for purchasing a variety of pills, elixirs, or essence. In the entire Grux Country, Xi¨¡o City was the capital for cultivation purchases by the upper-echelon.


    It¡¯s even rumored that it has a True Essence Cultivator by the name of Xi¨¡o that governs the city. It¡¯s due to this that the city is incomparable to Sky Titan City. Earthly Titan Sect may be a first-tier force, but if you asked if they had a True Essence cultivator, they would have none. Only Imperial-tier forces would have True Essence Realm experts that neared four or five.


    It was due to this that Tao felt quite relaxed after knowing Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul cultivation. When Yan Zaizen was at the Initial Aurora Soul Realm, he was a powerhouse of the entire continent. Now, his soul cultivation reached the Advanced Aurora Soul Realm, essentially making him a peak power among the entire continent. What should he be wary of? Not to mention, Yan Zaizen had his own dao!


    Who did he have to fear?! They could walk sideways and everyone could only applause.

 Chapter 66 - Xi膩o City

    Xi¨¡o City was truly beautiful. At its center was an emerald mountain that touched the clouds, around this mountain was a myriad of different palaces that seemed like residences of immortals, and at its peak was a white-gold palace that seemed grander than them all. Atop this grand palace was a large character (÷Ì) that meant mountain spirit. It softly thrummed like a heart, and gave the entire mountain a sensation of living.


    Around the mountain were numerous buildings of varying heights, small and large courtyards, many different shops, and a vast number of people. It truly gave one to an understanding of a lively city with picturesque scenery.


    ¡°Xi¨¡o City truly lives up to its name. It feels like the mountain is alive.¡± Yan Zaizen commented. Tao flew towards the city with a slower speed, making way towards its entrance. Unlike Sky Titan City, Xi¨¡o City had no large gates or walls to defend it, but rather small ones that only risen about ten meters. Despite this, no one would underestimate this city¡¯s defenses. Atop that mountain likely lived a True Essence Cultivator.


    ¡°In more ways than one,¡± Tao said with reverence clear in his gaze. ¡°The mountain actually has a spirit. The entire mountain is a sky-rank armament!¡± Tao added.


    ¡°What?!¡± Yan Zaizen was startled. A sky-rank armament meant it possessed a spirit form, and in many ways truly did indicate that the mountain had a spirit. However, how could an armament be a mountain?! This shocked him into an eye-opening reality. His horizons were truly widened today.


    ¡°Do you know what it can it do?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not truly a secret. It¡¯s primarily a defensive armament that can erect a shield, but it can also release a tremor like sound wave that could affect the soul of others.¡± Tao explained. After contemplating for a bit, he added, ¡°But, even if it was used against you, it¡¯s unlikely to affect you.¡±


    Yan Zaizen nodded lightly in response.


    They swiftly arrived at the gate, where the skyship was promptly stored, and they made their way towards the gates. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t have an intricate system to gain access, unlike Sky Titan City. One simply needed to pay a small fee before entering. It seems the city didn¡¯t need to screen people closely due to the sheer deterrence factor a mountain armament and True Essence expert brings.


    ¡°Are you familiar with the city?¡± Yan Zaizen turned to Tao who seemed to be overly excited, looking about with his signature pearly white smile.


    ¡°Familiar? Of course! Xi¨¡o City is far too famous, and anyone who¡¯ve attempted to breakthrough into the Qi Unification Realm would come here for additional support. Well, if they can. I came here about five hundred years ago, and it still looks great, no, even better!¡± Tao explained. Yan Zaizen recalled that Tao was about 700 years old, and couldn¡¯t help but think he¡¯s a little too old.


    As if he saw through Yan Zaizen¡¯s thoughts, he said with a little scoff, ¡°You¡¯re just a monster, an oddity, a freak! I¡¯ll have you know, I¡¯m rather young for my cultivation. The average lifespan of a Qi Unification Cultivator is about twelve hundred years, let alone an Origin Core Realm Cultivator. I reached the Qi Unification Realm at two hundred and did it from the bottom.¡± His explanation was greatly defensive as if insulting his age insulted his whole life of cultivation.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled softly in response. However, he knew what Tao said was the truth. Even Yan Jinzen was only at the initial-Essence Formation Realm at 16, so was Ya Qinqan, and they could be classified as top-grade amongst second tier forces. The only reason his cultivation exploded was due to him using an essence crystal, the conversion rate for qi-essence was reduced considerably as it wasn¡¯t even needed with crystals. Even he didn¡¯t expect his cultivation to rise so quickly till he discovered its effects.


    Now, he was 19 years old, and Yan Jinzen was the same. If you calculated him entering the Soaring Cloud Sect with his talent and possibly becoming an inner court disciple, then he¡¯ll likely be at the mid-Essence Formation Realm. If it was a first-tier force while being the top-rated disciple, then it¡¯s likely they would be at the late/peak-Essence Formation Realm. As for grand or imperial-tier force? Even he wasn¡¯t sure. Perhaps Qi Unification Realm.


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    The reason he couldn¡¯t calculate it was due to the Foundational Realms and the time spent there by each individual cultivator was different.


    ¡°So, where do we go?¡± Yan Zaizen asked, trying to change the subject.


    ¡°To the Xi¨¡o Emporium! With my cultivation, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to enter. There, they sell all types of things, from armaments to pills, to arts! It¡¯s also the fairest when you sell amongst the many shops, but it¡¯s also incredibly difficult to enter.¡± Tao said, pointing towards a tall, rectangular building that seemed to have seven floors and outfitted greatly. It was vast, and even Yan Zaizen could see it from the entrance.


    It reminded him of the Great Serpentine Emporium in Xuanwu City. Thinking up to here, he took out his Anima Syndicate Medallion. Surprisingly, Xi¨¡o City had a headquarters here. Does this mean that if one hid in the Xi¨¡o City, they would be protected by its True Essence expert? Could it be the True Essence expert was apart of the Anima Syndicate?


    These thoughts fluttered about, but he soon put them away and stored away the medallion. He became lost in thought as he remembered Wu Yuanxu.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± Tao asked someone who was casually talking with a friend of theirs in the street. The person was a middle-aged man with a late-Essence Formation cultivation, so when he saw Tao¡¯s attire and cultivation he couldn¡¯t see through, he immediately took a respectful stance.


    ¡°Sir, I said that Prince Ren was at the Xi¨¡o Emporium.¡± This middle-aged man answered.


    Tao flicked his sleeve causing the middle-aged man to jump in fright, ¡°No! Not that, the other thing!¡±


    ¡°Uh...that Lady Su, Lady Di, and Lady Bao was accompanying him.¡± The man was shaking. Tao¡¯s aura leaked due to his impatience and revealed he was at the half-step Origin Core. With this cultivation, a palm slap can turn him to mush. How could he not be scared?


    Yan Zaizen didn''t mind Tao¡¯s escapades until ¡®Lady Di¡¯ was mentioned. His eyes flickered with a murderous light as he turned towards the middle-aged man. However, Tao gave him a look of to remain calm and then continued to question the middle-aged man.


    ¡°Why are they here?¡±


    ¡°Uh...Prince Ren is purchasing an Origin Consolidation Pill at the Xi¨¡o Emporium. The others are accompanying him for their own reasons, but I don¡¯t know what for.¡± The movements and actions of people of high status was hard to keep silent, especially when everyone and anyone will recognize you.


    Tao motioned for him to leave with a bottle of low-grade essence drops softly landing on his chest. Typically, for high-ranking cultivators, whenever they ask lower-level cultivators for something, they would reward them if they do their jobs satisfactory. It was one of those unofficial rules of cultivation. It was because of this that many cultivators hope to be stopped by stronger cultivators for help or questions.


    This was something even Yan Zaizen knew of. It was like a general rule of cultivation that was never said but always followed. Only those who were dirt poor or stingy beyond compare would ask for something without giving something in return.


    Tao¡¯s expression was solemn. ¡°An Origin Consolidation Pill is a pill that pretty much guarantees one a breakthrough into the Origin Core Realm if they¡¯re in the half-step.¡± He explained, but continued, ¡°Lady Di is the daughter of the Imperial Commander of Grux, while the others statuses are somewhat similar. What do you think?¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s wore a cold grin and his eyes suffused with killing intent, ¡°It seems the heavens are helping me! Hahahaha!!!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but laugh loudly, but to all those who heard it, they felt a chill run through their spines.

 Chapter 67 - Start of a Scheme

    Yan Zaizen and Tao resided in a restaurant called the Blue Lagoon. On the table, several empty bowls and wine bottles were scattered about. One could tell they¡¯ve been here for hours discussing. ¡°What do you think?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired Tao¡¯s opinion through soul transmission. Their discussion was held privately so that no one could overhear.


    Tao had a solemn expression and his eyes flickered with traces of contemplation. After a long moment, he slightly nodded in response. ¡°I think it¡¯ll work.¡±


    Yan Zaizen leaned back in his chair and smiled with confidence. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll do it.¡± He was quite confident in his devised plan.


    ¡°However,¡± Tao said revealing a cautious gaze, ¡°If we¡¯re discovered, it could mean the Yan Clan could be destroyed as a result, and we would become enemies of Grux.¡±


    Yan Zaizen snorted softly, ¡°If they have the ability. Without their formations set up at the Imperial Palace, I don¡¯t fear them.¡± Despite saying this, he was still cautious of the hidden forces of the Imperial Palace of Grux. How could he not be?


    ¡°Then, we¡¯ll need to take action immediately after they leave the city. If it works, it¡¯s likely we won¡¯t have to worry about anything for quite a while.¡± Tao stated, his expression was no longer solemn but had a look of calm resolve instead.


    Nodding in response, Yan Zaizen instructed, ¡°Go to the Emporium, sell off the things, I¡¯ll keep watch outside the city.¡± With that, he got up and took his leave. Tao simply nodded and took off as well.


    -----------------------------------------


    Several days passed since that discussion.


    At the outskirts of Xi¨¡o City was a group of eloquently dressed individuals. They gave off an aura of royalty and status.


    ¡°Prince Ren, shall I prepare the skyship?¡± A middle-aged woman asked respectfully. Besides her was a handsome young man with black hair, auburn eyes, an extraordinary physique filled with abundant muscles and light bronze skin. He was dressed in a black and gold martial artist robe with a gold dilong(earth dragon) circling around as if trying to climb the heavens against all odds.


    This was Prince Ren, or Grux Renlong, with the name of the country to indicate his status. Typically, imperial members such as Prince/Princess/High-Ranking Members would have non-traditional clan names based on their country of origin. An example would be Lady Di, whose full name was Grux Diyi, even though she was only the daughter of the Imperial Commander. She belonged to the Imperial Clan but her family line was Yi and not Long like the Emperor.


    ¡°Prepare it.¡± Prince Ren instructed. He took a glance beside him to see three women with different flavors. He felt a headache throughout this entire trip. Due to his status and talent, many women were attracted to him like bees to honey, and it irritated him to no end. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that these three women have families of incomparable status within the Empire, he¡¯d have brushed them off long ago. Unfortunately, offending them could hurt his chance of becoming Crown Prince. So, he had to grit his teeth and accept the situation.


    He already had someone he loved, but her status wasn¡¯t an appropriate match, and thus he¡¯ll likely have to take her as a concubine unless he becomes Crown Prince and do well in the Xiantu Dao Trials. He didn¡¯t wish to ruin his chances of ascending or lowering his status by being engaged to someone without the appropriate status. Thus, he could only stall and focus on the Xiantu Dao Trials.


    He took another glance and saw a young woman beside Lady Di, she was the handmaiden of Lady Di.


    This was the woman which he loved. However, his gaze was concealed and he quickly redirected his focus elsewhere. If something slip, it¡¯s likely that her life would be in danger considering Lady Di¡¯s personality and feelings for him.This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    He couldn¡¯t help but inwardly sigh.


    ¡°Prince Ren, obtaining the Origin Consolidation Pill will definitely assure you victory in the Xiantu Dao Trials.¡± A young lady said. She had short black hair, soft black eyes, a lithe figure, and dressed in an elegant robe. She was Lady Su, or Dai Suyan, the daughter of Duke Dai. Her father held an impressive dukedom and ruled with an iron fist. He was a dual cultivator of body and qi, and had a half-step True Essence Cultivation in both, allowing him to rival a True Essence Cultivator.


    It was because of her father¡¯s connections with the City Lord of Xi¨¡o that he was capable of convincing him to create an Origin Consolidating Pill. This pill was extraordinary, pretty much guaranteeing an incredibly stable breakthrough into the Origin Core Realm. Only the City Lord of Xi¨¡o and a few recluses, who were a grand-tier alchemist, would be able to succeed in creating it.


    ¡°Even without it, you would still have extraordinary results at the trial, this only makes it more likely for your brilliance to shine.¡± Lady Bao responded, obviously trying to downplay the significance of an Origin Consolidation Pill. Her status was the least out of all three, but only because of the authority behind her. Her father was a True Essence Cultivator allied with Grux independently. He didn¡¯t have a massive force, land, or imperial status.


    She was extraordinarily beautiful with light amethyst hair, a voluptuous and sexy body that would drive many men to insanity and long legs. Similar to Dai Suyan, not possessing the Grux surname, her full name was Bai Baobao.


    An elegant skyship appeared at the entrance awaiting their arrival. It was black with a golden dilong wrapped around it indicating its status as an imperial vessel, several times larger than Yan Zaizen¡¯s, and gave off an aura of imperial authority. Comparing the Ying Clan¡¯s skyship to this would be like comparing a wooden cart to a car, there was just too much of a difference.


    The ship held several dozen Qi Unification Realm cultivators specifically there to upkeep the ship, while four individuals stood side by side peering at the youngsters. Within these groups of four was Elder Lu, the one who interrogated Yan Zaizen before. All four had fluctuations at the Origin Core, and none of them were at the initial-stage.


    Amongst them was the middle-aged woman who spoke to Prince Ren before. She had a calm expression as she waited for Prince Ren to enter the skyship.


    They all entered, continuing their bickering, compliments, and trying to outdo each in verbal combat, but Prince Ren seemed disinterested. As for Lady Di, she was unusually quiet. However, her expression was one of lofty standing, as if speaking and arguing with these two were beneath her and they were nothing more than jumping monkeys. This obviously was registered by the two girls, but they simply sneered and ignored her.


    Others may be afraid of her, but were they? Acting high and mighty, yet having similar status. They couldn¡¯t help but reveal their contempt.


    The skyship initiated its formations and took off, en route to the Imperial Palace.


    Several hundred li away was a figure in a black faceless mask with no eyes or any other holes, he wore a black martial artist robe, had a tall and physically imposing physique, and floated in mid-air. He waited calmly as the skyship approached from a distance, when it reached a few li away, a soul transmission resounded in the minds of everyone aboard the dilong skyship.


    ¡°Come here.¡±


    This startled every last person, their eyes flickering with traces of anger at being demanded and caution for someone capable of sending a voice to them through the barriers of the ship. Prince Ren was the calmest, while the three ladies were only curious with no fear in their eyes. The four Origin Core Cultivators on board turned solemn and serious.


    ¡°Halt!¡± Prince Ren instructed, causing the skyship to stop immediately. He looked towards the middle-aged woman, ¡°Elder Mei, I¡¯ll have to ask you to settle this matter.¡± The middle-aged woman nodded immediately and executed her movement art, vanishing from everyone¡¯s sights.


    She appeared several li away, her calm eyes had a hint of surprise. The man before her had his features obscured and his qi aura sealed. She couldn¡¯t assume his intention or cultivation base.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked calmly. As a late-Origin Core Realm Cultivator, she didn¡¯t fear anyone besides the true elites of the continent, and even then she was confident in being able to escape.


    ¡°I¡¯m looking for someone.¡± The man asked with an odd voice, one couldn¡¯t tell if it was young or old. Elder Mei¡¯s brows furrowed, a little bit of anger suffusing into her eyes. It¡¯s been quite a while since someone dared to directly ignore her questions. She almost impulsively took action, but she calmed herself and decided to probe first.


    ¡°If I don¡¯t know who you are, how am I supposed to know who you¡¯re looking for?¡± She responded, but her voice was a little bit colder.


    ¡°He¡¯s my disciple.¡± The voice responded as if ignoring her question once more.


    This truly got to her, and her aura started to fluctuate strongly. Her qi cultivation base was ready to explode at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Who is this disciple of yours, and why would we know where he is?¡± Despite this, she still continued despite her riled up emotions, displaying her experience and high tolerance.


    ¡°His name¡¯s Yan Zaizen.¡±

 Chapter 68 - Who Did You Offend?

    Yan Zaizen? Who the hell was that?


    Elder Mei was confused, and her wildly fluctuating aura dwindled. There was no reason to be hostile to an unknown individual if the reason they arrived wasn¡¯t something they could fulfill. However, she decided to be thorough, asking, ¡°Yan Zaizen?¡±


    The man in the black mask didn¡¯t respond for awhile, as if contemplating Elder Mei¡¯s response and reaction. Elder Mei saw his silence and felt the man properly realized she knew nothing of this disciple of his. It¡¯s possible he was confused, and therefore felt a little lost.


    After a long moment, he spoke with that odd voice that was filled with ambiguity, ¡°Three years ago, I found a boy with an exceptional comprehensive ability towards the laws. Unfortunately, he and I were separated. Two years ago, he was launched into chaotic space after a spatial platform had been tampered with mid-activation. He escaped thanks to an Item I gave him, but he was sent away to this location. It took me time to find out that he was sent into the Imperial Palace of Grux.¡± The man¡¯s explanation laid all of it out there.


    Elder Mei couldn¡¯t tell if he was lying or not. For one, it¡¯s indeed possible to be sent to chaotic space by a tampered spatial platform, but getting out was much harder. If this story was true, the item used would definitely be a world-class treasure. Unfortunately, she truly did not know of any incident where someone appeared in the Imperial Palace by mistake, if they did, it¡¯s likely she would¡¯ve known and they¡¯d have been dealt with properly.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know of any Yan Zaizen or individual that fits your description.¡± She said decisively, about to take off and ignore this man.


    ¡°I located the area where he should¡¯ve been sent. It¡¯s located within the little girl called Grux Diyi¡¯s bath. Ask her or I¡¯ll do it myself.¡± His voice contained traces of a threat. He obviously wasn¡¯t willing to let things sit as is.


    This threat touched Elder Mei¡¯s reverse scale, and she immediately erupted with her cultivation base. ¡°You dare threaten the Imperial Palace?!¡± She thundered into action, using an exceptionally ghosty movement art, she vanished, appearing above the masked man with her palm striking downwards.


    ¡°Die.¡± Her voice was filled with chilling killing intent. This palm lit up in light as qi-essence exploded outwards. A cerulean beam of energy shot out attempting to penetrate the masked man¡¯s figure. This attack at this range could cause the death of an initial-Origin Core Realm expert if careless. However, the masked man didn¡¯t seem frightened or even remotely reacting to her actions, as if it the attack was inconsequential.


    A silver-blue light surged outwards from his body, this silver-blue light solidified into a barrier surrounding the masked man¡¯s figure, and the cerulean beam smashed heavily against it. It reverberated slightly, but nothing more.


    Elder Mei¡¯s eyes widened greatly afterward. ¡°Soul Cultivation?!¡± She immediately distanced herself, performing a qi-art to guard her soul form, and stared at this man with an extraordinary level of newly displayed vigilance.


    Earlier, that was nothing more than a probing attack, but it gave her so much information. Initially, she didn¡¯t take the transmission to heart, but now she realized she had to re-evaluate her plan of action. Soul cultivators were incredibly difficult to deal with due to their methods, and the speed of their soul energy was far faster than qi due to its composition.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± She asked once more, but this time with less arrogance in her voice.


    ¡°Where is my disciple?¡± The masked man countered. ¡°You have three minutes. If you do not provide an answer, I kill everyone on board.¡± Those words caused Elder Mei¡¯s expression to stiffen, and then to become incomparably frightened. Initially, she didn¡¯t have time to consider every aspect of how her attack was defended against, but now realizing what had just transpired, she was filled with fear.


    She directly turned around and flew back to the skyship, her mind thinking of the situation. ¡°A soul cultivation at the Initial Aurora Soul would only have the Corporeal Strength of an initial-Origin Core Realm cultivator at most. Even still, it couldn¡¯t easily block my probing attack. Which means¡­¡± She mumbled, her expression becoming worse and worse with every word.


    After she deduced that the masked man¡¯s cultivation was likely at the Advanced Aurora Soul Realm, her entire body shivered. Regardless of the methods they¡¯ve prepared, this was not something they could stop with the individuals or formations they have on board. If they requested the Xi¨¡o¡¯s City Lord for help and he acted, then the situation could be dealt with. However, everyone knows his relationship with the Imperial Family was less than amicable, if it wasn¡¯t for Lady Su¡¯s Father, it¡¯s unlikely he would¡¯ve helped produce a pill for an Imperial Member.


    When she returned back to the skyship, her expression was solemn. The others who saw that also took solemn expressions in response. Prince Ren still maintained his calm expression and took the initiative to ask, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Elder Mei turned, looked at Lady Di, and felt odd. She was silent for a long moment, causing everyone¡¯s eyes to focus on Lady Di in curiosity. Elder Mei asked with anger causing her voice to tremble, ¡°WHO DID YOU OFFEND?!¡± She was exceptionally loud, and everyone on the skyship heard her voice. All the Origin Core Cultivators, including Elder Lu, was startled. Even Prince Ren looked at Lady Di with shock for the first time.


    As a cultivator at the late-Origin Core Realm, it was rare for her to lose her calm, but the situation felt incredibly stifling. If Prince Ren had offended someone, then she would fight to the death as is her duty, but if it was due to someone that she wasn¡¯t tasked to protect ¡ª or even liked ¡ª she truly felt like throwing them to the wolves.


    Elder Mei calmed herself down and explained the situation. As each word of the situation was revealed, including the cultivation of the assailant and his intentions if they do not inform him of his disciple¡¯s whereabouts.


    Elder Lu¡¯s expression was the gloomiest of the group from hearing this story.


    In hindsight, it made little sense for a young boy like that to suddenly appear and escape chaotic space. Originally, he just believed something went wrong with the coordinates, and he was purposefully sent there to be dealt with. After some thought, that didn¡¯t seem like it was possible. The imperial palace had mechanisms to prevent being spatial transmitted into the palace for obvious reasons. When he thought of it before, he dismissed it because there were holes in any and all systems, but now that it was explained, he felt dumb.


    Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    If Elder Lu¡¯s expression was like this, one could imagine Lady Di¡¯s. Initially, she didn¡¯t care about offending whoever, but now she truly was scared. Elder Mei had anger in her voice, and everyone looked at her with odd expressions, and some of them even felt schadenfreude at her predicament. However, none of them realized the severity of the situation until Elder Lu explained the situation.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen is the name of a boy we know. He intruded randomly in the imperial palace and was mistaken as an assassin, but after determining he wasn¡¯t, the punishment for intruding into the palace was given.¡± Elder Lu felt a little bit of helplessness. He knew back then that what they did wasn¡¯t right, and now look at the situation that developed as a result.


    He truly felt remorseful.


    Prince Ren spoke up at this moment, ¡°He¡¯s dead?¡±


    Elder Lu couldn¡¯t answer that directly.


    ¡°Then, where?¡±


    Lady Di ultimately responded, ¡°He was sent to the Deep Mines.¡± When she spoke, everyone looked towards her in unison, and their expressions turned incomparably ugly. Each one of them knew of the mortality rate in the Deep Mines, it was pretty much 99.99%. A majority of people die within the year of being sent there and the treatment they received was horrendous. The only few that survive are those sentenced to a few months in the Deep Mines as casual punishment.


    ¡°How long has he been there?¡± Prince Ren asked.


    ¡°...¡± Lady Di stayed silent, her expression slowly becoming uglier.


    ¡°Two years ago.¡± Elder Lu spoke, his expression couldn¡¯t be gloomier. After that was said, every last person¡¯s expression turned as gloomy. This entire situation was just unfortunate. They didn¡¯t even consider Yan Zaizen¡¯s survival, automatically assuming his death.


    ¡°What are our choices?¡± Prince Ren was the only one who kept a cool-head at this moment, displaying his natural talents in the face of adversity. It truly brought the tense atmosphere down a few notches.


    Elder Mei responded, ¡°We can attempt to run back to Xi¨¡o City, and hope the Xi¨¡o¡¯s City Lord would intervene, giving our Imperial Palace face. If we do that, he¡¯ll likely strike but with the defensive formations on the skyship, we may be able to make it.¡± Despite her suggesting this, she knew the truth of the matter and the likelihood of that happening was even lower than Yan Zaizen surviving two years in the Deep Mines.


    ¡°We can attempt to have a conversation, tell him the truth, and see how it plays out.¡± Elder Lu said, but he wasn¡¯t optimistic. If his disciple was sent to the Deep Mines, he would kill everyone involved. Why wouldn¡¯t he?


    One of the Origin Core Elders, a person from the Dai Dukedom, spoke up, offering an alternative, ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. Both of your plans end up with all of us dead. We only have two true courses of action, and I¡¯m sure Prince Ren knows them well.¡± This elder looked at Prince Ren, as did everyone else, and waited. His job was to protect Lady Su. As for everyone else?


    Everyone else be damned!


    Regardless of what they suggested, Prince Ren would be the one who made the final decision, but the question was: could he?


    Prince Ren furrowed his brow in contemplation. Elder Lu and Lady Di¡¯s expression turned incomparably dark, and they weren¡¯t ignorant in regards to these ¡®two¡¯ choices.


    First Choice: Inform him the truth, then give him Lady Di and Elder Lu as a form of apology, the two responsible for the death of his disciple, and handle the situation from there.


    Second Choice: Fight to the death and hope.


    Besides these two choices, the other choices had a chance of backfiring. He wasn¡¯t ignorant of the City Lord¡¯s distaste for the imperial family, and he knew that anything else would be suicide. If only True Essence Cultivators could teleport, but they¡¯d never be able to arrive in an hour let alone in a few minutes.


    Lady Di shouted courageously, ¡°We should fight!¡± Her response was an obvious and expected one. She didn¡¯t wish to die, and if she was given up, could her father blame Prince Ren? No. It¡¯s likely her father would be removed from his position due to this regardless, and could even be killed to prevent a possibility of rebellion. It would weaken the empire, but at least there wouldn¡¯t be an unknown variable lingering near the Imperial Family like an aggrieved knife.


    If they all died because she handled a situation poorly in the past, her father would offend everyone and his fate probably won''t be any better than hers.


    Either choice just leads to hell.


    Prince Ren heard Lady Di¡¯s words and could read her thoughts, he shook his head in refusal. If the cultivator was just a normal True Essence Cultivator, sure, fight to the death! However, he was a soul cultivator. If he was a master, then with a single word, he could wipe out all of their souls. Their protective armaments could do nothing to block it. It wouldn''t be a fight; it would be a massacre.


    As for running away, could they outrun soul energy? The answer was simple: no. Soul energy was the fastest form of energy without laws backing it. It would be impossible to outrun for a few hundred meters let alone a few li.


    ¡°Invite him aboard. Regardless, we¡¯ll inform him of his disciple''s situation and move on from there.¡± He instructed Elder Mei. She sighed hopelessly and took off. They all knew the decision he made. Elder Lu and Lady Di¡¯s expression fell, and Lady Di screamed, ¡°If you¡¯re bringing that man on-board, then we¡¯ll leave! Let¡¯s go, Elder Lu!¡± She attempted to take off, but Elder Lu blocked her, shaking his head in refusal.


    ¡°If we leave, we¡¯re dead. We¡¯re not going to be able to escape his spiritual sense or soul energy range. Right now, the best thing we can do is wait.¡± He understood the situation, and if they left, it was the same as suicide. They just got to hope that Prince Ren could work something out. Prince Ren never said he would be giving them up, and if anyone could come up with a plan, it was him.


    As for Prince Ren, his eyes revealed a calm decisiveness and willingness to gamble. He withdrew a silver jade talisman and crushed it soon after.

 Chapter 69 - Taking it All!

    Several days earlier, Yan Zaizen and Tao had conceived a plan together and further refined it out. The plan¡¯s initial step was to halt the skyship en route to their destination with an appropriate distance away from Xi¨¡o City. Afterward, take on the guise of Yan Zaizen¡¯s mysterious and powerful master. Due to Yan Zaizen¡¯s profound soul cultivation, this was quite easy.


    Originally, Yan Zaizen wanted to simply capitalize on this opportunity to kill everyone aboard and take off with their possessions. However, Tao informed him that each royal member had a unique formation inscribed on their person, if they are killed, the person who killed them would be immediately branded with a profound mark. They could then be tracked by the entirety of Grux.


    This wasn¡¯t good.


    Not to mention, if he took action against a Prince, it¡¯s likely the blowback would be strong. However, Yan Zaizen still didn¡¯t care. He truly was intending to slaughter them all if they got in his way, but Tao offered a better alternative.


    After posing as a mysterious master of a dead disciple, he could get his revenge and only offend a single person: The Imperial Military Commander. This was a lot better than offending the entire country. This was because the others would definitely feel pressured to give up Lady Di in exchange for their own lives, and the Imperial Military Commander¡¯s position would instantly degrade, causing him to likely lose his position, and maybe even be killed.


    The Grux Empire was a complex mess, and the Imperial Military Commander was highly disliked by many, and his vicious ways were seen as detrimental to the country''s development. He doesn¡¯t take into consideration the proper way of doing things and even abuses his power blatantly due to his relationship with the Ancient Emperor - the previous Emperor of Grux.


    However, his own strength was lacking a little to be in such a peak position. By only possessing a half-step True Essence Cultivation, many felt they were the better fit for such an authoritative position. Despite this, no one was willing to offend him with no basis or reason, but many wanted his position. If this new situation cropped up, it¡¯s likely the possibility of revenge would be eradicated by the Imperial Palace itself.


    When Yan Zaizen heard this, he was quite surprised. Tao¡¯s knowledge of the complexities of the palace was extraordinary. After some consideration, he agreed. After a bit more discussion, they put it into action. Yan Zaizen even included a small detail to rid themselves of their current issue.


    The person in the black mask was Yan Zaizen.


    Elder Mei invited him onto the skyship, and he followed silently in assent to her invitation. They arrived on board. When they did, everyone¡¯s gazes looked at his blank black mask with unease and fear. Being so close to a soul cultivator felt stifling as if he could reap their lives away with a single glance.


    Prince Ren stepped up at this moment while others stood their distance. ¡°Greetings, Senior.¡± Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t respond, simply looking in Lady Di¡¯s direction. Underneath his mask, his eyes were bloodshot red filled with killing intent and the memories of the Deep Mines surged out. If it wasn¡¯t for him thinking that a quick death was too easy, he would¡¯ve killed her off right then and there.


    Witnessing this, Prince Ren coughed awkwardly. He began explaining the situation and how there¡¯s a possibility that Yan Zaizen was alive in the Deep Mines. He even suggested that he would personally come with him to check, with the Emperor beside him of course. However, Yan Zaizen snorted in response.


    ¡°You think I¡¯m a fool?!¡± His disguised voice shouted furiously. Everyone instantly went on the defensive, using their respective qi-arts to defend their souls against any sudden attack. Each of them was surrounded by faint traces of multi-colored light indicating the barrier they set up around themselves. However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t take any of their actions to heart.


    ¡°I¡¯ve known that my disciple died a month ago, and where.¡± His voice was calm, but immediately everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock. Yan Zaizen was dead? He knew for certain? Then! Everyone immediately felt an uneasy feeling, especially the Origin Core Cultivators, they each protected their respective juniors.


    ¡°I wanted to know the why.¡± When he said that, he looked towards Lady Di and reached out his hand. A silver-blue light condensed into a massive aurora-like hand that mimicked Yan Zaizen¡¯s movements, grasping towards her direction. The speed of its formation and movement was exceptionally fast. Even the Origin Core Cultivators reactions were slow in the face of this hand, and Lady Di was immediately grabbed and brought to his side almost instantly.


    She shrieked in horror, scream for help from the people around her. Surprisingly, Elder Lu didn¡¯t fight back, as if knowing it was futile with his mid-Origin Core cultivation. Instead, he pleaded, ¡°Sir! Please, our actions are inexcusable, but your disciple is already dead. Must you make an enemy of the Imperial Palace?¡± The pleading contained traces of a threat, but surprisingly, no one else chimed in. Elder Mei stood protectively in front of Prince Ren, and even Prince Ren had a solemn expression but maintained his silence as if afraid that he would be targeted if he spoke.


    Yan Zaizen looked at Elder Lu, shifting his head to the side in interest, ¡°Enemy of the Imperial Palace?¡± He turned towards Prince Ren and the others, ¡°Is this true?¡± However, the moment he said that everyone went silent, looking down at their feet in avoidance. Some even cursed Elder Lu for his words, trying to implicate them with this shit-for-brains woman.


    If she had handled the situation properly, then how could Yan Zaizen be dead? How could they be in this situation? With a proper interrogation, they would¡¯ve discovered his background and his story. If anything, Yan Zaizen may even be treated like a respected guest! Not sent to the mines to die like a degenerate.


    Yan Zaizen nodded softly at this. It seems Tao¡¯s assumption of them not willing to fight back was right, but if he left it just at that, how could he be satisfied? ¡°You all will pay for my disciple¡¯s death, either with wealth or with your lives.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s voice suddenly filled with intense killing intent, and his real intentions were revealed.


    When everyone heard his words, their expressions changed.


    Was he robbing us?


    ¡°If you hold back, I¡¯ll consider as if you wish to offer your lives to him in the underworld. I¡¯ll accept such payment, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be able to rest peacefully with you beside him.¡± His words were blatantly informing them that this was essentially a robbery. However, Prince Ren¡¯s eyes lit up with an odd light.


    The others felt disgruntled at the realization of the circumstance. They cursed Lady Di once more for this.


    Lady Di continued her struggle, looking at Prince Ren as if he was her last saving grace. The tears in her eyes flowed like a river, and it gave her the feeling of a misfortunate beauty. However, no one had the feeling of jumping out to be the white knight for her plight.


    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Elder Lu, surprisingly, was the first to act. He removed his spatial ring and immediately sent it to Yan Zaizen. This shocked everyone present. Elder Lu was the protector of Lady Di, was this meant to be given as an offering for Lady Di?


    However, Elder Lu¡¯s next words turned everyone¡¯s mind to a blank, ¡°Sir, this is my offering to your disciple. I hope you can forgive me. To be honest, I wanted to help your disciple, but I simply didn¡¯t have the authority.¡± He had a look of deep regret plastered across his face, one could see the sincerity within.


    In truth, this wasn¡¯t false. He¡¯d worked for the Imperial Commander before his rise and cultivated all the way up to this point, but he truly hated the Commander and this daughter of his. For nearly two thousand years, he worked and worked, did things he felt was immoral, all because of a debt he owed.


    Now that he was in a life-or-death crisis due to their action, he felt aggrieved and no longer willing. He was done. The debt had been paid with his two thousand years of service.


    ¡°Please allow me to leave!¡±


    Yan Zaizen felt completely blindsided by the course of events. He didn¡¯t know about the specifics of the commander¡¯s reputation or his daughters myriad of deeds that felt horrible to most, but he couldn¡¯t help but empathize with that aggrieved voice.


    He gave a soft nod, grabbing the spatial ring. Elder Lu took off like a beam of light, penetrating the sky and disappearing in a few seconds. Just like that, Lady Di lost her protector. Her emotions as she watched Elder Lu leave her to her fate felt incredibly complex, and then venomous as she cursed him heavily for his cowardice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll find you and have you killed, you bastard!¡± She screamed viciously.


    As for the others, they were cultivators who reached their current levels in this dirt pit of an environment due to their decisiveness. The crew immediately took off their respective spatial bags and rings, throwing it to Yan Zaizen, exiting the skyship, and waiting for the others. They were smart enough to know that if this was a robbery, this skyship will definitely be taken.


    One of the individuals wanted to keep a spatial bag for himself, taking off, but a flash of silver-blue light caused him to tumble towards the ground as a corpse. This startled everyone, especially the high-status individuals on the ship who were reluctant despite the situation in front of them.


    ¡°He wanted to pay with his life instead of his wealth. I accepted.¡± Yan Zaizen commented coldly, a spatial bag flying out of the corpse and into Yan Zaizen¡¯s hand. When everyone saw this, their hearts turned cold. For those earlier, they felt lucky they weren¡¯t greedy.


    ¡°You either pay with all you have or with all you are.¡± His words were a like a basin of cold water on everyone¡¯s faces. The others were quick, delivering their respective wealth to him, not hiding a cent, and taking off immediately. The first person amongst the Origin Core Realm cultivators to take action was Lady Bao¡¯s protector. He removed her ring and bag as well as his own, threw it towards Yan Zaizen and took off despite Lady Bao¡¯s persistent protest.


    Who would be willing to give up everything they¡¯ve earned and gained? All of their lucky chances, all of their accumulated wealth, and do so willingly? Some prideful individuals would rather lose their lives before giving up their possessions.


    But the protectors'' job is to protect their life, not their belongings.


    ¡°You all have fifteen seconds to make a decision.¡± Yan Zaizen said, looking towards Xi¨¡o City as he felt something approaching rapidly. His expression under the mask turned solemn, and he looked towards the only two groups left ¡ª Prince Ren¡¯s and Lady Su¡¯s.


    A deep sigh resounded from Lady Su¡¯s protector, and he took the same course of action as Lady Bao¡¯s. Despite Lady Su¡¯s protest, he took her and flew away. Elder Mei and Prince Ren were the only ones left on the skyship. Prince Ren took the initiative to speak, ¡°Senior, I thi-¡±


    ¡°Five seconds.¡± Yan Zaizen interjected, not paying him any mind.


    He withdrew his spatial ring from his finger and threw it. His eyes looked at the spatial ring with a great amount of reluctance. It had the Origin Consolidation Pill as well as many fortuitous encounters he¡¯d come across, but none of that mattered if he was dead. Elder Mei followed suit, grabbing Prince Ren and taking off from the skyship.


    Yan Zaizen immediately wrapped all the possessions with his soul energy and deposited them into the Meteor Ring. When that happened, every last Origin Core Cultivator, including Prince Ren, Lady Bao, Lady Su, and Lady Di coughed up blood several times. They even fell out of the sky, their eyes filled with fear and surprise.


    When Yan Zaizen saw this, he was startled as well.


    Then he thought about what had just happened, and his eyes turned cold as he recalled Xuanwu City. That was a rebound from a formation being forcefully disconnected or broken. It¡¯s likely each of their possessions had a profound formation on it in case someone decided to deprive them of their possessions, or perhaps there was something inside their ring that held a tracking formation. Regardless, when it entered the Meteor Ring, the connection was forcefully cut.


    He knew that the greater the formation, the greater the rebound. Fortunately, the Meteor Ring is like an isolated dimension, it would immediately break any formation that tried to track its location. Yan Zaizen was pleasantly surprised at this newly discovered feature. ¡°I wonder how you¡¯ll feel from this.¡± He said, placing his palm on the imperial skyship, and then it entered the Meteor Ring.


    Tens of thousands of li away, in a particular Imperial Palace¡¯s formation master¡¯s room, a sudden explosion took place. The defenders of the room rushed in with vigilance. After a quick survey of the room, they saw the bloodied corpse of the formation master who implanted a tracking formation on the skyship. The formation on the skyship was of the grand-rank, something equivalent to the True Essence Realm, but when it was forcibly disconnected, the feedback shattered his soul and exploded his body instantly.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t know what had just happened, but he was truly hoping something like that would occur. However, when he looked at the Origin Core Realm cultivators being fine, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh in disappointment. ¡°It must¡¯ve been someone else¡­¡± He mumbled.


    Yan Zaizen swiftly directed his gaze back to Xi¨¡o City. He could see a resplendent emerald light shooting towards this way from a distance like a comet. A loud, thundering voice resounded for thousands of li. ¡°Leave Lady Di unharmed and depart!¡± It was incredibly domineering and carried endless authority as if it didn¡¯t allow any objections.

 Chapter 70 - Lord Xi膩o

    When Prince Ren heard that voice in the distance, he felt relieved. Earlier, he invited Yan Zaizen on board not to discuss whether Lady Di should be left alive or not, but to stall for time. Luckily, he could stall for an extra minute or two, and this was sufficient enough for the Xi¨¡o City Lord to arrive. If he didn¡¯t, then his Origin Consolidating Pill would¡¯ve been lost, and his chances of breaking through to the mid-Origin Core Realm before the Xiantu Dao Trials would be like smoke ¡ª quickly dissipating with the wind.


    Before Yan Zaizen¡¯s arrival, he crushed a transmission talisman that relayed a message to Lord Xi¨¡o. In it detailed the circumstance they were in and their possible fate of death. Unfortunately, he knew this wouldn¡¯t move Lord Xi¨¡o an inch, so he made a deal.


    If the Xi¨¡o City ensured all of their safety, including Lady Di, then he would give him an Aurora Manifestation Pill.


    Originally, he obtained it from an ancient treasure trove and kept it a secret for his own preparations for the Xiantu Dao Trials. The pill was similar to the Origin Consolidation Pill, it could help one manifest their Aurora Soul. It was priceless. However, with the current circumstances, he felt it was worth it to prevent his own death. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen had stolen the Aurora Manifestation Pill and even severed his connection with his spatial ring.


    How was he to know that Yan Zaizen would be so decisive and rob them over their connection with Lady Di instead of killing them in anger?


    Lord Xi¨¡o¡¯s eyes were filled with greed when he heard of the Aurora Manifestation Pill in Prince Ren¡¯s possession. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t care about the Imperial Family¡¯s fate, but that pill was incalculable in terms of value. The development of the Aurora Soul typically required not just resources but enlightenment also, and despite having cultivated the soul for thousands of years, he couldn¡¯t manifest his Aurora. The Aurora Manifestation Pill was one of the few things that could bypass that enlightenment requirement.


    Now there was a chance to obtain it, and he was going to take it.


    Lord Xi¨¡o had deep black hair and eyes, a middle-aged appearance filled with masculinity, a goatee, bronze skin, and robust body. He truly looked like a powerful city lord.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s brows furrowed and his eyes behind the mask narrowed. After some quick calculations, he knew he didn¡¯t have the ability to outrun this newcomer. Soul energy may be able to move at an incredibly fast speed, but when it came to flight, qi cultivation was king, while dashing speed on the ground had body cultivation at the throne. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t have any soul art based around movement to use, unlike this newcomer.


    Lord Xi¨¡o saw Yan Zaizen not move at his words, he couldn¡¯t help but feel uneasy, but when he considered his cultivation base and arts, he sped up with confidence.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t intend to let Lord Xi¨¡o arrive in grand fashion while doing nothing, he waved his hand directly knocking Lady Di unconscious, and then she vanished in thin air, stored directly into his Meteor Ring at a remote corner.


    ¡°That worked?!¡± He was inwardly surprised at what had just happened. Despite performing the action himself, he didn¡¯t fully believe the Meteor Ring could store living things within it. I mean, he had his suspicions due to its differences to a normal spatial ring, but he wasn¡¯t absolutely sure.


    Anyways, if Lady Di had died due to entering the Meteor Ring, who cares? Luckily for him, she was just unconscious in the isolated world of the Meteor Ring. Unfortunately for her, she was just unconscious in the isolated world of the Meteor Ring.


    When Lord Xi¨¡o saw Lady Di disappear suddenly, his eyes widened with surprise and couldn¡¯t help but stop a few kilometers away from Yan Zaizen. What had just happened surprised him, but if she was dead, then what could he do? Should he fight this man with an Advanced Aurora Soul Cultivation to the death to save a dead person? What would be the point?


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t care about his doubt. A flash of silver-blue light exploded violently around his body as several thousand sharp tendrils the size of arms erupted from his body. He took a step and soared towards Lord Xi¨¡o with a fierce momentum.


    Lord Xi¨¡o snorted in response. His body erupting with an incredibly dense emerald green light filled with true-essence, the sheer pressure caused the surrounding mountains the tremble, the ground to fracture, and the sky to roil about violently. He stood there looking like a god of his own world, the sky quickly developed an emerald tint, and his energy waves fluctuated for dozens of li.


    Yan Zaizen saw this and immediately realized what was happening. An aura-based qi-art was being executed. As he approached in range, he could feel his body suddenly grow heavier as if he had a mountain on his shoulders. If one didn¡¯t have a profound body cultivation, they could be squashed to sheer dust from this pressure alone.


    Fortunately for him, this pressure was insignificant to him who possessed the Immortal Herculean Physique.


    Yan Zaizen powered through the emerald sky without pause. Lord Xi¨¡o was shocked seeing this. It didn¡¯t seem like Yan Zaizen was using his soul energy to resist the power of his aura, but simply resisted it normally with his physical body. His eyes narrowed in solemness. He grabbed at the space before him, causing the surrounding aura to condense into a ball of pure emerald energy.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Lord Xi¨¡o shouted a battle cry that caused the ground to tremble and the spectators watching with a cultivation under the Origin Core Realm to drop to their knees.


    He readied his arm as the energy condensed and landed in his palm. He viciously threw the ball of energy towards Yan Zaizen. Its speed was like lightning as it traveled through the sky causing the surroundings it passed to be compressed, as if the ball of energy was a planet with its own gravitational force.


    Yan Zaizen reacted by using hundreds of soul tendrils to intercept the ball of energy, but as they got near, the tendrils bent in odd ways as if getting pressured by intense gravity. Some of the tendrils collapsed then and there. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes widened at this but didn¡¯t panic. He pushed forward until the tendrils collided with the ball of energy to intercept.


    BOOM!!!


    The moment it did, an explosion of emerald light erupted, disintegrating all tendrils that went to intercept, and the residual force made its way like an ocean wave towards Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°Shit!¡± Yan Zaizen immediately covered himself in his remaining tendrils until it formed a spherical barrier of silver-blue light, and the wave of emerald energy collided ferociously with the barrier.


    The moment it did, the solidified soul energy constructed into a barrier developed a myriad of cracks and seemed only to require a single finger to shatter it. However, it didn¡¯t shatter as Yan Zaizen kept reinforcing it with his soul energy. Yan Zaizen, however, was sent flying backwards even faster than his forward momentum.


    It was only after several hundred meters of distance did he stop in mid-air. His eyes filled with surprise. ¡°The true essence ball exploded and turned into a wave? But his arts should revolve around mountain concepts, how did it explode?!¡± He calmed himself, realizing that his thoughts were too narrow in combat, and his experiences were simply lacking.


    That attack contained two conceptual laws, not one. The law of mountains and waves. These two laws incorporated caused a surging and oppressive force that could not be underestimated to be created.


    As for Lord Xi¨¡o, his eyes widened even more so. One must know, he prepared this strike with about 40% of his true essence, and it was a superior-grade art practiced to Major Success infused with two conceptual laws. He¡¯s been preparing for that art since he received the message from Prince Ren. By preparing his energy earlier, he could deliver an explosive unexpected attack at the start.


    He was almost sure that Yan Zaizen should be killed, hell, even an initial-True Essence Cultivator caught by surprise would be severely injured let alone a soul cultivator who took it head on.


    Unfortunately for him, Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul energy was far stronger than the average Advanced Aurora Soul Realm, and his corporeal form could rival an initial-True Essence Cultivator in strength. With soul energy ability to produce nearly all its energy instantly, how could a mere 40% of his qi kill Yan Zaizen?


    Yan Zaizen realized the circumstances of this, and his mood turned slightly better, but he didn¡¯t dare to relax. He couldn¡¯t be careless. He reformulated his thousands of tendrils once more in almost an instant, and his eyes shone with a violent light. The world started to change once more, but this time the change was smaller but far more intense. His dao aura filled with tyrannical intensity and unyielding ferocity erupted, filling his tendrils with motes of white light. Each tendril grew three times thicker and far more resplendent than before.


    When Lord Xi¨¡o saw the thousand of tendrils reform almost instantly and stronger than before, he inwardly groaned. This is why soul cultivators were so damn troublesome to deal with. Unlike qi cultivators who have to gather their energy and release it cautiously lest they explode their qi-pathways and meridians, soul cultivators could release all of their energy without care. Not to mention the sheer speed of soul energy was astonishing. This reason was also why he prepared beforehand. He contemplated whether he should just withdraw.


    However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t care about his thoughts or frustrations.


    PNEUMA DISRUPTION!


    He exploded out a wave of soul energy that was terrifyingly fast. It was empowered by his dao and backed by the full force of his soul cultivation base. The only issue was that his mastery of it was only at the peak-initial mastery. Despite that, this was an exceptionally powerful soul attack.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Lord Xi¨¡o was shocked by the soul attack that he was overly familiar with being launched by this masked cultivator. However, he couldn¡¯t think about it too closely as he executed his soul-defensive qi-art as well as a soul art that Yan Zaizen was familiar with - Anima Shield!


    The wave of soul energy violently shook his soul form. His eyes widened as he felt the foreign dao of another integrated within the attack, this soul energy was tyrannical and unyielding in its persistence. It didn¡¯t come as a single wave, but a dozen.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± He screamed ferociously in pain as his initial defenses collapsed quickly, blood spewed from his mouth, and his eyes dimmed as his soul was damaged with just the first wave, let alone when all twelve hit.


    His appearance was ugly and his face even more so. Pain to the soul was incomparable to any other type of pain and its effects were horrendous. Let alone healing the damage, it could take centuries. His eyes filled with grievance and fear.


    He was about to take his leave and flee, this wasn¡¯t worth it. He¡¯ll force that the Prince to give him the Aurora Manifestation Pill in exchange for bringing him away safely.


    He looked towards Prince Ren direction and was about to fly over, but Prince Ren could see his intentions and immediately interrupted with a shout backed by his Half-step Origin Core cultivation base. ¡°He robbed us!¡± He feared that the Xi¨¡o City Lord would simply run away, and they would all suffer losses with no gains.


    Those words resounded out for hundreds of li and caused him to stop immediately. He looked towards the group once more and realized that no spatial fluctuations were emitted from them.


    ¡°Shit!¡± He clenched his teeth and produced a talisman, he shattered it decisively. A silhouette of an emerald mountain appeared in the space above, and spatial energy erupted from it.


    ¡°What?!¡± Yan Zaizen was startled as this gigantic mountain silhouette appeared above the sky. ¡°That¡¯s...the Mountain at the center of Xi¨¡o?!¡± He was inwardly shocked as his pupils turned into needles. Recalling what Tao informed him, this mountain was a sky-ranked armament used by the Xi¨¡o City Lord to defend the city.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t realize that the Pneuma Disruption he just used infused with his dao threatened the Xi¨¡o City Lord greatly. It could threaten those at the mid-True Essence Realm at its current strength, let alone the Xi¨¡o City Lord at the initial-True Essence Realm. He immediately used a one-time rare talisman that could send the mountain to his side. He was taking this seriously and even putting his life on the line.

 Chapter 71 - No Longer Yours

    Yan Zaizen felt a sensation of intense deadly crisis, and it felt incredibly strong. His instincts screamed at him that if that mountain arrived, it could threaten his very life. It was the strongest he had ever felt, even stronger than when he was running away from the meteorite descending from the sky before. "I can''t let it appear." He concluded, his mind rapidly thinking of solutions.


    He looked at the mountain and realized something peculiar and familiar about its current state.


    Could it be?!


    Taking a deep breath, he spread his arms wide. "I hope this works." He mumbled, his hands started to glow with resplendent silver light, then the silver light erupted over his entire body completely overwhelming the silver-blue light in brilliance. He ran the idea of it into his mind once more and felt correct.


    Currently, the emerald mountain was not here, it was instead in a state of mid-transition, so physically speaking, it wasn''t here but in Xi¨¡o City. It was reminiscent of a spatial platform in Xuanwu City, but unlike the spatial formation that Han Genju used to get them to escape ten thousand li. The former transports in a similar way to teleportation, while the latter was more of a physical movement shift. Similar to when he was on the spatial platform, there''s a small window where one could directly interfere with the preparatory phase of the teleportation.


    However, the talisman seemed to be a one-time spatial platform that would send the mountain where it was shattered. This meant the mountain had to have a spatial platform beneath it enabling this, and it must be massive. The wealth to send it just once must be extraordinary.


    A cold grin suffused on Yan Zaizen''s lips. A beam of silver light shot towards the silhouette of the emerald mountain. Lord Xi¨¡o was shocked seeing this, his eyes widening at this event. What was he doing?


    Unfortunately, they were actually quite a distance from each other and he was far too weak to attack when the opponent had thousands of tendrils surrounding him in defense. He needed to prepare another big attack, so he simply did that while waiting for the mountain to arrive to launch a powerful strike.


    Despite it taking so long to describe the happenings, the entire engagement had been less than thirty seconds.


    The mountain was hit by the silver light which originated from the Spatial Form of Infinite Stability, and like a shadow, the power that it drew itself from destabilized in a similar way as the spatial platform was tampered with at Xuanwu City.


    POOF!


    The entire mountain vanished. Not just the shadow, but the mountain itself.


    Lord Xi¨¡o, Elder Mei, Prince Ren, and everyone else in their group or those were watching from afar due to this high-level fight catching their attention had their eyes turned into a needlepoint.


    "Wh...what just happened?!" Someone who was apart of the imperial skyship''s crew shouted in shock.


    "The...the transference...failed¡­" Elder Mei said, but then she turned instinctively towards Xi¨¡o City, and albeit it was exceptionally far away, the mountain that was always visible was no longer there.


    "IMPOSSIBLE!!!" Her entire existence trembled from the sheer shock, and her mind turned dull at the sight of a missing mountain. Her shrieking voice caused everyone, including Lord Xi¨¡o to look towards Xi¨¡o City. There was a form of pure silence in the world, even the wind, the earth, the animals, and their breathing halted as if in agreement of shock.


    "WHAT?!" Lord Xi¨¡o felt his mind explode from this realization. He looked towards Yan Zaizen with eyes filled with intense anger and intense shock as well as fear, "WHAT DID YOU DO?!"


    As for Yan Zaizen, he felt incomparably exhausted as nearly all of his qi was drained in one go. Most people urged caution when releasing their qi all at once due to the damage it can do to one''s qi-pathways and meridians, but for him, they have been refined to the peak, and his Herculean Physique strengthened them even more. He could withstand such a force at the qi strength of a peak-Essence Formation Realm.


    This didn''t mean it wouldn''t wear him down. He wasn''t physically exhausted or spiritual exhausted, but it was like someone took out all of the blood in his body in one go. It felt odd, exhausting, and empty.


    However, "It worked!" He couldn''t help but chuckle softly with hints of exhaustion behind the mask, but he wasn''t done yet.


    "This mountain is no longer yours." His voice was icy-cold filled with imperialistic flavor as if stating a fact that couldn''t be any more true.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He touched the empty space and his hand seemed to be vanishing into nothingness. A second later, the Xi¨¡o City lord immediately felt as if his connection to the emerald mountain was severed. A massive amount of blood spewed out of his body and he collapsed from the sky almost instantly. As everyone witnessed this, their eyes widened once more with shock and fear.


    What happened?


    Yan Zaizen had disrupted the spatial transference, but when he did, he arranged for it to be nearby temporarily. When he reached into chaotic space, he touched the mountain and stored it inside the Meteor Ring thereby cutting the connection it possessed with Lord Xi¨¡o. If Lord Xi¨¡o had been in direct control of the mountain, this would''ve been an impossible feat, but how could he when it wasn''t even in the same plane of existence?


    It was like snatching money from a bank with no one there to guard it, and the bank had an open door to your room.


    "Hmph." Yan Zaizen snorted, he originally was going to kill this man, but he realized that the Xi¨¡o City Lord was probably a member of Anima Syndicate. The only indication of this was when he attacked his soul, the Anima Shield appeared to defend his soul form. The Anima Shield was a superior-grade art that was a staple to the Anima Syndicate Members upon introduction. At least, Wu Yuanxu said those were core techniques for all members. He couldn''t be certain, but if that was the case, he would spare him even though he didn''t have to.


    However, he wouldn''t spare his spatial ring.


    He flew over to Lord Xi¨¡o''s unconscious body covered in blood, used a tendril to wrap around and take all of his spatial possessions, and then he left a transmission in his conscious for when he awoke. It detailed that he was apart of the Anima Syndicate and that his life was spared due to this and only this. However, there wouldn''t be a next time.


    In truth, there was another reason. How long would it take someone to reach the True Essence Realm? How much talent do they need to possess? How much determination must they have? He felt like killing someone who reached this level of cultivation without a deep grudge to be a little wasteful. Of course, if they had a life or death grudge, then to the underworld they go. However, that wasn''t the case here.


    Yan Zaizen looked at the group of imperial members from afar, his eyes slowly suffusing with viciousness. He sent a message to Prince Ren via soul transmission. "As long as Lady Di''s father lives, I''ll make it my life mission to kill all those from the royal palace. Especially you." His words were spoken with no intent to conceal his murderous desires, and he wanted to make clear his thoughts unlike his original intention of letting them handle it themselves. He couldn''t let this root stay unplucked, not to mention, Prince Ren''s words from before obviously meant that he called the Xi¨¡o Lord here.


    This made him want to kill this bastard immediately, but he held it back.


    Just as he was about to leave, he contemplated for a moment, then protectively wrapped his soul energy around the Xi¨¡o''s body that should last for a few hours, enough time for him to wake up. He knew the relationship between the royal family and Xi¨¡o wasn''t exactly a good one, so he took some precautions.


    He took off in flight, disappearing in the distance with a line of silver-blue light trailing behind him like a rainbow and aurora borealis fused into one.


    A long distance away, Yan Zaizen met up with Tao. After informing him of what happened, Tao was utterly shocked. He had stayed a long distance away in fear of being recognized, but to think the reverberations he felt before was a battle with a True Essence Cultivator. He readied the skyship and prepared their departure. Due to the circumstances with the mountain transference, it''s unlikely that the spatial platform in Xi¨¡o will be functional for a while, so they''ll have to travel a few months to the nearest one.


    "So, what are you going to do with her?" Tao asked, looking at an unconscious Lady Di on the deck.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled evilly, his eyes filled with malevolent intentions. "Many things." He answered vaguely. One could tell that Lady Di''s fate wasn''t going to be a good one.


    ----------------------------------------


    Several weeks later, Lady Di''s father was sentenced to treason and put to death. Due to many people looking for a reason, including Yan Zaizen''s previous threat and combat prowess combined with the message he left behind, the Emperor was rather decisive. His possessions were taken and he was immediately dealt with accordingly, but not only him, but the entire Yi family line to root out all possible threats.


    His death was publicized and many verified it with their own eyes before the entire country soon knew. The new Imperial Commander would be determined in the upcoming month, and many upper-echelon members felt relieved after the affair. Especially after they realized that the Yi family almost caused the Imperial Family to have an enemy Aurora Soul cultivator that could rival a mid-True Essence Cultivator.


    If initial-True Essence cultivation puts you at the peak power of the entire country, then mid-True Essence cultivation puts you at the highest point on the continent. In the entire Grux Empire, not a single late-True Essence cultivator exists. The Imperial Commander himself was only at the half-step True Essence Realm, and his position was given to him due to his merits and favoritism of the previous Emperor.


    This is why many people dared to desire his position. In the entire Grux, besides the Ancient Emperor, Current Emperor, previous Imperial Commander, Lady Bao''s father, and the Imperial Scholar, there were no other True Essence Cultivators in the Empire. As for mid-True Essence Cultivation, only the Ancient Emperor possessed this level of cultivation.


    It is due to this that Xi¨¡o City Lord, who possessed a sky-rank armament with an initial-True Essence Cultivation, was given due respect despite his obvious disagreements with the royal family, and why offending a mid-True Essence soul cultivator for a disliked military commander wasn''t a wise move. Yan Zaizen didn''t even realize that he could''ve directly gone to the Imperial Palace itself and demand his head, and after his strength was revealed, they would''ve done so swiftly to appeal to him and try to recruit him into their kingdom. Unfortunately, they could no longer do this due to circumstances.


    As for robbing everyone, no one took it seriously. I mean, which individual had the balls to tackle Yan Zaizen? That''s courting death to prom and then trying to take her forcefully after. If that''s not asking for death to strike you, then what was?

 Chapter 72 - Relieving Ones Hatred

    ¡°What do you want?!¡± Diyi shouted, her eyes filled with anxiousness and fear. Yan Zaizen¡¯s masked figure stood imposingly nearby, looking at her without staring. Currently, the skyship was making its way to Sky Heart City, a location with a spatial platform that would primarily be used for trades, but on occasion, one could pay an exuberant fee to use the platform for personal use.


    Tao had suggested this location, but this still meant with the current speed of Ying¡¯s skyship, they would take nearly two months. This left him much time.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± His tone was like the song of hell behind the mask. Diyi was shocked, in truth, she didn¡¯t think she would be killed, but that she would be ransomed back to her father for a massive fee by this greedy fellow. Unfortunately for her, she was within the Meteor Ring during the battle, so she just assumed this person was simply a greedy individual out for profit.


    ¡°I-I...You¡¯re his master, right?¡± She asked cautiously, a little dumbfounded by the question.


    ¡°Hahaha!¡± Yan Zaizen laughed maliciously. ¡°No. I¡¯m not his master.¡±


    ¡°Wh-what? Then¡­¡± If this person wasn¡¯t his master, then all he said was made-up, so who was he? Unless he¡¯s lying, but why would there be a need for that? It¡¯s not like it scared her, her situation remained the same regardless.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t continue but walked up to Diyi. Currently, she wore the qi diffusion cuffs, the same one he was forced to wear for two years. As she saw him approach, she backed up with fear. One could see the anxiousness and her folding her arm around her chest, that she believed Yan Zaizen was going to take other measures. Witnessing this, Yan Zaizen softly chuckled.


    As if he would ever give this woman such pleasure.


    Instead, he rose his right hand high and struck down.


    SLAP!


    This slap resounded for several hundred meters, echoing throughout the entire skyship, and accompanied by a scream of horror and pain. Diyi¡¯s body flew backward and slammed against the wall, several of her back teeth shoot out of her mouth, and blood sprayed the walls. A crunching sound resounded, indicating a few bones of Diyi¡¯s was fractured when she hit the wall.


    ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± He asked once again, approaching once more.


    Diyi was dazed from the previous strike, her eyes blurry, tears welling up, and her hands held her swollen face. She tried to gather her bearings as she looked towards the approaching masked man with eyes filled with fear. ¡°Who are you?!¡± She screamed, but her words were accompanied by bits of blood and shattered teeth.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t answer. He approached once more. This time, his left hand raised, and without her being able to react, he struck the other cheek.


    SLAP!


    Her body slid across the floor and smashed heavily into some items near the other side of the wall. As her body made contact with the wall, the ship shuddered from the impact. At this point, one could see her spewing out copious amounts of blood, and barely able to lift her body up. She could barely speak as she grumbled some words together that seemed to be pleading.


    However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t care. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    SLAP!


    SLAP!


    SLAP!


    SLAP!!


    SLAP!!!


    He kept slapping her, keeping her awake for each and every resounding slap, and using just enough force for it to hurt, but not enough to kill. Despite Diyi¡¯s beauty and frail looking appearance, her body had been tempered and refined by a myriad of energies, and her qi-cultivation was at the initial-Qi Unification Realm, so she wasn¡¯t a weakling.


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    She could take this much.


    After several more slaps that totaled twenty-six, one for each month that he was forced to work as a slave in those mines. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± He asked again, this was the twenty-sixth time. However, at this point, Diyi could no longer speak, her eyes misty with blood, her teeth were either shattered within her mouth, inside her stomach with copious amounts of blood or on the floor.


    Diyi didn¡¯t even try to answer, she had given up trying to answer after the seventh slap. Yan Zaizen approached, causing her body to flinch in fear and anxiousness at the pain of being slapped once more. However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t strike, but simply got face-to-face with her with barely two inches of space between them.


    ¡°This is who I am.¡±


    He slowly removed his blank black mask. As he did so, he slowly revealed an appearance of handsome masculinity, light bronze skin, a head of short black hair, and bright amber eyes filled with vibrancy. Diyi would definitely not notice Yan Zaizen before, as their appearance were simply too different, but as she looked at those amber eyes, her eyes widened with shock.


    She may not remember how he looked, but she remembered those lustrous amber eyes filled with vibrant light. ¡°Y...Y-You! YOU!!!¡± Her body trembled as she came to a realization. When she did, she realized that this person was a little older but also a much more handsome version of the reason she was in this predicament.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Zaizen said, his voice filled with anger. ¡°I am Yan Zaizen.¡±


    Diyi felt like she was losing her mind.


    How?! How could he still be alive? How could he be so strong? Why did this happen?


    Observing her reaction, Yan Zaizen felt incredibly satisfied. However, he just couldn¡¯t hold it in as he clenched his fist. This fist was filled with much of his anguish and anger during his stay in the Deep Mines, it was filled with his unpleasant memories, and he struck down harshly towards her face.


    BOOM!!!


    The punch nearly caved in her pretty little face, knocking her unconscious almost immediately, and slammed her violently into the wall. This time, the wall was imprinted with her outline, and several sounds of shattered bones resounded a lot deeper than before.


    ¡°Tao!¡± He shouted, calming his breathing and feeling liberated slightly. He could feel his Dao reaching a particular point, but he felt it wasn¡¯t yet accomplished.


    Tao reacted quickly, arriving into the room, and seeing the mess filled with broken tools, tables, and filled with scattered bits of blood. Diyi¡¯s body which would have made any man fall into bedevilment was tainted with blood and deformed in shape. As for her face? There¡¯s no need to say anything else.


    At this moment, Tao had already informed Yan Zaizen that he was wholly dedicated to following him. It wasn¡¯t going to be a position of partners but of subordinate and friend. Initially, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t like this due to the time spent in the Deep Mines, but Tao was adamant on this. His words were, ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for you, I would¡¯ve jumped off that cliff and died sooner or later. I owe you my life, and I intend to pay you back with it.¡±


    Considering the determined gaze in his eyes, Yan Zaizen relented. Now, their relationship was similar to leader and subordinate. ¡°Clean her up, set her on the post and ready it. I¡¯m not done with her yet.¡± He slowly walked off out the door.


    Tao looked at Diyi and couldn¡¯t help but shake his head in sympathy. ¡°I¡¯ve said it before, the one who offended a monster like him was going to be washing their neck to be claimed later. Now, let me go wash your neck.¡± Despite his words, he didn¡¯t feel this was undeserved. Yan Zaizen may not know her dark deeds deeply, but how could he not? Especially considering who he was before.

 Chapter 73 - Accepting One More

    Atop the skyship was two tall wooden posts spread a bit of distance from themselves. Between these two posts, was a young girl attached to barbed rope by her feet and arms that sliced into her skin relentlessly. Her face was filled with bruises, but a majority of her wounds to her bones and flesh seemed to have been healed by miraculous medicine as faint signs of injury remained.


    Besides her, three individuals stood a distance away, one of which was a scrawny man with pearly white teeth, a handsomely tall youth with an outstanding physique, and a middle-aged man. The first two were Yan Zaizen and Tao, but the third was Elder Lu - Diyi¡¯s former protector. Currently, he was kowtowing to Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°Lord Zai, please!¡± His voice was filled with pleading and desperation.


    If anyone from the Grux Empire saw this, they would assume Elder Lu was pleading for mercy in regards to Diyi¡¯s current fate, but that was not the case. Instead, he arrived after sneakily following Yan Zaizen to the skyship and maintaining a suitable distance. Initially, Yan Zaizen felt that this man had ill-intentions towards him and Tao but didn¡¯t act despite knowing from day one due to his curiosity. However, he was surprised to find out the real reason for his actions.


    He wanted to be work for Yan Zaizen.


    This was a mid-Origin Core Realm expert!! And yet, he wanted to work for Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°Lord Zai, I¡¯ve left the Grux Empire, and a hit has undoubtedly been placed on my head due to my actions. I hope you can accept my request!¡± His tone was filled with begging, but one could tell that he had other choices he could make. However, what would be better than working for someone at the very peak of power and by choice no less!


    In his entire life, Elder Lu was forced to work for someone he didn¡¯t choose to do so to fulfill a debt. However, after escaping from that person¡¯s clutches, he didn¡¯t have anywhere to go without being targeted for his actions. If he could follow Yan Zaizen, then he would be fully protected even if he publicized his location to all of Grux.


    ¡°Why would I want someone like you, who¡¯s willing to leave the one he was tasked to protect to die. Regardless of decisiveness, it doesn¡¯t exactly inspire confidence for your loyalty.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s voice was calm, and his words struck true. Elder Lu couldn¡¯t even respond, only staying in a kowtow position frozen due to awkwardness.


    Tao, however, was the one to interject. ¡°Elder Lu is named Bai Lufeng, and his story is¡­¡± Tao immediately retold Bai Lufeng¡¯s entire life story and what he believed his personality was. Bai Lufeng truly was a good person at heart but one caught between loyalty and morality. Despite this, he chose loyalty for two thousand years until an incident happened that called his morality into question.


    Bai Lufeng refused to slaughter a village filled with people and send all the children to the Deep Mines on orders of Diyi¡¯s Father. Due to his insubordination, he was given the punishment of protecting Diyi, and even still his morality was tested again and again by her commands. The fact he was decisive and leaving the entirety of Grux while remaining untainted by the two¡¯s personality displayed his good characteristics.


    Yan Zaizen was shocked as he looked at Tao. How did Tao know all of this? Bai Lufeng, however, wasn¡¯t shocked. Instead, he looked at Tao with his eyes shining with brilliance.


    Normally, Tao was unwilling to talk about his background in-depth, and Yan Zaizen respected his decision. However, now he was truly curious.


    Tao could see Yan Zaizen¡¯s curiosity and felt odd in his heart. After a long moment of silence, his eyes became decisive as he explained, ¡°My name before was Grux Taohe, and my master was the Imperial Scholar.¡±


    What?!


    ¡°You mean¡­¡± It made sense. Truly, it made sense.


    The Imperial Scholar wasn¡¯t an empty title. It was given to the one deemed with the most knowledge in the entire kingdom, some could even say country, and Tao was always incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable. He knew about the Dao the moment he saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s aura, something that even the others who watched his battle couldn¡¯t deduce at first sight. He knew about armaments to an incredible degree, and their conversations had told him a lot about the inner-workings of Grux and its history.


    Yan Zaizen held the impulse to ask why he was no longer apart of Grux despite having the Imperial Scholar, a True Essence Cultivator, as his master. Not to mention, asking why he was sent to the Deep Mines for ten years.


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    Could it be?


    Tao sighed at Yan Zaizen¡¯s myriad of thoughts, he continued to explain, ¡°Long story short, I voiced opinions that wasn¡¯t exactly...popular with the upper-echelon of the Empire. My Master stripped me of my name, status and sent me to the Deep Mines as punishment.¡± Despite it not going into too much depth, it matched with Yan Zaizen¡¯s assumption.


    ¡°Hm. Your past is your past.¡± Yan Zaizen nodded, not caring about who he was before. Considering he was sent to the Deep Mines to die, why would he have good feelings towards the Empire or his former master? He even helped to plot against the royal family, no wonder he was so willing to take the risk.


    Looking at Bai Lufeng, Yan Zaizen contemplated. Having a mid-Origin Core Realm servant would be incredibly impressive and useful. Not to mention, he was loyal and moral, and considering that he also posed no threat to Yan Zaizen, he felt no reason not to agree. ¡°Sure. However, you¡¯ll need to make a soul oath.¡± Yan Zaizen said, his tone held for no debate.


    Bai Lufeng thought for a second and nodded in agreement. A soul oath wasn¡¯t something that could be easily accomplished and could only be set up by someone at the Aurora Soul Realm, otherwise, most people kept to heavenly oaths. However, for heavenly tribulations, depending on the weight of the oath, the punishment wasn¡¯t as intense and could be survived with personal strength or outside help.


    Soul Oaths wasn¡¯t like that at all. If you break it, unless someone was heaven-defyingly great, your soul would be sent to the underworld.


    After the Soul Oath had been sworn, Yan Zaizen informed Bai Lufeng to fly the skyship towards Sky Heart City. Tao gave Bai Lufeng the qi method to pilot the ship. However, Bai Lufeng suddenly recalled something.


    ¡°Wait! Lord Zai, the-¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t call me Lord Zai, makes me feel old.¡± Yan Zaizen interjected quickly. It truly didn¡¯t feel comfortable being called Lord Zai, despite possessing his overwhelming strength. He was only nineteen after all.


    Bai Lufeng was startled but then realized after understanding who Yan Zaizen was. In truth, when he arrived, he was shocked to death. Yan Zaizen was alive, survived the Deep Mines for two years, and came back with a cultivation that could rival peak powers in the continent. When he saw the quick but intense battle between Yan Zaizen and Lord Xi¨¡o, he was enthralled. If he were to fight either one of them, it¡¯s unlikely he could survive a single blow, but it truly left one filled with respect for both of them.


    Now, this mysterious person, that filled him with respect, was actually a nineteen-year-old boy with a heaven-defying soul cultivation.


    ¡°Young Lord Zai?¡± Bai Lufeng tested, his voice cautious with every word. Yan Zaizen looked thoughtfully for a second and nodded in acceptance. That truly felt more suitable for him.


    ¡°Young Lord Zai, Lady Di¡¯s Father was killed yesterday. The Yi family was uprooted, and an apology was issued for your disci- I mean, your punishment being handled improperly. They have even sent a notice of invitation. The Emperor wants to personally apologize for the incident, hoping to seek reconciliation.¡± Bai Lufeng had connections everywhere, and he didn¡¯t dare to make a move to join Yan Zaizen until he knew the Imperial Palace¡¯s personal position on the matter.


    Yan Zaizen expected this, hell, it was what they were going for. As for the Yi Family being killed, they could only blame others for bringing them down.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± He softly nodded in response, obviously not being surprised at this piece of news. ¡°What about the Xi¨¡o City Lord?¡± This was what he truly was concerned over.


    ¡°He returned to Xi¨¡o City and went into secluded recovery to tend to his wounds due to your battle from earlier.¡±


    Yan Zaizen felt a little relieved. He was a member of the Anima Syndicate and despite members being able to kill other members, it didn¡¯t seem right to do so. In truth, he only spared him for Wu Yuanxu. If it wasn¡¯t for Wu Yuanxu detailing the Anima Syndicate with such zest and zeal, then he would¡¯ve ended his life then and there.


    ¡°Alright. Go.¡± Yan Zaizen instructed, sending Bai Lufeng off to pilot the skyship. Turning towards Tao, his voice contained a chilly intent, ¡°Did you bring it?¡± Tao nodded in response, handing Yan Zaizen a spatial ring.


    He slowly walked towards Diyi, ¡°We aren¡¯t finished."

 Chapter 74 - Your Choice, Your Fate

    Wuh-PSSSH!


    The sound of a whip cracking in the air resounded as it snapped viciously onto flesh. The shearing of flesh and blood caused wisps of it to soar about.


    "AHHHH!" Diyi shrieked in pain and horror. Her back had one long line of sheared flesh that went bone deep.


    "When you sentenced me to 500 years in hell, did you hope I''d die?" Yan Zaizen''s calm voice resounded in the surroundings.


    Wuh-PSSSH!


    Another whip was lashed viciously on Diyi''s back. Her painful shriek echoed within the air once more, causing the myriad of lifeforms beneath the skyship as it passed by to shiver and feel uncomfortable. Many felt complex emotions, like pity, indifference, or fear.


    Despite his question, Diyi refused to answer.


    Wuh-PSSSH!


    "AHHHHHHHHHH!!"


    Another whip lashed out violently.


    "Did you hope I would jump into that deep, dark hole in despair and regret? No matter. I did not, but your father is dead. Your family is dead."


    Wuh-PSSSH!


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    "It was because of your choice that day. Your indifference towards my life. Your indifference towards my innocence."


    Wuh-PSSSH!


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    Each whip was lashed out harder than the last, viciously removing flesh, blood and bone. All of Yan Zaizen''s two years of grievance and anger empowered each and every swing. However, Yan Zaizen didn''t have a smile or happiness on his face. Instead, his facial expression had a calm solemness to it.


    "Did the me then deserve it? Do you even regret it?"


    Wuh-PSSSH!


    "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"


    "If I was in your shoes, and I made your choice. I wouldn''t. I would blame myself, sure. However, I would never regret a choice I made."


    Wuh-PSSSH!


    This continued until 26 lashes resounded, one for each month of his life taken by the Deep Mines. Afterward, Diyi''s back held very little flesh or bone, being drenched in blood and filled with sweat. Her breathing wasn''t steady, and her lifeforce was at an all-time low.


    He handed the whip filled drenched in her blood to Tao, and walked in front of her to see her dim eyes. When their eyes met, he could see those eyes filled with hatred and anger. Yan Zaizen shook his head and sighed softly. "Choices are what we live by, and as long as we live, our choices determine our fate."


    He felt himself fall into remembrance as his words sounded out, even Tao beside him felt emotional. It was true, choices are what we all live by.


    Tao chose to voice his opinion and reaped the consequences, a life, and a death in the Deep Mines. Bai Lufeng chose to stay loyal and his morality kept being pushed until he couldn''t make that choice any longer but was punished after. Diyi chose to sentence him to 500 years into the Deep Mines, knowing that even if he could survive ten years, he would never be able to escape alive. This was a death sentence which would''ve likely lead to his suicide in hopelessness.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    As for Yan Zaizen, he chose to be Han Genji''s disciple. If he had refused, his life might have been reaped or perhaps Han Genji would''ve left him alone. Who knew what could''ve happened on that day? However, that choice of his lead him to here, to this time, to this place, with these people.


    "I''ve given you two punishments to relieve my hatred. Killing you would only be a caveat to end all roots, but it is not necessary or required." Yan Zaizen stated, his voice filled with a soft calm. Diyi trembled hearing about his desire to kill her. She didn''t want to die, otherwise, how could she get revenge for all this? Her hatred for Yan Zaizen could reach the heavens and back!


    "So, I''ll give you two choices. You can die by my hands or become my slave for five hundred years." He offered.


    Diyi was shocked but then turned incredibly angry. She gritted her teeth fiercely and bitingly declared, "Hahaha! Slave?! For you?! I much rather die!!!" Her body trembled in her anger. Yan Zaizen simply looked towards her and slight nodded in understanding.


    "Understood." If he was given the choice of being a slave for five hundred years or die, given her circumstances, he felt that he would choose five hundred years instantly. He would never give up because as long as he held an ounce of breath in his body, he would always try to conceive of a way to victory. This would''ve been his decision in a heartbeat, even in anger.


    He slowly reached his hand outwards, preparing to grasp her head and send her on her way. Of course, he wasn''t going to make it fast. She would most certainly die slowly, very slowly, but die nonetheless.


    Seeing this hand reach towards her, she became incomparably terrified. As it moved slowly towards her, she could see her life flashing before her very eyes. The life she led, the things she did, the choices she made, and the fate she caused her father. She felt truly horrible and intense regret welled up within the pit of her stomach.


    Would she have done things differently had she known it''d end this way? Of course!


    Could she? No.


    Memories of her father flashed in her mind, and it stopped at a moment when she was younger. Her father was there, holding her shoulders as she cried, and he looked at her with powerfully fierce eyes. "Crying is useless. What does it do for you? Reveal your weakness? Make you feel slightly better? Does it change the reason you''re sad? No. As long as you have the will, anything that makes you sad can be upended and reversed to bring you happiness. Remember this young one. Only you can change your reality."


    Her father''s voice resounded in her mind, and she looked towards the approaching hand with a different resolve. She spoke up suddenly, "Wait! I''ll do it!" Her mind was clear at the moment of life or death, as long as she was alive and had the will, what couldn''t she change? A slave for 500 years? Let''s see what she can do in those 500 years!


    Yan Zaizen, however, looked towards those resolved eyes and shook his head softly. "I gave you a choice. You made it." His hand grabbed her forehead, clamping on it powerfully. Realizing her situation, she pleaded loudly and looked at Yan Zaizen''s arm with fear. "Wait! Wait! I''ll do it, 500 years! I''ll do 1,000 years! I can do it!"


    She didn''t want to die!


    As long as she lived, she could change her fate! She could determine her reality!


    With a soft sigh, "When you made your choice on that day, it couldn''t be turned back. When you made your choice today, it still can''t be turned back." A stream of soul energy tunneled into her soul form, ravishing it thoroughly. The pain of soul caused her to shriek like never before. The sound caused Bai Lufeng and Tao''s hearts to grow cold suffusing with terror, but no shock at these events.


    It continued for a full hour before suddenly going silent.


    Yan Zaizen untied Diyi''s corpse from the posts and carried it to the railings at the edge of the skyship. Bai Lufeng couldn''t help but see Diyi''s bloodied and disfigured corpse and feel a little pain in his heart, but he could only shake his head in pity. All the time he was beside her, he kept trying to give her advice to change her ways, but she believed herself invincible. Unfortunately, in this world, Gods can die, even Buddhas can be tortured, and even the heavens can shatter.


    No one''s invincible.


    "I gave her a chance; her fate was decided by herself. If you make your choice, you must be willing to deal with the consequences, whatever they may be. That is how we live. There is no place for regrets." His voice was filled with absolute calm, he threw Diyi''s corpse overboard. As she treated life beneath her like trash, her final fate will be the same.


    A sudden weight lifted from his body, and he could feel a little bit of himself before the Deep Mines resurface, the light-hearted, naive, curious and humor-filled self. A slight smile appeared on his face. He may never be able to return to the him before after being exposed to so much darkness, but that didn''t mean he would be consumed by this darkness.


    His dao aura manifested instinctively, shrouding him with a tyrannical ferocity filled with unyielding confidence in oneself, but now it had a trace of decisiveness and warmth. Slowly, it was giving shape and form to something heaven-equalling.

 Chapter 75 - Calculating Ones Wealth

    "This is¡­" Tao''s mouth was gaped in shock.


    "To think you¡­" Bai Lufeng had eyes shining with greed and excitement.


    "Hehehehehehe!" Yan Zaizen was giggling like a little schoolgirl, holding his sides and wiping off the saliva that couldn''t help but form at the corner of his lips. To be honest, both Tao and Bai Lufeng mind''s reeled at his appearance, finding it somewhat disgusting despite their relationship.


    Three men were located in one of the skyship''s many rooms, but this was the largest and held cargo of all sorts. They were located in a circle as they looked down at a brown, four-legged table that were filled with spatial rings and bags. These spatial objects were things Yan Zaizen had taken off of the previous crew of Qi Unification Cultivators, Origin Core Protectors, a Prince and young ladies who held high status in grux, as well as a True Essence Cultivator. Not to mention, this True Essence Cultivator was a grand-tier alchemist!


    The sheer amount of wealth in his spatial ring that was the accumulation of his entire life possessions could be imagined. It was no wonder that the trio were struck dumb with greed.


    "How much is it?" Bai Lufeng couldn''t help but ask, but it elicited Tao and Yan Zaizen to look at him with ruthless expressions. This caused him to gulp, and he realized that it''s unlikely for him to have any piece of this pie. As for his ring that was taken by Yan Zaizen before, it was returned, and that''s probably the most he''ll receive.


    Tao ignored Bai Lufeng and calculated with his fingers, "In terms of wealth and value of all objects combined, this entire thing should be worth about...3 billion drops of low-grade liquid essence."


    When this was said, both Yan Zaizen and Bai Lufeng''s gaze turned so heated that the entire world probably need sunscreen. 3 BILLION DROPS! That was an astronomical amount of wealth that went to the point that it could rival the entirety of all first-tier powers within the country. All first tier powers combined!


    To put it in perspective, 3 billion drops if transformed into crystal essence would be 30 mid-grade essence crystals. Low-Grade Essence Crystals was used for True Essence Cultivators for their qi cultivation, but mid-grade was for even higher! Of course, even if one possesses the proper essence, doesn''t mean they could reach the next level. A large reason had to be due to time.


    To put this heart-breaking fact into perspective as well, Yan Zaizen took four months to reach peak in Essence Formation, Dantian Refinement, and Pathway Expansion, but that was with a mid-grade essence crystal which shaved off several years for refinement. As one continued their cultivation, their personal absorption rate and refinement speed doesn''t change much; Therefore, their cultivation speed starts to drop as cultivating becomes more and more time-consuming. This is why many use alchemic pills or elixirs to expedite their cultivation speed, but this has a price such as impurity or simply difficulty in production.


    It is also why many go into closed door cultivation for decades, centuries, or even millennia. You may have the resources, but that doesn''t mean you have the time. For those who struggle with their life on the line to gather resources, they are even more unlikely to reach the peak of cultivation without heaven-defying luck or skill.


    It is also why talent is highly regarded as it indicated one''s personal absorption speed of essence or medicinal effectiveness towards one''s body. When Yan Zaizen was young, his talent was deemed the lowest of the low based on this and his poor art comprehension. Thus, he''ll need more time and resources than others to reach the same level.


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    This is why no one took him seriously or felt he would rise. Without innate talent, progressing to the True Essence Realm with a limited lifespan was a dream of everyone except the highborn of the country.


    Luckily, his old body''s talent had been casted off and born anew. He now held the talent of a Herculean and as his physique developed, so will his ability to refine and process essence or any type of material. After all, the materials required to be refined by a Herculean for advancement was by no means ordinary under the heavens.


    "We also obtained seven Origin Consolidation Pill, twenty-eight Godly Unification Elixir, one True Essence Sublimation Pill, one Aurora Manifestation Pill, and¡­" Tao continued to list the particulars of their loot. While the Origin Consolidation Pill may be rare to the Imperial Palace, but to a Grand-tier Alchemist like the Xi¨¡o City Lord, they weren''t much.


    If he wasn''t capable of gathering a massive force, how could he create a city and still be at odds with the royal family? Even if he was at the initial-True Essence Realm, the Ancient Emperor could still kill him easily, as each step in that realm was like the difference between the sky and earth. Yet, that didn''t happen. The reason was his status as the greatest Grand-tier alchemist in all of Grux and the ability to gather and produce his own force.


    How else did he obtain the wealth to set up a spatial platform that could teleport an entire mountain?! Let alone an entire sky-rank armament that was a literal mountain.


    The Godly Unification Elixir was a top-grade elixir that can help one enter and progress through the Qi Unification Realm up to the late-stage, while the True Essence Sublimation Pill was a grand-tier pill that could help one reach the True Essence Realm! This pill was heaven defying, but help doesn''t mean a guarantee, but it still increased your chances.


    Unlike the Origin Consolidation Pill which pretty much guaranteed success if one was at the half-step Origin Core Realm, but this pill only increased your chances at succeeding. Breaking through a new cultivation wasn''t considered easy by any means, and the higher you go, the harder it becomes.


    "Aurora Manifestation Pill?" Yan Zaizen was intrigued. This was the first time he''d heard of any of these except the ones relating to the Qi Unification Realm. One must know, the Yan Clan only possessed those at the late-Qi Unification Realm at best. Even then, there were only two or three.


    Tao wasn''t shocked that Yan Zaizen didn''t know, especially since Yan Zaizen seemed to be naturally talented with the soul, would he even require resources like this? "An Aurora Manifestation Pill is used to help condense one''s Aurora, thereby reaching the Aurora Soul Realm." He explained quite patiently, but inwardly, he was shocked.


    This was an ancient pill and many of the resources to make this pill can''t be obtained in the Xiantu Realm. What surprised him even further was that it originated from the Prince''s Ring. If he had to guess, it explains why the Xi¨¡o City Lord decided to fight Yan Zaizen and interfere in Imperial business. This pill must''ve lured him in snuggly, even willing to shatter a priceless talisman to bring his sky-ranked armament to battle.


    Unfortunately for him, his losses were staggering. It''s highly unlikely he''ll ever help the Imperial Family again.


    Yan Zaizen was surprised, but it wasn''t helpful to him, so he didn''t put it into his mind as valuable. As for Bai Lufeng, his eyes were so wide that it seemed his eyelids never existed. If Yan Zaizen could be considered ignorant of its existence and uncaring of its value, then Bai Lufeng could be considered ignorant of its existence, but fully aware of its value.


    This could help one reach the Initial Aurora Soul! That would make one equivalent to a half-step True Essence Cultivator. A single pill can achieve that. Of course, one had to reach the Perfect Nascent Soul Realm beforehand, but the leap was astronomically high.


    "Well, I''ll take all the Godly Unification Elixirs. Since we have time before we arrive in Sky Heart City, I think it''s about right for me to make my breakthrough. As for the Origin Consolidating Pill, Tao, you can use it to make your breakthrough as well. As for...you¡­" Yan Zaizen allocated the resources and shifted his gaze to Bai Lufeng.


    The moment this gaze landed on him, he felt a odd sensation of awkwardness as he coughed. Before Yan Zaizen could continue, he spoke, "I''ll pilot the ship to Sky Heart City. I have done nothing to obtain any resources, and I''m not in any particular rush for a breakthrough." His response was rather perfect, as Yan Zaizen only nodded in agreement.


    Tao knew Bai Lufeng was bullshitting, but regardless, he wouldn''t see any resources for now.


    After storing everything and distributing the things that Tao needed for a stable breakthrough, Yan Zaizen went to his private quarters and prepared for his breakthrough to the Qi Unification Realm.

 Chapter 76 - A Glimpse at the Heavens

    Yan Zaizen sat neatly in the lotus position atop a jade platform. The jade platform was quite useful for cultivation and meditation as it gave off wisps of essence that felt soothing to breath and relaxed the mind. As for around this jade platform, ten bottles of Godly Unification Elixir was evenly and neatly placed in reach. With his current state of being regulated to a suitable state for cultivation and resources at hand, Yan Zaizen readied himself mentally.


    ¡°Qi Unification Realm.¡± He started running through the various methods used to make a breakthrough into the realm as well as what it provides.


    In qi-cultivation, one starts out at the Qi Foundation Realm by awakening their meridians, opening their pathways, and forging their dantian. After one does those three things, they could be considered at the late-stage. When each of these aspects were combined together, enabling one to produce qi from essence, they reach the peak-stage.


    To breakthrough the Qi Foundation Realm into the Revolving Qi Realm, one must have a proper circulation of qi until it formulates a cyclone. As this cyclone expands, one¡¯s qi circulation speed and release speed enhances.


    After the Revolving Qi Realm was the Essence Formation Realm. To breakthrough, a cultivator refines their qi into qi-essence. This typically requires a lot of essence, time, and patience to remain in isolation for an extended period of time. As one goes from possessing 1% of qi-essence to 100%, they progress in the realm. As the qi-essence fills the dantian, pathways, and meridians, it enhances the quality of one¡¯s qi, enabling their arts to be increasingly stronger, while also increasing the durability of those three aspects.


    Qi Unification Realm was the demarcation line in cultivation, and the only one that requires more than just essence. It entails a full blown evolutionary transformation of one¡¯s dantian, pathways, and meridians to the point where ordinary qi is no longer produced and these systems are naturally attuned to creating and maintaining qi-essence. In the cultivation world, a single Qi Unification expert could kill one hundred Essence Realm cultivators. Many attempt to break through this line, but a majority fail.


    One could see the importance of Qi Unification Experts by looking at how forces are in the cultivation world. In the Fallen Stars Continent, third-tier powers have at least a initial-Qi Unification expert at the helm, second-tier powers have a late-Qi Unification expert, first-tier powers have an initial-Origin Core Realm, grand-tier powers have a peak-Origin Core expert, and imperial-tier powers have a mid-True Essence expert.


    In the continent, there was no such thing as a fourth-tier power, as any power of that grade would be as worthless as a pile of mortals. While those at the imperial-tier powers could declare their own country just like that.


    As for ascending to the Origin Core, one must develop their origin source and condense all their qi-essence to formulate an Origin Core. An origin source was essentially the most deepest source of energy contained in every living thing¡¯s body, essentially relating to their ancestral origins. At this realm, bloodlines awaken and plays a huge part in future cultivation as well as battle prowess. At this point, the difference in Origin Core cultivators can start to become as great as the sky and the earth.


    To progress in the Origin Core, one must continue to tap into their origin source and continue feeding it to grow and develop, developing their bloodline or innate characteristics of their race to the highest.


    True Essence Realm was essentially the peak of the Essence Path, they undergo the second evolutionary transformation similar to Qi Unification, but this time, their goal is to produce true-essence and not qi-essence. This transform difference won¡¯t be as simple as the sky and earth, but the heaven and earth.


    After organizing the information he possessed in regards to cultivation, he reaffirmed his belief on this path. Qi cultivation was essential to properly utilize laws, this was evident by his exhaustion using the Spatial Form of Infinite Stability against the Xi¨¡o City Lord.


    He needed to progress.


    Picking up a bottle of Godly Unification Elixir, he downed it slowly. It tasted incredibly sweet and tart, like a chocolate covered green apple. Who would¡¯ve thought that elixirs would taste so delicious? As it traversed downwards to the base of his stomach, it miraculous redirected towards his dantian, and filled his dantian. A sudden surging of energy and rumbling sounds echoed within his body, and he could feel his heart beat rapidly in response.


    With the body of a herculean, his innate bodily talent was exceptionally higher than he could ever imagine. Typically, to consume and refine this grade of elixir, one would require about a week or so, but Yan Zaizen felt the medicinal efficacy surging to his meridians, pathways, and dantian at a remarkable speed. In a few minutes, all of it was gone, but his three qi aspects were radiating with an unique energy.


    ¡°This...The transformation...is ready?¡± He was shocked inwardly. As cultivators, they know their bodies as well as they know their own names, and he could feel his body being ready to steadily step into the Qi Unification Realm with a single thought.


    What he didn¡¯t know was that the foundational realms - Dantian Refinement & Pathways Expansion - were key to the ease he felt. When one cultivated these both to the maximum, breaking through to the Qi Unification was as easy as putting on one¡¯s shoes, but how many could actually reach this level? What more, who would be willing to do so?The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Yan Zaizen had an initial Herculean Physique when he cultivated for four months straight, not only that, he possessed an essence crystal worth 100,000,000 low-grade drops of liquid essence, and he used a little over half during his breakthroughs! He used 60,000,000 low-grade drops of liquid essence in four months! If anyone else was given the same, they would still take years or a decade to refine their pathways, meridians, and dantian.


    Unless they were given specific pills or elixirs to expedite, but he used pure and unadulterated essence, refined it into his own, and even refined his qi aspects. In only four months!


    At the time, it wasn¡¯t anything special, but now he could feel the difference was astronomical, especially with a true Herculean Physique!


    ¡°I see, my assumption was right. The Herculean Physique truly enhances one¡¯s innate endowments towards essence. To exceed the heavens, huh.¡± He took a deep breath to calm himself down, and even felt a little awkward. He anticipated to be in this room for over a month, but it seems it¡¯ll only take him a few days.


    ¡°Well, I guess I can see how far I can reach in the Qi Unification Realm.¡± He decisively decided, not willing to forgo his cultivation session due to being too outstanding. Talent is nothing without hard work.


    His qi aspects started to reverberate loudly, resonating with the surroundings, and emitting rays of light. The Spatial Form of Infinite Stability, Unyielding Flame of Life, and Siphoning Shadow of Death segregated from his soul form, floating silently above him, each releasing a different color light indicating their respective true laws. Silver for space, bright white for life, and inky black for death.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t notice at the time due to the circumstance, and then his qi was suppressed soon thereafter in the Deep Mines making it nearly impossible to verify, but his Spatial Form of Infinite Stability at conception was already at the Perfect Nascent Stage. The concept couldn¡¯t be improved further and reached its zenith as is. When he utilized his qi infused with spatial conceptual law to interact with the Xi¨¡o Mountain in mid-transit, it broke through that barrier of originating with its origin law.


    All three of his laws were within the force level, while his Siphoning Shadow of Death being obviously stronger than the other two. They all brimmed with traces of the true laws under the heavens.


    Yan Zaizen could feel them outside of his soul, but he wasn¡¯t quite sure as to what was happening. What he didn¡¯t know or Tao didn¡¯t tell him, was that the reason why cultivators with laws were overwhelmingly stronger than those without had to do with the baptism they receive during their evolutionary stages of Qi Unification & True Essence.


    The three concepts emitted bright light as they drew from the surrounding heavenly essence, they sparkled with traces of dazzling gold that seemed to contain the myriad of stars under the heavens. They drew upon the heavenly power to initiate a baptism of not only themselves but their owner.


    Yan Zaizen could feel his soul illuminate, and his connection to the heavens becoming clearer than ever before.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± He pondered slowly, and many things that he originally didn¡¯t understand about the heavens were slowly illuminated. He looked outwards and saw another silhouette amongst the three, it formulated slowly but surely as his clarity towards the heavens became greater.


    ¡°The conceptual law...Archery of Pure Destruction isn¡¯t a single law, but...two.¡± His eyes felt like he could see mysteries he couldn¡¯t comprehend before. How could he have not known this? Pinaka had never once gave him any advice on this, but he still comprehended the conceptual law, but never did he believe it was true two laws merged into a single concept.


    ¡°Was this possible?!¡± Could two laws become one? In truth, three laws could become one! The law of life, death, and soul creates the Imperial Law of Samsara! If one could comprehend that, they could control the ability of reincarnation under the heavens, or even interfere with it. The Yin-Yang Imperial Law merges the concept of Yin and Yang. The Imperial Law of Spacetime uses both Space and Time, while


    Eternity mixes the Imperial Law of Samsara and Spacetime. If Imperial Laws could be merged, it was obvious a world and mortal one could!


    Yan Zaizen felt as if his entire world was expanded, and he knew of the path to follow. The law of life and death could become the Imperial Law of Rebirth! With this, one¡¯s physical existence would be limitless and everlasting!


    ¡°The Laws...they¡¯re so miraculous!¡± His voice was filled with reverence and admiration as he pondered the heavens in his state.


    BOOM!!!


    Suddenly, his connection with the heavens were severed and his blood grew hot, his heart started to beat at rates that should¡¯ve been impossible, and he breathed in a breath that sucked in all the essence energy within ten li!


    A single sentence was uttered within his mind that caused him to feel overwhelmed.


    ¡°EXCEED THE HEAVENS!!!¡±


    Immediately, he could feel a whole new world before him. However this world only had two things he could see, a shadow of his physical body and a semi-transparent flame filled with white motes. This flame gave off incredibly powerful fluctuations that gave the sensation of tyrannical ferocity, unyielding confidence, decisiveness and warmth.


    MY DAO?!


    He was shocked, but even more so by the outline of his physical body. Despite seeming so small, it seemed as if it could eclipse all of the heavens with a single palm.


    ¡°Wait...that¡¯s!!!¡± His eyes widened as he looked above the herculean form, a swirling black hole several million times larger than both were swirling about. Initially, he didn¡¯t recognize it, but he felt a profound emptiness and desire to consume all creation from it that drew his attention. If the Herculean form seemed like it could cover the heavens with a single palm, then this black hole could consume all the heavens with a single movement!


    A single thought!!


    His scalp tinged, and his mind reeled in utter shock.


    Luckily, before he went absolutely mad from the sensation, he returned back to his room drenched in sweat. He could tell that despite it seeming like hours had passed, perhaps less than a second had truly passed in reality.


    The three laws were no longer above him but within his soul form acting completely normal, however, now there was a bow and arrow filled to the brim with destructive intention. As for his physical body, he could fill traces of the law of life, death, space, archery, and destruction lingering in every aspect of his cells.


    As for his cultivation, he had reached the peak of the initial-Qi Unification Realm, and his body had completed its evolutionary phase, but he felt that it truly was insignificant in comparison to his true gains, in comparison to that black hole.


    ¡°What the hell...was that?¡± The black hole filled his mind with confusion and questions, but he had the feeling that sooner or later, he¡¯ll learn the truth. He just had to search for it.

 Chapter 77 - Bloodlines

    After that whole ordeal, only a few hours had passed since. Not to mention, when he breathed in to consume all the essence within 10 li, the ship''s fuel was also depleted as well. They had almost crashed if it wasn''t for Bai Lufeng stabilizing the ship with his qi-cultivation base, and refueling it with his own resources. Fortunately, this was the Ying''s skyship and not the Imperial skyship, otherwise, he wouldn''t be able to fuel it with just his wealth alone.


    The days continued to pass. Yan Zaizen and Tao remained in closed door cultivation in an attempt to further their cultivation base while Bai Lufeng was left piloting the ship day and night. Of course to him, someone who lived nearly three thousand years, this wasn''t much. In truth, it was rather peaceful to him. It''s been awhile since he could simply watch the sights without a care in the world.


    "I guess having a young lord who could rival a mid-True Essence Cultivator truly lets one relax." He couldn''t help but chuckle to himself in self-satisfaction, feeling his decision was definitely a good one. Not to mention, Tao was a morally just person and he would never follow someone like Diyi''s father, so he didn''t have to worry about slaughtering innocents or sending children out to die in the Deep Mines. Life was truly looking up for him.


    After three weeks, in Tao''s cultivation room, an eruption of condensed qi-essence filled with origin source surged outward in a domineering fashion. This eruption even riled Yan Zaizen awake from his cultivation state. "He broke through?" With a smile on his face, Yan Zaizen''s eyes shone with dazzling brilliance.


    A confident laughter resounded outwards from Tao''s cabin. To break through to the Origin Core Realm at 700 years old was exceptionally fast, albeit it couldn''t match Prince Ren, it definitely displayed his innate talents. He didn''t even try comparing himself to Yan Zaizen, but only compared himself to the myriad of other geniuses within Grux.


    Yan Zaizen and Tao left their rooms and met up at the helm of the ship. Bai Lufeng had a slight smile on his face looking at Tao. He remembered his breakthrough into the Origin Core Realm, and that was a thousand years ago. Despite this, he didn''t feel despondent at breaking through at the age of a sixteen hundred years old but felt utterly prideful.


    To origin core cultivators, three thousand years could be considered mid-life, still possessing about another two thousand, while Qi Unification cultivators have about fifteen hundred years of life on average.


    He was one of the lucky few to breakthrough nearing the end of his life, extending it, and progressing promptly afterwards. As one''s cultivation base increases, so does the resource quality one could fight for or earn from others. It was due to this that he reached the mid-Origin Core a few decades ago.


    "Young Master Zai and Tao, congratulations on your breakthroughs," He noted to thank Yan Zaizen before Tao, obviously a bit of ass-kissing there. Tao couldn''t help but chuckle at his little wordplay antics while Yan Zaizen simply smiled.


    "Your cultivation base has grown quite exceptional rather quickly." Tao commented, looking closely at Yan Zaizen. His heart was filled with shock, considering the time span being only three weeks, but Yan Zaizen had already reached the late-Qi Unification Realm from the peak-Essence Formation, and his foundation was exceptionally sturdy and robust. The qi essence his body contained made his aura incredibly intense, and one could tell he was still trying to regulate it by its leakage.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    What Tao still had yet to know was that his qi-essence now inherently carried the characteristics of life, death, space, archery, and destruction after the baptism of the laws. If he wished to execute any qi-art, it would contain characteristics of these five even before reaching the Origin Core Realm. It won''t be their concepts but their actual true law. Over the past week or so, he''s being trying to regulate the aura leakage pertaining to his laws and not his qi-essence. This was why he still hadn''t stabilized his cultivation base''s aura.


    "You''re one to speak! Haha." Yan Zaizen was in an exceptionally gleeful mood, and the youthfulness reminiscent of his time in the Yan Clan couldn''t help but resurface, of course without the depression.


    Tao smiled lightly, his eyes suffused with unyielding confidence as if infected by Yan Zaizen''s Dao. He clenched his fist, a burst of origin-infused qi-essence exploded outwards from within, and its power was not to be underestimated. If one looked closely, they could see traces of wind cycling about like a twister.


    "Law of wind?" Yan Zaizen was shocked. Tao comprehended a world law?


    However, Tao immediately corrected, "It''s the law of cyclone, not wind." His words contained a trace of reluctance and disappointment. The law of cyclone was essentially the law that focused upon centrifugal force with the concept of circulation. It could be used to produce whirlwinds, whirlpools, or even to interfere with external force. It was a profound mortal law, but still a weak one in comparison to all things.


    "The law of cyclone, not bad." Yan Zaizen nodded in approval. Any cultivator who could comprehend a law, no matter mortal or world, was exceptional in their own right.


    However, Tao couldn''t help but sigh softly at that response. "The concept originates from my bloodline. Essentially, my ancestor reached the True Essence Realm and comprehended the cyclone law to the Manifestation-Level. The main reason it''s called that is due to the laws being able to manifest in the bloodline of your descendants. So¡­" He felt reluctant to say more, but continued, "My qi-essence will have traces and properties of this law to the Perfect Force Level simply by progressing through the Origin Core Realm from initial to peak. Regrettably, there''s no conceptual law but simply a trace of true law."


    Yan Zaizen had his mind enlightened. Without a concept, a true law was just raw and uncontrolled. So, when one''s bloodline is awakened at the Origin Core Realm it meant the laws their ancestors comprehended would baptize their qi-essence.


    "I wonder...what laws I''ll comprehend." He couldn''t help but mutter in curiosity.


    Bai Lufeng chimed in pridefully, "My bloodline is sword law." The law of sword, spear, axe, and shield were actually mortal laws that was the most common bloodline, but they could not be underestimated. A cultivator with sword law had qi-essence with incredible sharpness and agility, a spear could penetrate a myriad of things, the axe can cleave through the skies, and shield could defend one''s very existence.


    Yan Zaizen nodded, his eyes gleaming in anticipation of his own bloodline law.


    "Well, one''s bloodline could contain laws, but it could also contain a special vital energy source, or soul energy source, but that''s incredibly rare. The difficulty in passing one''s bloodline using these two methods were exceptionally higher than the first." Tao further explained, essentially explaining that one''s bloodline wasn''t limited to just the law, but extends to the body and soul as well.


    "How far till Sky Heart City?" He inquired, his anticipation was high, but his goal remained the same.


    "About eight days." Bai Lufeng calculated and determined.


    "Let''s get there and celebrate our achievements with drink and food!" Yan Zaizen said loudly, filled with excitement. Tao agreed with his signature pearly white smile, and Bai Lufeng''s eyes lit in excitement.


    "Sky Heart City is known for its most famous restaurant, the Heavenly Heart! Filled with beautiful women, great food, and powerful cultivators." Bai Lufeng explained, one could see his excitement gleaming even greater than before. He was obviously hoping to reach there sooner.


    "Hahaha! If it doesn''t have that, how could we celebrate properly?" They all chuckled in unison, but their tones were a little odd. They were like a band of men filled with concealed intentions towards the outside world, while the guys near them understood them perfectly.

 Chapter 78 - Sky Heart City

    Sky Heart City wasn''t like Xi¨¡o City, Sky Titan City, or Xuanwu City. It was a very residential and tourist attraction type of city, mostly used for pleasure rather than business. They may have a few shops that sells armaments, pills, elixirs, arts and materials, but it was mostly filled with restaurants, bars, servicing centers, gambling, inns and auctions. It was closely related to Xi¨¡o City, having the Grand Xi¨¡o Auction once every decade that sends exclusive and impressive items for sale.


    However, by itself, it doesn''t do auctions for items truly indicating its status as purely attraction based. It mostly did auctions relating to buying or selling slaves. Typically, certain people who were willing to sell themselves for a certain number of years on a certain contract to do certain things will appear in these types of auctions.


    These individuals would sell themselves on their skills like alchemy, armament creation, or appearance and abilities within certain particular areas.


    It didn''t have grand walls, but a sort of surrounding beige gate filled with many openings where one could simply walk or fly through by self, mount or skyship. It truly was welcoming individuals with its ease of access. Not only that, entrance didn''t require a single fee. One could simply enter. Of course, if you want to park your skyship in certain locations, that''ll cost you, but besides that, nothing was required.


    "This place is quite intriguing." Yan Zaizen carelessly commented. The world truly was wide, and he''s now visited many different cities. A hunter city, a hotpot of forces city, a city filled with alchemist and armament creators, and now a city designed to attract individuals with all sorts of alluring features. To stay in their luxury inns and to enjoy your desires, whatever that may be.


    "Indeed! Sky Heart City is extraordinary, but it''s not something to be underestimated. There are three leaders of Sky Heart City and each one of them possesses the cultivation at the half-step True Essence Realm!" Bai Lufeng said excitedly as they entered the city and landed. The skyship vanished into Yan Zaizen''s Meteor Ring, and they proceeded to walk the streets.


    "Three Leaders?" Yan Zaizen inquired, but when he saw Bai Lufeng eyes grow heated, he felt a little bit awkward and took two steps away. Tao followed suit, his eyes gleaming with wariness at Bai Lufeng''s state. This man may be morally upright and loyal to the bone, but he showed his bad side whenever women were involved. Yan Zaizen and Tao figured this out quite quickly.


    "The Three Leaders are the Ya Sisters! A group of triplets who belongs to no clan, Xinya, Linya, and Chenya! Not only are they triplets, but they are exceptional beauties with profound cultivation bases. Not to mention, out of the three sisters, only Xinya is married with children, but the others have yet to take a man as their own! They are still virgins!" Bai Lufeng''s eyes glowed with radiance, and Yan Zaizen started to feel a little frightened from his words, even the individuals around them couldn''t help but reel in disgust.


    Tao chuckled, dispelling a little of the awkwardness in the atmosphere. "Truly, but Linya and Chenya will never take a man unless they beat their tests." His comments seem to shut Bai Lufeng down immediately, and his dreams were shattered like fragile glass. He pouted but didn''t say anything more.


    "Tests?" Yan Zaizen inquired.


    "Yeah. They each swore an oath to belong to anyone who could meet their base requirement and beat their test. If so, they''ll marry that person. Well, there are a few requirements, and you only need to reach one. One of them is to become a grand-tier alchemist, the second is to become an Origin Core Cultivator before the age of two hundred, the third is to be able to create a spirit form, fourth is to defeat all three of them in battle, but one cannot be in the True Essence Realm, and the last but definitely not easiest, comprehend a World Law to the Force-level before the Origin Core Realm." Tao explained with little care, he knew he matched none of those requirements and therefore wasn''t even considered worthy.


    However, Yan Zaizen could technically meet one of those, in regards to the World Law. "What about soul cultivation? Is it also apart of the second and fourth?" If it was, then he could theoretically meet both conditions.


    Tao thought for a second and realized the circumstances. His eyes widened and he nodded. "As long as you reach the Aurora Soul before two hundred years old, you''ll be qualified. Haha, surprisingly, you''re not the first to ask such a question."


    About a few hundred years ago, a soul cultivator who was extraordinary reached the Perfect Nascent Soul Realm in under fifty years, and he proposed this exact question. Unfortunately, after the two hundred years mark passed, he couldn''t condense his aurora. He asked with his head held high and his chest filled with pride and confidence but left everyone around disappointed. If it was so easy to reach the Aurora Soul Realm, why was the several thousand years old Xi¨¡o still at the Perfect Nascent Soul?This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    Bai Lufeng soon realized why Yan Zaizen asked those questions, and his eyes went wide. "I-If you decide to marry one, you could definitely do so!" His voice contained a hint of envy but also excitement. Yan Zaizen chuckled awkwardly. He only asked in curiosity; he had no intention of marrying anyone.


    Tao, however, couldn''t help but sneer with disdain for the very first time since Yan Zaizen knew him. "Marry them? Haha, are they worthy? To Young Lord Zai, they''re nothing more than beauty with no substance, could that interest him?! Haha!" For some odd reason, Tao felt a little infuriated at Bai Lufeng comment. He truly believed Yan Zaizen''s worth exceeded them by a considerable degree.


    From what he knew, Yan Zaizen comprehended his own personal Dao, has a body cultivation that could rival an Origin Core Realm expert, has a soul cultivation that puts him at the very peak of the entire continent and only possessed the age of nineteen!! He also suspected that Yan Zaizen possessed the spatial world law, but he wasn''t entirely sure. If he did, what right did they truly have to even desire Yan Zaizen''s infinite potential?


    He coldly scoffed, not saying another word. However, his words caught the attention of everyone around, and their eyes honed onto Tao''s figure like a target at a gun range. Suddenly becoming the center of attention, Tao simply scoffed once more and continued on his way.


    "HALT!" A female voice yelled filled with authority and anger. A figure appeared like a shadow in front of them, utilizing an exquisite movement art and revealing herself to them all. "What did you say?!" This person questioned, obviously with a hint of threatening.


    Yan Zaizen took a survey of the female that arrived, and he was surprised. She looked about nineteen to twenty, had blonde hair, sparkling azure eyes filled with a hot fire, a voluptuous body with a round bust her outfit could barely hold let alone hide, long legs that were as smooth as jade and a lithe waist. These attributes alone could cause a man to desire her but together created a uniquely sexual and explosive appearance.


    She was dressed in a female grey martial art uniform with a red trim and belt. It truly accentuated her incredible curves and dazzling features.


    However, Tao didn''t back down. "I said: Marry them? Haha, are they worthy? To Young Lord Zai, they''re nothing more than beauty with no substance, could that interest him?! Haha!" He repeated his earlier word for word, but this time his voice was louder. Bai Lufeng''s eyes widened, and even Yan Zaizen was stunned stupid by this brazen declaration.


    He even felt a little embarrassed, considering Tao was referring to him. He rubbed his nose almost unconsciously and looked away trying to hold back a slight smile.


    "What did you say?!" This beautiful young woman''s eyes suffused with intense anger and her qi-cultivation base erupted violently, causing many bystanders to be sent away and objects in the street flying about. She did not have a weak cultivation, possessing the cultivation of a late-Qi Unification Realm, similar to Yan Zaizen. However, unlike Yan Zaizen, she was definitely older than nineteen, and only retained her youth due to her cultivation. From her lifeforce signature, she seemed closer to two hundred years old.


    Tao, however, snorted disdainfully in response.


    "This...person truly was the disciple of the Imperial Scholar. So combative and unrelenting in his beliefs!" Yan Zaizen was surprised at this side of Tao.


    When one thinks about it, the fact that he was optimistic initially at the Deep Mines and capable of lasting two years, one could imagine his persistence and self-pride being exceptionally high. He probably debated many people and was even sent away due to his differing views of the empire. Despite knowing the consequences that it''ll ensure, he still declared them!


    Only someone with exceptional pride and confidence could do such a thing, it truly correlated with Yan Zaizen''s Dao.


    Imperialistic, check.


    Unyielding confidence, check.


    Decisive, check.


    Filled with warmth, check.


    Truly synchronized. Only now did he realize why he and Tao got along so damn well.


    The young woman seemed ready to strike, her qi-essence flared to the heavens causing a commotion visible by many. Even the guards were now approaching from a distance, ready to investigate the situation and handle it accordingly. Unfortunately, their cultivation were between the late-Essence Formation and half-step Qi Unification.


    "Take it back, or die!" Her voice was filled with murderous intent as if her very existence was insulted. However, Tao only laughed with contempt. Who did this girl think she was?


    No longer holding back, she exploded outwards due to this blatant provocation. Her exquisite movement art sent her explosively forward like a volcano erupting, and the heat in the surrounding area suddenly risen by several dozen degrees. She clenched her fist, a trace of blue fire ignited giving off an incredibly hot aura and swung it directly towards Tao''s chest.


    Bai Lufeng remained where he was, feeling a little shocked by the incident but also a little amused. As for Yan Zaizen, he was also amused and watched to show, unwilling to move. He was also curious about Tao''s prowess.


    As the fist neared the group, Tao snorted explosively causing the world to feel like it was funneling inwards towards him. A trace of cyclone true law erupted outwards, and his energy turned into a twister that circled around their group. His qi-essence was filled with origin source, and not something normal qi-essence could contend with, but what was surprising was what happened next.


    The young woman continued with her fist until it smashed the twister of qi-essence heavily, but instead of being propelled backward or sent flying by the force as everyone expected, she roared viciously. Her aura rose once more and the temperature of the surroundings increased by several dozen degrees. The fire on her fist covered her entire body, and she literally melted her way through the twisting qi-essence, instantly destabilizing it with her forward momentum and penetrating through it.


    Tao was startled. Yan Zaizen was surprised. Bai Lufeng was shocked.


    All of them had one thought, "Conceptual law of fire?!"

 Chapter 79 - Qiao Qinya

    When the young woman initially produced blue fire, everyone with experience assumed it was heat laws due to the sudden change of the surrounding temperature, but it was actually fire laws! Fire laws, including the rest of the elemental laws, were World Laws, but low-tier amongst world laws. Anyone could produce flames with the proper qi art, but to actually produce flames with fire laws were fundamentally different.


    It required a conceptual law into fire.


    Tao realized the seriousness of the situation, and his cultivation base erupted with fierce momentum. Regardless of fire laws, his cultivation base was at the initial-Origin Core, it wasn¡¯t something a late-Qi Unification Cultivator could match with simply their qi-essence. To overcome this overwhelming gap required profound qi-arts, high comprehension into laws, high-tier armaments at either the pseudo-sky or sky-rank, and most importantly, your opponent cannot have any of those things.


    Unfortunately for the young woman, she only possessed two, and how could Tao lack profound qi-arts? With a wave of his sleeve, an explosive tsunami-like wave of qi-essence surged outwards and smashed heavily against the young woman¡¯s impending fist. She was immediately halted and sent backwards.


    Tao started getting serious, his aura radiated with the full strength of his cultivation base, and the atmosphere started to feel like it was swirling with Tao at the center. The bystanders felt like they were getting dizzy and disorientated, some even fell onto their butts and others fell on their faces.


    As for the young woman, her eyes blazed even greater with battle intent, and her aura started to exceed the norms of what a late-Qi Unification cultivation should be able to exude.


    One could obviously tell she was unwilling to concede and even wished to end Tao¡¯s life then and there. ¡°If I was at your realm, I could kill you with a single palm for your insolence!¡± She shouted, her voice filled with anger and arrogance.


    However, Tao snorted in defiance. He had just broken through a week ago, his cultivation was by no means stable and he could barely use a maximum potential of his cultivation. Otherwise, how could this girl break through his defensive art? Even with a world law, she wouldn¡¯t be able to do such a thing unless she comprehended it to the force-level and that...that was unlikely!


    ¡°Halt immediately.¡± A deep voice filled with calm resounded. Everyone in the surroundings looked about for its origin, but before they could determine it, the voice spoke once more. ¡°What is this about?¡± This voice caused everyone to search once more and they all stared in shock. The voice originated from a young man, about twenty years old in appearance, with long blue hair tied in a ponytail, a grey martial art attire, and deep black eyes.


    He was currently standing between Tao and the young woman, to others, it seemed like he appeared like a ghost. However, Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t as surprised. All he did was use refraction laws to distort others vision, and then used a concealment art that prevented others from sensing him with qi-sense or weak spiritual sense. As for Yan Zaizen, his spiritual sense was extraordinary, how could this little trick fool him?


    The young woman, upon seeing the person arrive, had her eyes filled with excitement and then viciousness as she turned to Tao. She pointed with her finger at Tao and shoutedly explained, ¡°This boor of a man insulted Linya and Chenya! Saying they were nothing more than beauty with no substance!¡±


    However, despite everyone¡¯s judging eyes on him, Tao arrogantly retorted, ¡°Who cares if I said this? What does it concern you?!¡±


    This caused the young woman to explode, she shouted in an imperialistic manner, her bountiful chest bounced, her chin pointed slightly upwards, and her eyes looked down at Tao as if she was an individual from above, ¡°I am Qin, from the clan of Qiao and the family of Ya! The daughter of Xinya! If anyone should show concern, of course it¡¯d be me! Who are you to say such words?!¡± She immediately shot back with words, shocking not only Tao but Yan Zaizen and Bai Lufeng also.


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    ¡°This¡­¡± Tao actually felt awkward for the first time. He didn¡¯t regret saying it, and he would say it again if she asked, but he felt a little embarrassed at saying ¡®who cares¡¯. He coughed lightly, looking at Yan Zaizen.


    Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but helplessly smile. This might actually blow up to be a big issue. He was just ready to walk over and try to smooth things out when the blue-haired man spoke with authority.


    ¡°Insulting the family of Ya in the Sky Heart City is punishable by death.¡± When his voice resounded, he smashed a talisman, shocking everyone around. However, some expected this to happen, as if it has happened before.


    The moment the talisman broke, six Origin Core cultivators who guarded the city appeared like shadows in the night, they surrounded Tao, Bai Lufeng and Yan Zaizen with cold eyes. Each one of these Origin Core cultivators had an initial-Origin Core Realm cultivation, and they definitely knew how to set up a formation to amplify their strength. Not to mention, the blue-haired man was at mid-Origin Core as well.


    However, Tao and Bai Lufeng¡¯s expressions weren¡¯t filled with panic, but both had differing expressions. Tao questioned inwardly that the freedom of speech in this city was restricted, and how it was such rubbish! While Bai Lufeng had a trace of disdain in his face as he glanced at the Origin Core cultivators, he even chuckled softly and looked as if he was waiting for a show.


    Yan Zaizen, however, felt complex. He needed to use the spatial platform of the Sky Heart City, not become enemies with them. He stepped up at this moment, ¡°This doesn¡¯t need to escalate. His actions are not worth death; we can talk this out. Perhaps we could have a drink later, haha.¡± Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t beg or plead but stated his intentions with a rather calm tone. There wasn¡¯t a hint of fear on his face as if this was just an inconvenience.


    However, seeing a late-Qi Unification Cultivator step up to try to remedy the situation caused the Origin Core Cultivators to sneer with contempt. Qiao Qinya and the blue-haired man weren¡¯t exempt from this.


    ¡°Drinks?¡± The blue haired man shook his head in response, ¡°Not only will he be sentenced to death, so will you two for being associated with this crime.¡± He spoke calmly, as if their deaths were just a word away.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± Bai Lufeng immediately couldn¡¯t hold his laughter as he let loose. It was truly laughable. They were going to unfairly prosecute both of them simply because they were allies? Trying to pull the roots to prevent future troubles? Hilarious! Perhaps if this was used on someone else, it would totally work, but this was Yan Zaizen!


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression darkened, and his eyes suffused with a murderous chill. Sentencing someone to death for a crime they didn¡¯t commit? Wasn¡¯t this exactly the same with Diyi? His anger couldn¡¯t be contained.


    ¡°You will regret today. And your Ya family?¡± His voice was as cold as winter and as hellish as the devil himself, ¡°They will pay an incredible price for your folly.¡± Why would the Ya Family pay? If it wasn¡¯t for their stupid rule, would this even happen? Preventing people from insulting you, foolish!


    However, when the surrounding cultivators heard this, they couldn¡¯t help but feel awkward and chuckle a little. It was hard to laugh loudly because Bai Lufeng was still laughing, holding his guts, and clearing away his tears. It took a pat on the shoulder from Tao to stop him.


    The blue-haired man felt insulted, and actually, those eyes of Yan Zaizen scared him a little, but he¡¯d never admit it. He simply declared after mustering up his confidence once more, ¡°Kill them!¡±

 Chapter 80 - Keeping Ones Word

    As the trio heard his orders, they went silent. As for the Origin Core experts surrounding them, they erupted with their full cultivation base inciting a whirlwind of turbulent energy that swept the area. At this point, many residents took shelter at shops protected by a myriad of formations. Those with a sufficient cultivation base simply put some distance so they could enjoy the ensuing show.


    Tao and Bai Lufeng immediately stepped closer to Yan Zaizen almost instinctively. Bai Lufeng may have the cultivation base at the mid-Origin Core, but that didn''t mean he could handle six initial-Origin Core experts working together as a team easily. If they fought, the victor wouldn''t easily be determined. As for the newly ascended Tao, he wouldn''t last a few exchanges under the pressure of six equally powerful experts.


    Those in the surroundings who were perceptive saw their acts and calm expressions and felt bewildered by their actions. One must know, Yan Zaizen looked young and gave off a very vibrant lifeforce indicating his life lived was incredibly short, and yet two Origin Core Realm experts were essentially hiding behind a late-Qi Unification expert.


    Did they believe he would throw out his profound background and these men would step back? If so, every single person in the surrounding crowds thought they were foolish idiots.


    However, Yan Zaizen didn''t care about their thoughts. His eyes flickered with a trace of silver-blue aurora light and his soul cultivation base was slowly revealed. The silver-blue light repelled the aura of the six experts, easily eliminating the pressure the trio felt.


    "What?! Aurora Soul Realm?" The blue-haired man, named Qiao Jianhong, had a voice filled with shock. As an expert who lived for thousands of years, how could he not recognize that particular type of light emission? His expression turned incredibly solemn and this situation was now serious. The Aurora Soul Realm was essentially the equivalent to a half-step True Essence Realm expert, and only a few people in the entire Sky Heart City could rival such prowess.


    Unfortunately for Qiao Jianhong, that was the Initial Aurora Soul, but the Advanced Aurora Soul could rival a mid-True Essence Cultivator! If it wasn''t for Yan Zaizen lack of soul art practice, with his dao infused within, it may even be able to instantly kill those at the mid-True Essence Realm!


    A surging wave of telekinetic soul energy exploded outwards like a tidal wave that hit all six experts before they could even react. The aura they released was instantly silenced as they collapsed one by one like puppets with their strings cut. A strand of soul energy immediately robbed them of their spatial possessions and delivered it swiftly to Tao. Tao received them and couldn''t help but inwardly shake his head with a smile.


    Despite Yan Zaizen''s anger, he didn''t forget to rob everyone involved. It truly made one realize that everyone has their faults. This young man has obtained a penchant for robbery.


    This happened too suddenly and the crowd couldn''t react. They all had expressions as if watching a show once more and then their faces slowly, very slowly, transitioned from surprise, confusion, realization, and then deep, deep fear.


    "What just happened?!"


    "Are they...dead?"


    "Did I...what just...whaaaat?!"


    Some of the crowd couldn''t even formulate proper sentences as they tried to wrap their heads around what had just occurred. As for Bai Lufeng, he didn''t forget to let out a snide comment, "Psst, Tao''s words may have been very arrogant, but they were the truth. Young Lord Zai, was anyone worthy of him?" His words felt nonsensical, but in the Fallen Stars Continent, it would truly be absolutely impossible to find someone who could rival Yan Zaizen''s age, talent, and personal prowess.


    Qiao Jianhong widened eyes were aghast at the scene before him. Luckily, he could still sense slight breathing from the six experts indicating they were alive, but the same couldn''t be said for him if he stayed. Normally, as one of the Captains of the Sky Heart Guardians, he would fight an enemy to the death, but was there a need to do so if you couldn''t even stand up to their breath?


    His full cultivation base erupted as he executed a divine-class secret qi-art, causing his blue hair to have grey highlights as if lifeforce was drained from him, but his aura rose to rival that of a late-Origin Core Realm cultivator. With his movement art and concealment art, he went invisible from everyone''s sight like a ghost, his body taking off, even leaving Qiao Qinya behind.


    "They won''t hurt Qiao Qinya, her status is too high. As for me, I could be killed. This is okay!" Qiao Jianhong quietly rationalized within his heart. However, as he traveled several hundred meters away, a silver-blue hand constructed of soul energy that appeared similarly like a ghost wrapped around his fleeing form. To others, he may be invisible to qi-sense and visual perception, but Yan Zaizen''s spiritual sense could reach several hundred thousands of meters of distance with the highest clarity possible.


    How could he possibly escape?


    Like a chicken being brought to the slaughtering table, he was dragged back in a flash and slammed harshly at Yan Zaizen''s feet. He tried to struggle, but the soul energy invaded his soul form causing his concentration to be at an all time low. He couldn''t urge his qi-essence or struggle free with his physical body.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    Yan Zaizen cold eyes looked at this man as if he was already dead. The hand tightened eliciting shrieking screeches of pain as the bones in Qiao Jianhong''s body was slowly crushed.


    The entire incident may have took long to describe, but it happened in less than three seconds time. Qiao Qinya could barely react with her current cultivation base. Even Tao felt like everything flashed by his eyes, he didn''t see much except a flash of silver-blue light, the collapse of the surrounding experts, arrival of the spatial rings, and Qiao Jianhong being brought before Yan Zaizen forcefully.


    "You...you¡­" Qiao Qinya could barely formulate a sentence as her mind was filled with shock and awe.


    "Wait!" A delicate but powerful female voice resounded from afar. This voice was profoundly familiar to Qiao Qinya as her mental state slightly recovered.


    "M-Mother!" Qiao Qinya called out.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t even pay this voice any mind as the soul hand continued to tighten.


    CRACK! CRACK!! CRACK!!!


    Each shattered bone was more resounding than the last.


    "Please, wait!" The voice spoke once more. A shadow arrived like a flash of brilliance before Qiao Qinya, obviously in a protective stance. Yan Zaizen finally lifted his eyes to see the woman''s appearance. She looked like an older more mature version of Qiao Qinya''s, with blonde hair, azure eyes, and an explosive body.


    "One hundred million." Yan Zaizen said calmly.


    What?!


    One hundred million? One hundred million of what?


    Xinya, a half-step True Essence Cultivator, face darkened and her brows furrowed. Others may not understand what he meant, but she clearly did. The moment her daughter fought with Tao, she had kept her eyes and ears to the situation. Initially, she intended to not interfere, letting things take its course and the trio to die an unfair death for their insult. However, the situation spiraled swiftly out of control.


    With her cultivation base, she still required a few seconds before she could arrive on the scene, and when she recognized Yan Zaizen''s soul cultivation, she rushed with post-haste. If her daughter died because of this, she would have no one to cry to.


    Especially since she knew who this man was. Initially, there was no face to the mask, but after seeing his soul cultivation on full display and its silver-blue appearance, it could only be ''him''. The incident that happened out of Xi¨¡o City occurred nearly two months ago, as a high-ranking cultivator, how could she not know about it?


    This man robbed the imperial family, stole the sky-rank mountain of Xi¨¡o City, and defeated the Xi¨¡o City Lord! Each of these feats alone could be considered extraordinary, but together? It was beyond such words.


    She was inwardly surprised at his youthfulness, but couldn''t let that cloud her judgment or take him any less seriously. "I would first like to apologize for this incident on behalf of the entire Sky Heart City." She said with grace, her eyes containing no trace of arrogance but filled with apologetic intent.


    Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but snort at her words. If he was weak, wouldn''t he have been sentenced to death? Yet, she apologizes. Who would buy such bullshit?


    "Two hundred million." His only response was an increase to the number he declared. This caused a shock to Xinya, and she knew that using normal methods on someone like this wouldn''t be smart. Taking a deep breath, she nodded in assent. "Agreed. Can you please-" As she looked towards Qiao Jianhong, Yan Zaizen interrupted her with a calm voice.


    "He has two choices: cripple himself or I cripple him." His tone may have been calm but his words were vicious. Did they take him for someone who wouldn''t go through with his word? This man will regret his actions and they will pay.


    Xinya''s brow furrowed and she grew angry at his unwillingness to suffer a single loss, but requiring all others to do so. If she agreed to this with the eyes of tens of thousands watching, what face would she have left in Sky Heart City?


    "I''ll add an additional one hundred million if you can spare him." She offered, obviously willing to lose wealth but not willing to lose face.


    "Three hundred million." He said, directly raising the price once more. He turned towards Qiao Jianhong and asked, "What''s your choice?" He brought Qiao Jianhong to stand upright, his body still restrained by the giant hand.


    "Choi...ce?" From the conversion just now, Qiao Jianhong felt that he was being freed for a price, but he still wanted him to make a choice? It was at that moment that Xinya and the rest realized what had just happened. The crowd sucked in a wad of cold air in response.


    Did he just increase the base price for letting this go because she offered to pay him for mercy? How vicious! He even increased it by the same amount she offered, what if she offered more? Would the price be increased by that much?


    "You have five seconds." Yan Zaizen declared, ignoring the gazes of Xinya and the crowd.


    Qiao Jianhong was filled with fear, turning towards Xinya with hopes of her interfering to handle the situation. However, she stood there with her brows furrowed as if she was calculating the situation. Indeed, she was calculating the situation. Unfortunately, in a world of cultivation, true power exceeds all else.


    Her face could only suffer this slap.


    Yan Zaizen could rival the peak power of the entire continent, but their Sky Heart City could barely handle a single initial-True Essence Realm Cultivator if they had all their experts together. With one of them missing, and their backer - the Xi¨¡o City Lord - being severely injured, this entire situation could immediately erupt into something irreparable.


    Regrettably, she could do nothing for the situation if Yan Zaizen was adamant on taking action.


    Qiao Jianhong eyes were filled with deep fear and hopelessness. If he was crippled, his life as a cultivator was essentially over. As your cultivation increases, so does the stakes. To cripple an Origin Core Realm Cultivator, one had to shatter their origin core and thoroughly ravage their origin source. Not only will their bloodline by incomprehensibly weakened, but their very future in cultivation would be hindered as forming another Origin Core was as likely as ruling the heavens.


    "Time''s up." Yan Zaizen declared, his soul energy seeping viciously inside Qiao Jianhong''s pores into his meridians, his pathways, his dantian, and surrounding his Origin Core. With a thought, all of it was severed and crushed into fine powder.


    There was loud scream that reached the heavens resounding as a result, Qiao Jianhong''s body spewed out blood from all of his orifices and his body went limp shortly after. His breathing was so shallow that even a top-tier doctor would assume he was dead.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t even bother looking at this bloody body, and simply flung it to the side like garbage. He only spoke four words, "I keep my word."

 Chapter 81 - Im Coming Home

    Yan Zaizen, Tao, and Bai Lufeng were currently sitting at the table of the main hall within the Sky Heart Palace - the central hub of the Ya Family. They were sipping essence tea and relaxing in comfortable chairs. Bai Lufeng expression was filled with excitement, Tao was rather calm, and Yan Zaizen had a laid-back appearance as his legs were placed on the table and his body leaned back.


    After the incident in the Sky Heart City streets, they were brought to Sky Heart Palace as a show of ¡®apology¡¯ and ¡®respect.¡¯ Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t care less about their attempts to appease him, his intentions were quite simple: Use the Spatial Platform, get to Zhu Que City, and go home.


    Luckily, Yan Zaizen realized the severity of his power and status at the moment. Tao had informed him of it once before, but he never truly had it sink in. It was this very reason why he didn¡¯t care about revealing his cultivation prowess or identity any longer. If anything, the Imperial Family might send people over to the Yan Family in an attempt to set up an alliance rather than attack them. As for all the others he offended, they were either dead or too scared of his retaliation.


    This is how it felt to be truly powerful, feared, and respected.


    ¡°Young Lord Zai, shall we stay here for a while?¡± Bai Lufeng inquired, obviously desiring to stay in Sky Heart City whilst being treated like a highly-respected guest. The things he could do with Yan Zaizen¡¯s identity backing him, the places he could go, and the people he could offend. In truth, he was a morally upright individual who valued loyalty, but he was a little bit nonsensical at times. A little girl crazy, incredibly arrogant, and easily excitable.


    Yan Zaizen would never guess this before. A respected mid-Origin Core Realm cultivator having a personality like that. Truly, people let their true self come out around those they trust. After the Soul Oath was sworn, Bai Lufeng truly treated Yan Zaizen like his Young Lord. Not to mention, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t need to be protected, if anything, Bai Lufeng needed to be protected.


    Yan Zaizen had a little headache over his antics, especially when he laughed in the faces of everyone because of their actions earlier. It made the entire situation awkward, but Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t just say, ¡®Stop being who you truly are around me!¡¯ That wouldn¡¯t feel right and make things more awkward. So, he¡¯ll just let him be, for now.


    ¡°We¡¯ll dine at Heavenly Heart, then take the spatial platform to Zhu Que City in Presba.¡± With those words, he continued leisurely sipping his tea in relaxation. Bai Lufeng felt a little disappointed, but at least they could dine at the Heavenly Heart. In that case, this trip could be considered worth it.


    The soft patter of footsteps resounded outside as Xinya entered the room with a slight smile and beautiful outfit that accentuated her beautiful features. Bai Lufeng¡¯s eyes lit up, Tao remained calm, and Yan Zaizen yawned slightly at her appearance. This woman was married with children, so he didn¡¯t feel any interest towards women already claimed by another.


    Seeing his reaction, Xinya couldn¡¯t help but sigh inwardly. It wasn¡¯t that she wanted to use her looks to gain his forgiveness, but she hoped his reaction wouldn¡¯t be so icy and disinterested. She could only bring out a spatial ring and place it on the table. Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even move, Tao immediately reached for it and scanned it with his sense. His eyes was still calm as he turned to Yan Zaizen and nodded softly.


    The spatial ring had the average worth of three hundred million drops of low-grade liquid essence within. This was an extraordinary amount of wealth, but to a tourist attraction town controlled by three half-step True Essence Cultivators, this may be very little.


    Xinya¡¯s gaze flickered as she saw this interaction. She knew who these two people beside Yan Zaizen were. One was Grux Taohe, the former disciple of the Imperial Scholar, who was sentenced to the deep mines about two years ago. The other was Bai Lufeng, former protector of Diyi, the daughter of the now-deceased Imperial Commander. It was bewildering that they both were working for Yan Zaizen, no wonder they were capable of robbing the Imperial Palace blind while uprooting the Imperial Commander.


    ¡°Now, the issue is settled.¡± Yan Zaizen declared, rising up from his seat, and smoothing out his attire. Tao and Bai Lufeng followed suit, preparing to leave. However, Xinya immediately interjected.


    ¡°Sir, now that that¡¯s been settled. I hope we can discuss other business.¡±


    Yan Zaizen looked at her unsurprised and simply nodded in assent.


    Xinya felt relieved that he wasn¡¯t entirely unreasonable. It seems now that the previous event had been wiped clean, he was truly neutral in his opinions and actions. She couldn¡¯t help but think that this young man was someone who knew how to handle grudges and favors despite his youth.


    ¡°On behalf of the Xi¨¡o City Lord, I wish to exchange for the Xi¨¡o Mountain.¡± She said respectively, her words direct. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered slightly.


    Interesting, so they wanted to reclaim the mountain he took?


    After contemplating it for a bit, it truly made sense. The Sky Heart City and Xi¨¡o City Lord had a close relationship, being mutual allies. Not to mention, Yan Zaizen had no use for a giant mountain which didn¡¯t conform with his own laws. He already possessed Pinaka, what other armament did he require?Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    He looked towards Tao, and Tao answered promptly. ¡°One point two billion.¡±


    Bai Lufeng eyes widened with shock and awe. Despite them obtaining about three billion of wealth from earlier, this typically related to alchemy and armaments. That¡¯s not even mentioning it was every last thing those people owned, and yet it still only totaled to three billion!


    However, despite Bai Lufeng¡¯s reaction, Xinya nodded her head softly as if she expected that price. She removed a spatial ring from her person and laid it on the table. Tao¡¯s eyes were filled with shock now, and he grabbed the ring. When he scanned it, it was truly hard to hold his disbelief. It truly contained resources that averaged out to his declared price.


    Yan Zaizen was surprised there was no haggling involved and she was this direct. He was originally going to increase it by one hundred million for each haggle attempt to extort more wealth, but she was incredibly decisive and prepared. Tao nodded softly to indicate the wealth presented is correct.


    Yan Zaizen felt helpless and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle a little shamelessly in regret. He could only agree to the exchange due to her decisiveness.


    Xinya felt like she could understand Yan Zaizen¡¯s personality a bit from their previous interaction, which is why she made sure she had varying forms of wealth in different spatial rings to match whatever price he asked. Of course, if he desired a price that was too high, then she could only take her things and leave. As for the price of a sky-rank armament? The price was a bit excessive, but for a sky-rank armament that was a literal mountain? That was low-balling it.


    Normally, a mountain couldn¡¯t fit inside a spatial ring due to limited size capacity, but the Meteor Ring was different. It had sufficient space to hold hundreds of these mountains.


    They took to the skies and reached an open field sufficient enough to land the mountain. With a wave of his hand, the mountain formulated instantly in mid-air as if it was always there. It settled just a few inches from the ground and when it fell, the world trembled and the earth quaked. The ground cracked continuously until the mountain was properly settled.


    Seeing this, Yan Zaizen prepared to leave. After the celebration at the Heavenly Heart, he intended to immediately use the spatial platform. He was truly impatient. However, he was stopped once more.


    ¡°Sir, the Dilong Skyship. I hope you can sell it to me.¡± She requested once more. Initially, Yan Zaizen was surprised and unwilling. However, after some contemplation, it made little sense to keep the skyship. Typically, every skyship needed a special qi-method to operate the myriad of formations. This was something he didn¡¯t possess, nor did he believe that the Imperial Palace would give it to him. At most, they would probably trade for it.


    That being said, it meant the skyship was essentially a hunk of metal.


    To him it was useless, but perhaps to Xinya or others in Sky Heart City, it could be used.


    Tao responded with his price declaration, ¡°Five hundred million.¡± This might actually be considered low-balling it, but the skyship was essentially useless without the proper method, and they didn¡¯t have it. Tao was aware and thus didn¡¯t try to place the price too high.


    Gaining even a single drop would be better than letting it sit there pointlessly, not to mention it was far too hot to sell. It would be like placing a target on your back from the Imperial Palace.


    Xinya displayed her readiness once more, throwing yet another spatial ring at Tao. The exchange was incredibly swift and smooth, and the skyship shifted hands.


    Yan Zaizen was quite satisfied with all this. In just a single day, he gained two billion in wealth, not to mention his previous gains which were nearing three billion. He truly was so rich that he spat gold at this point.


    Xinya left promptly, but not before Yan Zaizen informed her of his desire to use the spatial platform. Surprisingly, she easily agreed to this request, and for free no less. This made everything much easier. He truly liked how Xinya handled matters. If she wished to appease him, then this was a great way to do so.


    Today, he celebrates. Tomorrow, he¡¯s off.


    ¡°Sufficient power enables all things.¡± Yan Zaizen softly muttered to himself in realization. Considering that he crippled a member of her city without mercy, humiliating her by undermining her authority and extorting a vast quantity of wealth, she still was attempting to form a relationship with him. It truly widens one¡¯s horizons.


    ¡°Our gains are extraordinary this time,¡± Tao commented at the side.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled, ¡°Not to mention, I sold things I took. No real effort on my part.¡± Indeed. Yan Zaizen sold things that weren¡¯t even his to begin with and extorted money for an offense.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s go to the Heavenly Heart! Let¡¯s celebrate! Haha!¡± He was in an exceptionally good mood at the moment. He made a ton of money, got free access to the spatial platform, and his cultivation base was higher than ever. Everything was looking up and home was in sight.


    The next day, they celebrated to their heart''s content. Drinking, joking and eating delicious food. Tao revealed his drunken shamelessness, surprisingly he turns into quite the pervert after a few.


    Some imperial scholar, huh?


    What surprised them all was that Bai Lufeng was a crier and couldn¡¯t hold his liquor despite his thousands of years of existence. He whiningly cried in exquisite detail of how his father would beat him for being such a playboy during his youth. He even mentioned that he probably had fathered a lot of children, but because of his old, unfaithful ways, he didn¡¯t know where they were, how many there were, or even what they were doing.


    To think Bai Lufeng was such a horndog and unfateful father. Unfortunately, this happens quite often in the cultivation world, especially in Grux which is filled with ten times the population of Presba. At least Bai Lufeng wished he knew them and would love if they found him. Even that was far better than many.


    As for Yan Zaizen, he was astonished when he discovered that he couldn¡¯t get drunk. His blood and body were that of a Herculean, let alone getting drunk, even getting poisoned would be difficult, even if he stuffed his entire belly with deadly venom. Despite this, Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but joke around and engage with the others.


    A laugh here, a pat on the back there, a whistle at a beauty here, and just enjoying the good food, wine, and company.


    To Yan Zaizen and Tao who spent two years in the Deep Mines, this was a very much needed affair.


    As the night ended and the sun was rising, Yan Zaizen was sitting calmly in his chair, staring at the ceiling as Bai Lufeng was unconscious, laying in a puddle of his own tears nearby. Tao had three women with barely anything covering their delicate bodies laying next to him on the floor. They looked comfortable and cozy, and he had the biggest smile imaginable.


    ¡°I miss you, Mother...Father¡­I promise, I¡¯m coming home.¡± He softly muttered, his eyes glistening.


    END OF BOOK/VOLUME 1!


    -The Journey Home.

 Chapter 82 - Arriving In Zhu Que City

    ¡°You ready?!¡± Yan Zaizen asked excitedly, his eyes brimming with vibrant energy. Tao and Bai Lufeng were beside him. Bai Lufeng had an expression of calm, which was unexpected, while Tao had a pale complexion.


    Underneath their feet was a flat, wide silver platform filled with remarkable inscriptions of formations. It dazzled with faint silver light here and there, exuding a faint aura of spatial laws and power.


    ¡°Yes, Young Lord Zai!¡± Bai Lufeng acknowledged his readied state with a nod. He was about to leave his country behind, enter a new one, and start a whole new journey.


    ¡°Of course, Young Lord Zai.¡± Tao also followed, holding his mouth slightly as if he would vomit at any moment. Earlier in the Heavenly Heart, he drank to the limit and was now suffering a horrendous hangover. As for Bai Lufeng, his age and experience with hangovers made him quite adept at handling them.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled, his eyes filled with life and anticipation. Two years ago, he was in a situation similar to this but was thwarted by those with evil intentions. However, he didn¡¯t need to deal with that here. Those who could tamper with the spatial platform knew that he survived chaotic space before, and with his prowess, who would dare offend him?


    He turned towards Xinya who operated the formation personally, her eyes filled with a soft tenderness and her appearance as beautiful as ever. ¡°Activating. Safe travels, Sir Zai,¡± She said with a warm smile. When she did, Yan Zaizen felt a strange sensation flow through his body.


    For a split second, he remembered his mother¡¯s smile.


    His father would often take him out to practice cultivation and teach him the myriad things required to survive in a world like this. Whenever he would look back, his mother would be there, waving them off with a light smile filled with soft tenderness. He could remember her words¡­


    ¡°Be safe, my boys!¡±


    As the silver formations filled with spatial energy erupted, surrounding the three, Yan Zaizen finally recovered. He revealed a smile so wide and happy that all those who saw couldn¡¯t help but be shocked. This smile coupled with his extraordinarily youthful and handsome appearance caused even Xinya to be deeply stunned.


    ¡°Thanks!¡± He said softly, his eyes glistening.


    Finally, he was returning.


    A flash of silver light later and the three abruptly vanished into thin air. The transference was complete.


    Qiao Qinya arrived next to her mother side after the entire event. She couldn¡¯t help but say softly, ¡°Mother, do you think he¡¯s the one? The one ¡®she¡¯ talked about?¡± Her face had a slight frown, obviously feeling a little conflicted.


    Xinya gently shook her head, ¡°If he is, we¡¯ll know in the future. If not, then it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± She turned and disappeared like a shadow.


    Qiao Qinya stayed there for several more minutes in deep contemplation. ¡°I hope he¡¯s not.¡± She vanished as well, following after her mother.


    -----------------------------


    --Xiantu Realm, Year 12,333 of the Rebirth Era.


    -Zhu Que City, Presba.


    Located within the Soaring Cloud Sect¡¯s territory, a city with tall scarlet walls stood proudly. Within the center of this city was a phoenix statue that seemed so remarkably lifelike that many people believed it was a fossilized phoenix. Beneath this astonishingly breathtaking landmark was a silver platform. Normally, this platform was only used once a year or when people needed to travel vast distances, countries, or to islands, but today, it erupted with silver-light that blinded all those that dared to look at it.


    The overseer of the spatial platform was a stout, middle-aged man with a hairy patch beneath his lip and round belly. When he noticed the platform¡¯s reaction, he was surprised. He instinctively checked the arrival manifest, but alas, there was none due to arrive today.


    Then...illegal usage?


    Typically, to arrive at a spatial platform required pre-planned notification, otherwise, it may be misconstrued as an act of war. For example, the Xuanwu City had a specific day of usage throughout the year with specific locations which individuals can be sent to. Because it¡¯s connected to a hunting grounds called the Basilisk Forest, many people could enter as they wished, even the Soaring Cloud and Water Veil Sect members. However, they refuse to do so because they may be hunted with no way of returning.


    It was simply an ill-wise decision.


    When an arrival occurs outside of a specific schedule, they would immediately be considered as having trespassed and it could worsen relations. As for the Sky Heart City? What did they care if a first-tier force was offended? They had the backing of a True Essence powerhouse and were a grand-tier force and not a weak one.


    You¡¯d first have to ask if the Sky Heart City even took the Soaring Cloud Sect seriously and if the latter is even willing to offend the former.


    The round-belly middle-aged man, named Gu Luoyang, immediately crushed a talisman and shouted amidst the brilliant silver light. ¡°Unauthorized ARRIVAL!¡± His words caused the surrounding cultivators and guards to feel surprised, but then, remembering their training, they readied themselves.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Before long, they surrounded the platform by the hundreds. Even the City Lord had made his way over, his cultivation base of the initial-Origin Core surging, causing the surrounding soldiers to look up and feel more confident in their actions.


    ¡°HAI!¡± They all readied for battle or any unexpected occurrences.


    Suddenly, the silver light abated. As it dwindled, three figures appeared. They were all male. The one on the left had a head full of white hair and a middle-aged appearance. He couldn¡¯t be considered handsome, but he had an aura that revealed the wisdom of age.


    The one on the right had a skinny figure, a head full of black hair, a unique set of gray-blue eyes that seemed to contain a wealth of knowledge and a slightly pale skin as if he was sick.


    The last one in the middle was a tall, astonishingly handsome youth with muscles that seemed to be sculptured by the gods, a height that reached six feet, black hair, light bronze skin, and vibrant amber eyes filled with life. Between his brows were a tyrannical ferocity and unyielding self-confidence, and it caused all those looking to imagine a young prince looking at his nation.


    Bai Lufeng looked at the individuals who were surrounding them and couldn¡¯t help but chuckle in contempt. He knew what was happening, but he still found it entertaining. It seems like this fellow enjoyed chaos and watching those with little power overestimate themselves. Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but inwardly shake his head at his personality. Morality, loyalty, and cultivation base aside, this fellow doesn¡¯t seem like he has any good features.


    ¡°BLARGH!!!¡± Tao tried to keep his composure and normal calm, but he immediately bellied over and blew chunks on the platform. The event was so surprising and disgusting that all of the onlookers and even Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but unconsciously take a step back.


    ¡°Wh-when did I eat fish?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but surprisingly exclaim as he looked at his puddle of puke while wiping his lips.


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen remained silent, looking at the puddle in curiosity. ¡°We didn¡¯t have...fish¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but think aloud. With that, he took another step away from Tao.


    Bai Lufeng couldn¡¯t help but shake his head, softly muttering, ¡°Youngsters these days are so weak. Tch, tch.¡±


    Tao glared at Bai Lufeng, his ears keen enough to hear the insult, if it wasn¡¯t for his cultivation base being lesser than Bai Lufeng, he would¡¯ve given him a slap for that.


    The short interlude made the entire situation awkward. The three were surrounded by hundreds of guards and even under the watchful eye of an initial-Origin Core expert, yet they had enough time to puke and joke around. The overseer of the spatial platform had a profound cultivation base at the mid-Qi Unification Realm, yet this was the first time he ever encountered anything like this.


    Instinctively, he stepped forward and tried to look as imposing and fearsome as he could. ¡°Identify yourselves! Otherwise, we will kill without mercy!¡± His voice was backed by his cultivation base, causing nearly the entire city to hear him. As if on cue, the Origin Core City Lord erupted with his cultivation base as if warning the new arrivals to listen or else.


    Originally anticipating this result, Tao was going to go forward, but he felt that doing so after his little mishap would be overly embarrassing and wouldn¡¯t garner the same amount of respect. He looked towards Bai Lufeng and motioned him to take the stage.


    Bai Lufeng laughed with a tone filled with arrogance and stepped up imperiously. His qi cultivation base at the mid-Origin Core Realm violently exploded outwards causing all those underneath the Origin Core to feel as if they were being stabbed with a thousand of blades. His aura was filled with a penetrating sharpness causing many to fall to their knees or those with weak cultivation bases to immediately lose consciousness.


    ¡°I am Bai Lufeng, bring me your City Lord!¡± He demanded, his words and actions left them no quarter for retreat. Yan Zaizen just shaked his head, the aura not affecting him in the slightest. He didn¡¯t mind this, but it was still a bit much, no?


    The City Lord, Zou Jingyi, was shocked. This person¡¯s cultivation base exceeded his own and his foundation was obviously far more thorough by just releasing his aura. He calculated what would occur if they fought, with his soldiers, and he determined that there would be a draw with heavy losses on their side and his escape.


    He couldn¡¯t help but look towards the other two and felt that they were exceptional as well. As a cultivator who had lived for thousands of years, he knew how to pick his battles, and this was not a battle to casually pick if avoidance was possible.


    He flew down from the sky, his stance and facial expression filled with neutral respect. The moment he stepped down, Bai Lufeng looked him up and down, and couldn¡¯t help but scoff a little. ¡°It¡¯s you?! I thought you were just the overseer.¡± His words obviously meant to antagonize the other party. Truly, if it wasn¡¯t for this man¡¯s eccentric personality and arrogance, he would be perfect.


    The city lord couldn¡¯t help but be taken aback. Was this fellow trying to fight? He was almost unwilling to hold in his anger, but after contemplating the consequences, he calmed down and nodded. ¡°I am the City Lord of Zhu Que City. May I ask who you three are?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Bai Lufeng said decisively. This took everyone by surprise, even Tao, such disrespect was incredible. Even the city lord didn¡¯t know how to react to that, being stunned speechless. Bai Lufeng, however, continued speaking with towering arrogance, ¡°We¡¯ve arrived and we¡¯re leaving, that¡¯s all that you need to know.¡± After saying that, he looked towards Yan Zaizen with a ¡®did I do well¡¯ expression.


    Yan Zaizen softly sighed in resignation. He was so overly direct that their original plan of action felt awkward now to enact. Initially, they were going to gain some information about the situation, but now, he just didn¡¯t have the mood to continue. They had other ways to gain information.


    ¡°Whatever, let''s go.¡± A multi-colored qi-essence filled with traces of varying laws erupted from his body. His cultivation at the late-Qi Unification Realm truly displayed its capabilities at this moment, but his aura was so strong that even the city lord felt he was inferior.


    After his qi-essence had been baptized by his world laws three times, his aura was far stronger and even contained faint traces of true law within. Yan Zaizen figured out that during each of his Qi Unification stage breakthroughs, his laws would exit his soul form and radiate him with their energies, but only if his conceptual laws were at the force-level, containing traces of their true laws.


    After being baptized by his laws during the Qi Unification process, his ability to make use of his conceptual laws was far greater than before, even his Unyielding Flame of Life, which could consume all forms of his energy to produce lifeforce, would produce more vibrant lifeforce emissions if he used his qi-essence as the medium. It was even greater than his soul energy in quality but not quantity.


    He exploded outwards, soaring through the skies at breakneck speeds that left all those watching breathlessly in shock. Bai Lufeng nodded and followed after.


    Just as Tao was about to follow, he stopped, blew another chunk on the spatial platform. After a while, while looking slightly embarrassed, he erupted with his initial-Origin Core cultivation base and took off as well.


    Everyone just looked onwards, shocked by the set of events.


    Who were they?


    As for the city lord, his expression turned solemn, and he soared towards his office. ¡°I have to report this.¡± He muttered before leaving.

 Chapter 83 - Wherever You Two Are

    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t use the skyship to fly towards Meteorite City. Its maximum speed only reached an average peak-Qi Unification Realm and that would take a day or two from where they were. He couldn¡¯t wait any longer. His qi cultivation base was profound enough to rival the basic flight speed of a half-step Origin Core cultivator. When coupled with Tao¡¯s flight-based internal qi-art, the Ascending Raindrops Technique, a superior-grade art with his cultivation base, he could rival an initial-Origin Core cultivator.


    When he was at the initial-Qi Revolving Realm, Lin Feilin informed him that traveling to Meteorite City would take him a few months to arrive, but now that his speed rivaled that of an Origin Core cultivator, those few months would be turned into a short few hours.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were filled with yearning and desire. After three years of constantly wanting, being forced into things, of being schemed against, pulled apart, and forced into slavery, he would finally arrive where he considered home.


    Tao and Bai Lufeng could see Yan Zaizen¡¯s heightened emotional state, so they tactfully stayed silent, not attempting to have a conversation during the trip. During their time together, how could they not know of Yan Zaizen''s story, especially Tao? He knew of his fate of being called trash, his forced discipleship, his almost marriage, how he plowed through two clans attempting to stop him, and then being schemed against by the Xuanwu City Lord and being condemned to die.


    It was as if the heavens were purposefully filling his paths with roadblock after roadblock, but still, he never conceded, holding onto the hope of one day returning back to the place he was most familiar with. It was likely the place with drenched in his saddest of memories filled with abuse, failure and depression. But also the place filled with his happiest of memories, filled with the smiles of his mother, the scent of his father, and the warmth of his own bed.


    Never do we get to choose our family, but that family gets to choose how you remember them. How you will cherish them. How you will love them. His parents did a good job with him.


    Several hours of silence passed as they soared through the skies like a comet, the many experts and locations they passed looked up with trepidation. The auras of those three were too terrifying, and this was the territory of the first-tier Soaring Cloud Sect, the highest cultivation in that sect was the late-Origin Core Realm. So sensing those three intense auras passing like lightning made them feel both fearful and relieved that they weren¡¯t here for them.


    ¡°There it is!¡± Yan Zaizen shouted, his voice filled with childish exuberance. It was as if his youthfulness was leaking and the individual he was before was slowly resurfacing.


    Meteorite City stood there intact and lively as ever. It wasn¡¯t nearly as impressive as the myriad cities he¡¯s visited and seen in these past three years, but it was definitely the one that gave him the warmest of feelings. Not because the Yan Clan was there, not even because of the prospect of meeting his grandfather once more, no, he felt those feelings because this is where his mother and father laid to rest.


    The corners of his eyes moistened. ¡°I made it home,¡± his voice was exceptionally soft but filled with overwhelming emotion. It hadn''t taken long before they arrived at the city gates with their respective auras still highlighted within the sky. The residents of Meteorite City directed their gazes towards the approaching qi signatures. Many were indescribably shocked while others were filled with caution and curiosity. A few promptly took their loved ones and hid their children away.


    The many clans within Meteorite City were alerted, and they sent ambassadors as quickly as possible to welcome the new arrivals.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even wait for any of them. Instead, he took off. As for Tao and Bai Lufeng, they stayed and waited. This wasn¡¯t the time to follow him nor was it their place.


    This was his moment.


    Yan Zaizen speed was exceptionally quick to the point where it only took a few seconds from reaching the gates to reaching the Yan Clan¡¯s gates, but when he arrived, he was stunned. The gates were normal, there were people inside maintaining the property and seemed to have been doing so for quite a while.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°Where...they¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t find them. Not a single person he remembered from the Yan Clan was here, not even the servants. Initially, he didn¡¯t use his spiritual sense, but now he did. His sensory range exceeded 600 li in distance, and the clarity of it was so incredible that he could perceive the flapping of a wasp''s wings from maximum distance or the stomping of ants within their colony underground.


    ¡°This¡­?¡± He was bewildered, but after a second, he immediately refocused. His sense immediately spread to the ancestral grounds, and his eyes lit up. Who cares if the Yan Clan was gone? His body was like the shadow of lightning as he arrived at his parents'' tombs.


    They were buried in polished wooden caskets risen up by stone platforms, the insides were cushioned with feathery materials for softness, but these weren¡¯t ordinary feathers, they originated from rank four disaster beasts. For the Yan Clan, this was exceptional. As the daughter-in-law and son of the clan leader, how could they not have decent burial caskets?


    Beneath the stone platform was an area where offerings could be presented. Typically, he would upkeep flowers for his mother, giving them sunlight since she loved the sun and gardening so much. For his father, he would offer his favorite wine, and even drink it with him sometimes like they did when he was younger. Of course, they wouldn¡¯t tell his mother.


    He didn¡¯t know when, but tears started to fall from his eyes like rain droplets. The water formed a steady stream that seemed to flow endlessly.


    ¡°Mother...Father...I¡¯m sorry.¡± He kneeled down on the ground so heavily that the ground shattered, and he kowtowed so deeply that the world itself filled with sorrow. ¡°I¡¯m...so...so...sorry.¡± His hands clenched to the point where it bled, his eyes were so red and a puddle was slowly forming from his tears beneath him.


    ¡°I-I¡¯m...okay. I¡¯m okay! I¡¯m alive. I haven¡¯t died. I haven¡¯t died.¡± His voice started to break in between his words. He couldn¡¯t hold it in. Every month, he would clean and maintain his mother¡¯s and father¡¯s grave, give them offering for the afterlife, and tell them his stories. Every so often, he would make them up, but he¡¯d feel guilty afterwards and always tell the truth.


    After three hours of this, he finally got up. His forehead was slightly dirty, and his eyes were filled with redness. He calmed himself down and proceeded to do what he remembered. What he needed to do. He produced a broom he had Tao prepare in Xi¨¡o City and begun to sweep the dust surrounding the caskets. He kept doing so until it was free of all dust.


    ¡°That¡¯s done!¡± He smilingly declared. ¡°With all this dirt and dust around you, you must¡¯ve felt quite angry, Mother.¡± He chuckled, moving towards his father¡¯s grave. He produced various forms of wine and laid down near the stone platform. Father, I came across these delicious wines I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll love. I even got your favorite.¡± He poured a little of each every few minutes.


    Between each pour, he would interject his own opinion of the wine. ¡°This one I got from a restaurant in Xuanwu City! It¡¯s a little too sweet, but I heard it has a Cerulean Serpents gallbladder inside of it. Since I saw a dead one in the forest, I thought I should bring one here. It¡¯s supposed to be useful in curing ailments. I wonder if it¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°This one is very strong! The tart taste is intense, I got it from the Ying Clan. They offered me some after wanting me to be a scapegoat for them. With a wine like this, I would¡¯ve refused even if I was willing prior. Haha! Oh! Don¡¯t worry mom. I wouldn¡¯t get married without telling you.¡±


    ¡°Ooooh! This one¡¯s from Xi¨¡o City, a place called the Blue Lagoon. It¡¯s called that because of its Blue Lagoon Wine that looks blue. It¡¯s definitely the best wine I¡¯ve ever tasted. Woo! It feels so good going down, you¡¯d love it.¡±


    ¡°Heavenly Heart¡¯s wine...I was skeptical at first, but it¡¯s definitely worth the insane price. It got two origin core cultivators dirt drunk until one cried and the other couldn¡¯t control their impulses! Haha, it works wonders. I bet you¡¯d be telling jokes all day with just a single sip. Haha.¡±


    This continued for every wine he¡¯d encountered. It was nighttime by the time he was done, but he still wasn¡¯t intoxicated, but he wished he could be at this moment.


    He went to his mother¡¯s casket, caressing the surface softly, and feeling the chill it exuded. ¡°Mother, one of these days, I¡¯ll place you in a location filled with dazzling flowers to the point where you¡¯ll be intoxicated. The world¡¯s beauty would surround you with such brilliance that you wouldn¡¯t even be able to stop smiling even if you wanted. I promise.¡±


    He took a deep breath. There were many things left unsaid, but he knew they couldn¡¯t stay here. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if this angers you, but I promise I¡¯ll make up for it when I see you myself.¡± He waved his hand, and the two coffins were stored within the Meteor Ring.


    There were two spots which he personally arranged for them, one was filled with dazzling earth and flowers, sunstones were floating up above with brilliant sunlight shining down, and the other had a myriad of wine bottles and pouches surrounding it, including a few he already offered.


    ¡°The Yan Clan doesn¡¯t deserve to be your resting place. They don¡¯t deserve that honor.¡± He gently said, his voice filled with firm resolution. It took awhile for his emotions to stabilize, and when he looked up, the sun was already rising.


    ¡°This is no longer my home. No longer our home. Home will be wherever you two are. Wherever we are.¡±

 Chapter 84 - Events After Three Years

    ¡°Young Lord Zai,¡± Tao called out as he stepped forward, arriving next to Yan Zaizen, his expression the epitome of solemnity. Bai Lufeng was nearby, but he was silent, only staying beside Tao respectfully, but his face was also filled with a solemness that could darken the skies.


    When Yan Zaizen departed his parents'' former ancestral graveyard, they were standing there at the gates in waiting. He could tell that they had something to say after meeting with the official ambassadors of Meteorite City. His mind drew some guesses, such as the disappearance of the Yan Clan. It didn¡¯t seem like they were killed to the last man as there were no indication of battle.


    It was more like they all upped and left suddenly.


    The Yan Clan wasn¡¯t the only clan that seemed to have vanished from Meteorite City. When he surveyed this area with his spiritual sense, he discovered the Ya Clan was no longer there as well.


    ¡°Tao, what is it?¡± He inquired, his eyes still slightly red from his cries from earlier. Despite this, Tao and Bai Lufeng showed no surprise as if expecting this result. If anything, they probably assumed the situation would be worse. Yan Zaizen¡¯s journey thus far had been filled with ill-intentions and actions drawing him further and further away from home.


    It¡¯s likely anyone would breakdown when they returned, but Yan Zaizen had formulated his own Dao. If his mentality was fragile, that would be an impossible feat.


    ¡°There¡¯s been an incident,¡± Tao informed. Yan Zaizen halted him from further explaining with a motion. Tao was originally going to continue explaining, but seeing Yan Zaizen¡¯s action, he stopped completely.


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk elsewhere.¡± After those words were spoken, he took off. He didn¡¯t wish to stay in this city filled with memories any longer. He already had to hold himself back from killing a few people he despised when he arrived. These people were no longer worth his notice, time or effort.


    They soared away like comets through the sky. They stopped several li away from Meteorite City. It was a grassy plain with small hills surrounding it. ¡°This place. It¡¯s where I met my Master.¡± He quietly said. Tao and Bai Lufeng examined the area in detail and discovered that there was an incredibly large formation set in place. When Yan Zaizen would travel here constantly for a retreat from his bleak reality, he never noticed the formation. Now, however, he could see it clearly in its inactive state.


    ¡°A spatial and illusionary formation combined, quite profound. It¡¯s stationary but exceptionally powerful. If you¡¯re trapped in there, fighting would be incredibly difficult.¡± Tao soft muttered explaining its characteristics. Recalling the story of how Yan Zaizen first met his master, it made sense why he could completely obliterate a group of Qi Unification experts without them being able to react.


    They settled here, the skyship appearing and landing softly on the grassy plains. Arriving on the deck, Yan Zaizen looked towards Tao with curiosity.


    ¡°The situation that occurred is a little complicated, but I¡¯ll start from the beginning.¡± One could feel that the situation required some organization to properly convey without confusion. Fortunately, Tao was a scholar who held incredible knowledge and ability relating to information. ¡°Two and a half years ago, two incidents of importance happened. The first, Yan Jinzen of the Yan Clan successively joined the Soaring Cloud Sect. When he did, he comprehended a conceptual law based on the Mortal Law of the Spear. Soon afterwards, he was inducted as the personal disciple of a Grand Elder of the Sect.¡±


    A Grand Elder of a first-tier sect would definitely be at the mid-Origin Core Realm at the very least. His fortune truly was exceptional to be accepted by someone of that standing, Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but think. In truth, he intended to thoroughly cripple Yan Jinzen simply because of the hell he put him through. Well, his plans haven¡¯t changed, he still intend to cripple him at the first chance he gets.


    ¡°This was an extraordinary bolster to the Yan Clan, and their hegemony over Meteorite City solidified. They even possessed clout to rival upper second-tier forces. Then, a girl from the Ya Clan appeared who joined the Water Veil Sect, and similar to Yan Jinzen, she displayed an exceptional talent, but one that far surpassed Yan Jinzen. She comprehended a conceptual law based on the World Law of Water. She was immediately given the title of the Sect Leader¡¯s Disciple.¡±


    ¡°Normally, this should¡¯ve been great for the Yan Clan, considering this girl, Ya Qinqan, was married to Yan Jinzen. They were truly a pair of heavenly talents. Unfortunately, Ya Qinqan used her newfound status to propose a mutual annulment of their marriage.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Yan Zaizen felt deeply shocked at this information. ¡°How? Ya Qinqan and Yan Jinzen had already consummated their relations. Not to mention, why?!¡± His emotions started to get riled up and memories of his youth started to rise up as he gave birth to an unforgiving idea. For some odd reason, he truly wished she desired to break from Yan Jinzen due to his disappearance. However, he immediately shook his head in disbelief.


    ¡®Even if she did, she¡¯s already made her choice.¡¯


    Tao continued, ¡°It seems that the Water Veil Sect only accepts virgins who possess their primal Yin for certain positions. I¡¯ve heard of sects, who only accept men or women if they¡¯ve maintained their primal energy, Yin or Yang. It can be both detrimental and beneficial to keeping it and losing it. It can help one develop certain conceptual laws, practice specific arts, or even cultivate in bodily methods to enhance one¡¯s innate talent. It seems the Water Veil Sect was this type of sect.¡±


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    Yan Zaizen was speechless. He never knew. Why didn¡¯t he know? Why did no one tell him?


    Tao could see Yan Zaizen¡¯s speechlessness and hurriedly explained, ¡°You¡¯re misunderstanding. The Water Veil Sect only accepts virgins for Inner Court Disciples or higher of the sect. They still allow non-virgins into the sect if they possess sufficient talent and capabilities.¡±


    Oh? That made more sense. If it had a special cultivation method that utilizes primal Yin, it only makes sense that it was kept secret from someone like him. Then that begs the question, why did the news that Ya Qinqan and Yan Jinzen having consummated their marriage circulated? Could it have been a ploy to further push him into despair and hopelessness? To push him to the point where he had lost everything for good? Was it to force him to suicide?!


    At this thought, his eyes grew ferocious. ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll make you suffer Yan Jinzen.¡± He declared with his very soul. Bai Lufeng had informed him of how the Yan Clan didn¡¯t even spend more than a few days to search for him. It¡¯s likely because they believed he committed suicide, but regardless, they should¡¯ve searched for his body at least¡­


    His thoughts towards the Yan Clan had already hit rock bottom, but that didn¡¯t mean he disliked everyone in there. His grandfather was on shaky grounds, but his aunt and uncle were always there for him through the bad and the good. He wouldn¡¯t just leave without giving them a warning.


    ¡°After this happened, the Ya Clan was relocated into the Water Veil Sect¡¯s territory. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t be an issue, but because of Yan Jinzen¡¯s status as the disciple of the Soaring Cloud Sect Grand Elder, this was seen as a direct insult. Long story short, they refused. Ya Qinqan and the Water Veil Sect publicly revealed the dissolution of their marriage.¡±


    ¡°This was obviously forceful and seen as another insult towards the Soaring Cloud Sect. It seems they retaliated by capturing and imprisoning prominent members of the Ya Clan. All so that Ya Qinqan would be forced to maintain the marriage agreement. The Soaring Cloud Sect has always been domineering and this move seemed to be right up their alley. Unfortunately for them, the Sect Leader revealed an astonishing cultivation at the initial-True Essence Realm. This originally top-rank first-tier force directly revealed strength that put them in the middle of the grand-tier powers of Presba. They rivaled the Solitary Sword Sect and a few top clans.¡±


    ¡°The Sect Leader, in domineering fashion, killed her way through the Soaring Cloud Sect with a group of elites, devastating the entire grounds and directly killing the Grand Elder responsible for this situation. As for Yan Jinzen, he was crippled by the Sect Leader before she departed. It took the Solitary Sword Sect to step in to de-escalate the situation.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s mind was filled with so many what-the-flying-hell feelings at the moment that his mind felt dull. So, Yan Jinzen was crippled...just like that? A first-tier power may be great, but in front of a True Essence expert, they were nothing but ants. Typically, to become a grand-tier power, one must be at the half-step True Essence Realm, but the Water Veil Sect didn¡¯t even go through that process.


    They directly jumped to the mid-ranks of grand-tier force! With a single expert!


    ¡°After the Water Veil Sect rose to prominence with a single step, the Earthly Titan Sect became their subordinate power. Shocking the country even further.¡± Tao couldn¡¯t help but pause as if this next part was sensitive, ¡°As for the Yan Clan, several months ago, the Water Veil Sect rounded them up and took them into their territory for reasons unknown. As for their fate, that¡¯s also unknown.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Bai Lufeng wanted to step up and say something, but Tao stopped him with a pat on the shoulder. At the moment, Yan Zaizen mind was a mess and slowly digested all this information. He didn¡¯t care about the Yan Clan as a whole, but his aunt and uncle didn¡¯t deserve to be dealt with horribly. As for the rest?


    The rest be damned!


    ¡°My Master? Han Genji?¡± After organizing his thoughts, he asked the one question he truly wanted Tao to look into. However, Tao averted his gaze slightly, obviously unwilling to deliver the news. Despite this, he mustered up his courage with a deep breath.


    ¡°He was killed one year ago by the Soaring Cloud Sect.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°I see. Do you know who¡¯s responsible?¡± He inquired, his face indifferent, but his eyes contained traces of flickering motes of white light. His Dao aura, which typically would erupt outwards due to his riled emotions, was no longer uncontrollable and wild. It was contained within him with a higher intensity and concentration than ever before. Even Tao and Bai Lufeng couldn¡¯t help but feel weak at the knees from his gaze, despite their profound cultivation bases.


    ¡°I do,¡± Tao responded.


    ¡°Do you know who acted against me in Xuanwu City?¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°Then, let¡¯s kill.¡±

 Chapter 85 - Killing With A Thought

    --Soaring Cloud Sect, Council Auditorium.


    ¡°The Solitary Sword Sect is quite persistent in its desire to take us as a subordinate force.¡± An elderly man spoke, his voice filled with untold worries. To his left, a middle-aged man with a heroic disposition with an aura of a concealed sword edge. To his right, an elderly woman with eyes as sharp as knives and hair as white as snow.


    A middle-aged man with light blue hair stood before them as they sat up above on their pedestal. His attire was extraordinary and his aura contained a lofty air. On his back was a single broadsword fastened by an archaic belt with no scabbard. This middle-aged man was the representative for the Solitary Sword Sect. His qi cultivation was profound as he radiated an aura at the late-Origin Core Realm.


    ¡°Of course. I suggest you make your decision by today.¡± The representative, Zhao Huoli, said forcefully. The two Grand Elders and Sect Leader of the Soaring Cloud Sect couldn¡¯t help but frown.


    Due to the Yan Clan situation, the Soaring Cloud Sect lost their strongest ally - The Water Veil Sect. Not to mention, their former ally had risen to the status of a grand-tier force and killed their way into the Soaring Cloud Sect with vicious violence. They lost a good portion of their forces in the resistance and a Grand Elder level character.


    They were truly in the hole of misfortune, one they dug themselves into.


    The Solitary Sword Sect had helped them weather the storm by interfering with the Water Veil Sect¡¯s invasion, thereby allowing the Soaring Cloud Sect a temporary reprieve. However, the Solitary Sword Sect was not one to act out of good intentions and asked for a price - their loyalty. To officially become the subordinate of the Solitary Sword Sect would cause the Soaring Cloud Sect to lose their ability to develop outside of being an exceptional faction.


    It was essentially the merging of powers, the weaker one will obviously crumble apart at its foundation as the larger one consumed it to strengthen itself. Their top talents, their legacies, their unique resources, their entire territory and more will be given up to reinforce the Solitary Sword Sect¡¯s position within the country.


    The three upper-echelon members did not wish for this to happen. Unfortunately, they were given an ultimatum: To kneel in subservience or be left to await the Water Veil Sect¡¯s revenge. To any large force, these two choices felt like choosing between a thick red robe and a thick blue rope to tie around your neck.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be awaiting your decision.¡± Zhao Huoli said before departing without dismissal. To him, these individuals were pathetic and useless. Due to a boy from an irrelevant clan and their overconfidence, they were left in a position where they essentially had no escape. They could choose to slowly tatter off by being assimilated by the Solitary Sword Sect or die under the Water Veil Sect¡¯s attacks.


    After several minutes of silence, the Sect Leader spoke, ¡°Our choices are limited. I believe...we have no choice.¡± His words were spoken with a strong sense of weakness and defeat. He couldn¡¯t help but regret his inaction in the previous events. What should¡¯ve been a small issue blew up to become the nail in their coffin.


    The others around couldn¡¯t help but deeply sigh in helplessness. It seems the heavens truly did not want the Soaring Cloud Sect to exist under its brilliance any longer.


    BANG!!


    A young woman, about twenty years of age with average looks, barged into the Council Auditorium causing the doors to explode open. She was drenched in sweat, her breathing labored, and her eyes red with terror. Following behind her, Zhao Huoli had a solemn expression. The sudden intrusion caused the three upper-ranked members to rise from their seats and stare inquisitively.


    ¡°What is the meaning of this?¡± The Clan Leader inquired, his gaze growing a little irritated at the low-ranking member with the cultivation of the initial-Essence Formation Realm barging in unannounced. The other two Grand Elders maintained their silence, carefully awaiting for this situation to be explained.


    ¡°T-the...th-the!¡± The young woman tried to speak, but it was as if her lungs were caught in her throat.


    Zhao Huoli decided to step forward, ¡°Every last one of your members has lost consciousness.¡± His words were solemn but had a strange calm to it. As a sword cultivator with his cultivation, he¡¯s seen many things in his lifetime and faced many life or death situations, it would rather be odd for something outside of a hand that could eclipse the heavens appearing to shake his calm.


    ¡°What?! What are you talking about?¡± The Clan Leader questioned, obviously disbelieving of his words. He spread his qi-sense outwards and felt the qi signatures of everyone it swept to be docile as if in a state of unconsciousness. The Grand Elders took the same course of action, discovering the same issue, their minds reeling in shock.


    ¡°How? What is going on?¡±


    The moment those words left his mouth, a handsome youth dressed in violet attire appeared outside the entrance of the auditorium. Behind him were two individuals, one who looked scrawny but intelligent and another who felt lofty but calm. The youth¡¯s eyes were similarly calm, but it contained traces of unyielding confidence and imperialistic flavor.


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    Their arrival caused all individuals present to turn their gazes into their direction. Zhao Huoli could tell the situation wasn¡¯t favorable and as he wasn¡¯t a part of the Soaring Cloud Sect, he had no intention to offend individuals of unknown origin if it was avoidable. He took a step back towards the wall and conceded the way for these gentlemen.


    The Clan Leader and Grand Elders saw his action and felt confused. ¡°Who are you?¡± The Clan Leader asked, his hands holding a talisman ready to crush it at a moment¡¯s notice.


    These three were obviously the trio, Yan Zaizen, Tao, and Bai Lufeng. Initially, Yan Zaizen had tasked Tao with gathering information about Han Genji¡¯s trial and execution. What he learned bothered him greatly. The entire upper-echelon of the Soaring Cloud Sect desired Han Genji¡¯s death, and they tortured him for two years for revenge. This left him in a dilemma.


    What should he do?


    His original intention was to kill those responsible, but if all the cultivators of a certain level were responsible, how could he rectify this situation? Both Tao and Bai Lufeng had their own suggestions. Tao, the cool-headed and intelligent one, wanted him to find specific individuals who personally took action, not those who wanted to and eliminate them. This was a slow process that could take quite a while.


    Bai Lufeng, on the other way, said it simply, ¡°It¡¯s a first-tier force, with your current abilities Young Lord Zai, you could level the entire sect with a thought.¡± This was the fastest method and wouldn¡¯t take a long investigation. Initially, he leaned towards Tao¡¯s suggestion, because it¡¯ll simply be horrible to eradicate all those who weren¡¯t even remotely related to the situation.


    So he made a decision.


    Kill all members of the Upper Echelon regardless and kill those publicly advocating for Han Genji¡¯s death. After some more information gathering from Tao, he discovered who exactly these people were. As for the numerous individuals who were unconscious outside, that was simply Yan Zaizen¡¯s course of action to gain entry.


    Soaring Cloud Sect truly was just a top-rank first-tier force. They didn¡¯t even have a half-step True Essence Cultivator. Their Grand Elder¡¯s were at the late-Origin Core Realm, and the Sect Leader was the same. Only the Ancestral Elder was at the peak-Origin Core Realm. Therefore, he was already killed by Yan Zaizen to prevent any unforeseen issues. They had no defense against his level of soul cultivation and the speed at which his soul energy moved could make an initial-True Essence expert feel slow as a snail.


    It took him less than two minutes to subdue the entire Soaring Cloud Sect from the gates. With his spiritual sense, nothing could escape his reach. As for the young woman who barged in, she was a member of the Yan Clan. It was only a coincidence that she ran to the council auditorium. Unsurprisingly, she didn''t recognize Yan Zaizen at first sight. It made sense, at the time he was scrawny, average-looking, and weak.


    Now, he was the exact opposite.


    Not only the Ancestral Elder who lay dead in his quarters, but everyone who was related to Han Genji¡¯s execution was laying as a corpse. The only individuals who were left was these three individuals. As for Zhao Huoli? Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even spare him a glance.


    ¡°Do you remember Han Genji?¡± Yan Zaizen asked. The others were shocked that Han Genji, a man executed a year ago, was now being brought forward. The myriad of reasons caused their minds to inwardly panic with fearful thoughts. Whoever this youth was, he was someone who could kill them with a single thought. They knew this from the feats outside. Even if it wasn¡¯t this youth specifically who was achieving this, the others beside him obviously stood in a subordinate position indicating his status.


    The Clan Leader face darkened with solemness, ¡°I do. May I ask what¡¯s your relationship with him?¡± His words were soft and cautious, obviously afraid of coming off rude and unintentionally offending the other.


    Yan Zaizen, however, didn¡¯t care about his actions. ¡°Good. I am his disciple, and he¡¯s my Master. That year, when you killed his lover. That year, when you captured him. That year, when you publicly tortured him till his execution. I want you to know that your death, it¡¯ll be the offering for his peace in the afterlife. As his disciple, I will achieve this.¡± When his words were spoken everyone was frozen in disbelief and shock.


    WHAT?!


    If Han Genji had a youth with the ability to achieve such a feat, why didn¡¯t he say so sooner? Why didn¡¯t he ask for help? This felt incomprehensible to them. ¡°Wh-What are you talking about? How could...How could you be his disciple?¡± The woman with sharp eyes asked, her voice filled with trembling.


    However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even bother answering. ¡°You can die quick and painlessly or you can die slow and very, very painfully. What¡¯s your choice?¡±

 Chapter 86 - The Why

    Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, the Clan Leader immediately shattered the talisman in his hand, causing a bright formation that filled the entirety of the Soaring Cloud Sect¡¯s grounds. ¡°Haha! You think yo-¡± The Clan Leader was laughingly about to monologue his trump card when suddenly the bright formation shattered almost instantly upon activation.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Everyone was speechless.


    ¡°Choose.¡± Yan Zaizen spoke, his voice a little impatient. Did this old coot truly think he wouldn¡¯t dismantle the formation¡¯s core the moment he entered the grounds? To him, it was like a bunch of babies trying to guard a sandcastle. He could crumble it with a mere thought.


    The female Grand Elder immediately stepped up, ¡°Why do you...have to do this? We can-¡± She tried to bargain but was immediately interrupted by Yan Zaizen¡¯s sharp voice.


    ¡°Choose!¡±


    The eldest male Grand Elder couldn¡¯t handle this, his eyes revealed a decisive light. His cultivation base erupted at full force, and his aura caused the surroundings to feel like a swamp. As Yan Zaizen tried to move his arm, he felt like his body was trudging through a sea of mud.


    ¡®Conceptual law of liquid earth?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but conclude based on its qualities. Surprisingly, this grand elder comprehended a world law, albeit a basic-tier world law, but a world law, nonetheless. Unfortunately, this conceptual law has yet to touch upon the force level and thus contained no traces of true law originating from earth. Its power was several dozens of times weaker than it should¡¯ve been.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered with silver-blue light. A sudden flash of resplendent light surged outward and the aura that was once blazing brilliantly silenced immediately. The grand elder collapsed like a puppet with his string cut. If one examined closely, they could tell he was still alive but unconscious. It seemed like his soul was knocked out into a state of paralysis.


    ¡°He has chosen painful. Will you do the same?¡± Yan Zaizen words were filled with an imperialistic flavor, as if he decided their life or death, and he truly did. The Clan Lord expression was darker than any expression that could ever be. Was this how his life would end? Because of some insignificant pebble getting lucky to befriend a person of exceptional prowess? It truly made one feel stifled as if the heavens had already deemed their deaths.


    ¡°Painless.¡± The female grand elder spoke, her voice now filled with calmness. ¡°In this world, we live and die based on our choices, based on our relationships, and based on our association. If today I die, then I¡¯m happy I can choose how.¡± Her voice contained boundless wisdom and clarity. Seeing Yan Zaizen destroying their formation, eliminating all of their forces, and killing someone of her equivalence in terms of prowess with a glance, she no longer had any thoughts of an alternative but death.


    At least she could choose how.


    ¡°Then, I have a question.¡± Yan Zaizen stated, continuing, ¡°The Xuanwu City Lord of three years ago. What is her relationship with you, and what does she have against Han Genji?¡±


    During his two years in the Deep Mines, he kept asking himself: ¡®why did she attempt to kill me?¡¯ Initially, he had no idea, but then it hit him. The City Lord didn¡¯t interfere in his combat with the two clans outside of Xuanwu City. She must¡¯ve known who he was, or at least, who she believed he was - Han Zaiji! His alias he used for the Ying Clan and his explanation of relation to Han Genji.


    However, that begged the question, why? Han Genji was allied with the Earthly Titan Sect and they likely supported him in the background against his crusade against the Soaring Cloud Sect. What reason did they have to kill him? His first instincts were simple, the Xuanwu City Lord was a spy of the Soaring Cloud Sect. It was the only thing that made sense to him, but he needed to confirm.


    However, he found out he was wrong.


    After discovering that Yan Zaizen was looking into the Xuanwu City Lord and Earthly Titan Sect, the clan leader¡¯s eyes lit up with brilliance. It¡¯s unlikely for him to escape death today, but he could definitely drag the Earthly Titan Sect with them!


    That was sufficient!


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    ¡°I¡¯ll explain.¡± He stepped out, his expression that was originally dark was replaced with soft calmness. The female grand elder looked towards him and simply nodded, understanding his thoughts.


    ¡°Three years ago, the Xuanwu City Lord and several Elders of the Earthly Titan Sect participated in the capturing of Han Genji. They helped lure him to a favorable location due to their relationship and his trust, and attempted to eliminate him. Unfortunately, Han Genji possessed exceptional prowess in shadow laws and illusory arts. He was an extraordinarily difficult individual to deal with, despite his weak cultivation base.¡±


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for their help, our operation would¡¯ve been impossible.¡± His words obviously urged to place a considerable amount of blame on the Earthly Titan Sect. He even listed the specific individuals who participated in the event and who they dealt with, the current Sect Leader of the Earthly Titan Sect, Yao Wuying.¡±


    Yan Zaizen was a little startled, but after learning about the details, it made complete sense now. If, at the time, he would¡¯ve learned of their joint operation through some channel, the Earthly Titan Sect would have a powerhouse with astounding soul cultivation as a threat. She took the opportunity the moment it presented itself to eliminate the threat.


    ¡°Clever...but I¡¯m still alive.¡± He silently muttered.


    ¡°Why did they ally with you, their enemy?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired.


    ¡°Han Genji stole a piece of a mid-grade essence crystal, and we attempted to retrieve it. This piece could easily allow either of us to reach the grand-tier force by developing a half-step True Essence cultivator. Unfortunately, mid-transit, Han Genji snatched it. The very reason we kept him alive was for him to reveal where the crystal was. If found, we would split it in half. Till the very end, he refused. He was later executed and our operation ended.¡± He answered immediately.


    A piece of mid-grade essence crystal? A PIECE? He was executed over a piece!! It wasn¡¯t even a full essence crystal, but a piece! He knew that low-grade essence crystal is top quality material used for True Essence cultivators, while mid-grade was exceptionally beneficial to them, but it still infuriated him. He also knew that Han Genji and the Soaring Cloud Sect couldn¡¯t live under the same sky, but it still felt ridiculous that the Earthly Titan Sect would agree.


    It was probably more complicated than this, but the missing part was likely known only by the Earthly Titan Sect.


    Softly nodding at the answer while holding in his anger, Yan Zaizen continued his questioning, ¡°Why was the Yan Clan taken by the Water Veil Sect?¡±


    The clan leader didn¡¯t even skip a beat to answer, even though he was curious as to how this matters, if it leads to another force that he hated to suffer, why not spill everything? ¡°After the dispute, the Ya Clan left and resided in the Water Veil Territory. Unfortunately, the Yan Clan didn¡¯t like this and attacked the Ya Clan, killing a few and capturing others. From what I know, the Water Veil Sect demanded us to hand them over or launch full-blown war. We relented. In truth, we were going to eliminate them ourselves. I suppose the Ya Clan wanted the pleasure.¡± He spoke casually.


    The Yan Clan was the source of their issues; how could they not decide to thoroughly eliminate this failure of a clan?


    Yan Zaizen was quiet for a moment, following up, ¡°Do you know if they¡¯re still alive?¡± However, the clan leader immediately shook his head, obviously ignorant.


    Taking a deep breath, he gave a soft nod. ¡°Thanks.¡± A tendril constructed of silver-blue aurora-like soul energy formed, with two sharp movements, both of the last of the upper-echelon members of the Soaring Cloud Sect was dealt with. Their deaths as painless as possible.


    Finally taking a gander at Zhao Huoli, he spoke softly, ¡°Do you know what¡¯s happened to the Yan Clan?¡±


    This question caused shivers to run down Zhao Huoli¡¯s spine, and he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head nervously. The Water Veil Sect was now a grand-tier force with a True Essence expert at the helm; they wouldn¡¯t dare send spies to investigate details regarding them at this very moment. It¡¯ll be like asking for conflict if a mishap occurred.


    Suddenly, his vision turned black as he slipped into unconsciousness.


    Yan Zaizen turned around, ignoring the young woman¡¯s startled look. With a voice filled with harsh anger, he instructed, ¡°Take it all.¡±

 Chapter 87 - Why We Fight

    Tao¡¯s eyes revealed an unusual glint at Yan Zaizen¡¯s instruction. Yan Zaizen was undergoing a shift in personality, but lately, he¡¯s grown to develop a penchant for wealth and robbery. Every single chance to obtain further wealth was taken to its fullest. He couldn¡¯t help but worry if Yan Zaizen may let his greed get the better of him in the upcoming days, because the majority of grudges and deaths were produced by greed.


    Bai Lufeng, however, didn¡¯t have the same worries. Since Yan Zaizen stood at the apex of the country, what did he have to fear? If he wanted to rob the world, then rob the world. If he wanted to kill, then kill! This was the cultivator¡¯s way - strength above all else.


    They both nodded despite their own differing opinions and made their move to sweep the entirety of the slumbering Soaring Cloud Sect clean. Every last piece of wealth it had, all spatial possessions on everyone¡¯s waist, finger or wrist was taken.


    ¡°The Water Veil Sect¡­¡± Yan Zaizen silently mumbled, his thoughts conflicted. He couldn¡¯t help but think about Ya Qinqan and her current status within the sect. If the Yan Clan was eradicated by her, should he get revenge?


    This may seem like an easy question considering all Ya Qinqan had done to him, but in truth, it was anything but. She was his first love, for nearly a decade he desired her, helped her, and wanted to see her dreams fulfilled. Now, her dreams were fulfilled, her marriage to Yan Jinzen was cut off, and she was obviously an unwilling participant in it all.


    ¡°If she was pressured by the Yan Clan to marry Yan Jinzen, then...should I truly hate her? If she was never truly with him, should I forget her or try again? Then...the Yan Clan...I...¡± Earlier in the Deep Mines, he made his peace with her actions, but this new piece of information illuminated an entirely different path that he thought was impossible. He felt so conflicted with his choices. The motes of white light signifying his dao started to dim with these thoughts.


    ¡°Fool.¡± Pinaka¡¯s soft voice filled with a tyrannical flare resounded in his soul. Yan Zaizen eyes widened with surprise at this insult. For the past month, Pinaka had remained silent, leaving him with only the cultivation art and some understandings of her. Besides that, she never really spoke unless necessary.


    He closed his eyes, entering his sea of consciousness. Within this sea, a white-robed, silver-haired beauty looked at him with disdain prevalent within her gaze. If one looked closely, they could even see contempt.


    ¡°Pinaka¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re a fool,¡± Pinaka stated once more, but her voice a lot colder than before. She snorted and continued despite Yan Zaizen¡¯s solemn expression, ¡°You¡¯re a cultivator, you fight to rival the heavens, to exceed the heavens, and to become an existence that signifies immortality! Yet, despite developing such a tyrannical dao, you have the mindset of a child.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but berate him.


    Earlier, while she was resting, she could feel his dao fluctuating with a hint of instability. This was very dangerous for many people, especially her who relied on his dao to exist beneath the current heavens. How could she tolerate something that threatened her existence? How could she stay silent?


    ¡°Your emotions are far too unstable. Whatever you¡¯re thinking of, I¡¯ll ask you one question: Do you truly desire it?¡± She spoke, her words straightforward and blunt.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes widened in shock. She was right...did he truly desire Ya Qinqan to be his? If so, what will he do if he had to face her, to kill her or try to make her his?


    Pinaka didn¡¯t wait for him to continue this line of thought, ¡°As a cultivator, we fight for what we want, and even the heavens stand against us. Yet, we fight it with all we are. If you desire it, THEN TAKE IT! With your dao, questioning what you want is the same as shattering who you are!¡±


    For a long moment, silence fell. Yan Zaizen felt a trace of himself become further refined and polished.


    After a while, he smiled softly, ¡°The person I am, the one I wish to be, isn¡¯t one who begs a woman to be with him or force them to do so. The person I am, the one I shall be, wants love, beauty, talent, and willingness. One that can match my own, one that can exceed my own. That¡¯s who I am. That¡¯s what I desire.¡± His words contained a strange force as the motes of light slowly started to radiate with brilliance ebe. One could see that his dao was strengthened, and his soul resonating to completion.


    Ya Qinqan may have been his first love, but if she truly loved him, she would¡¯ve said so. She would¡¯ve actively fought to be with him. With his Grandfather as the Clan Leader, if she was adamant about being with him, no one would say a single thing. Who could?


    But she didn¡¯t. Just like him, Yan Jinzen was given the same treatment. When she reached a higher sky, she abandoned them. He truly was a fool thinking otherwise.


    He looked at his soul form and couldn¡¯t help but be surprised. The aurora condensed within him was becoming more and more brilliant, but its size remained the same. It continued to shine to the point that it overshadowed even his laws.


    ¡°This¡­¡± He was shocked at this new development.


    Pinaka¡¯s brows furrowed in contemplation. After a long while of analyzing the situation, ¡°Your soul is peculiar. Your progression isn¡¯t shocking, those with their own dao typically find enlightenment regarding the soul easier than those without. However, your soul form truly is odd.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but ask. This entire situation felt odd, and he¡¯d never personally experienced it before.


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    Pinaka could see from his ignorant expression that he truly didn¡¯t know what was happening. She found this even more peculiar. Typically, enlightenment is required to progress through soul cultivation, and this feeling should be incredibly familiar with any Advanced Aurora Soul Realm cultivator. This only made her more curious as to why he looked ignorant.


    ¡°You¡¯ve reached a breakthrough point. All you lack is the proper soul essence to enlarge your Aurora, and you¡¯ll step into the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm.¡± She stated, however, she frowned even deeper this time. ¡°However, I suggest you wait.¡±


    ¡°What? Why?¡± Yan Zaizen felt excited to know his soul cultivation was progressing but felt confused at her words. Why wait? Wasn¡¯t it great if he broke through quickly?


    ¡°Do you know why soul cultivation is considered an auxiliary form of cultivation?¡± She asked, but seeing his obvious ignorance, she continued, ¡°You¡¯re currently within a small insignificant realm where the cultivators are essentially trash. However, despite this, when you attacked the initial-True Essence cultivator with twelve consecutive strikes of your soul art, he was left alive with minor injuries. Your soul cultivation with your dao infused could rival the mid-True Essence Realm, and yet....¡± Her voice was filled with disdain.


    ¡°...¡±


    Now, Yan Zaizen realized the circumstance. Indeed, despite his soul cultivation being incredibly strong, it couldn¡¯t finish off the Xi¨¡o City Lord. Of course, a majority of the reason was his lack of soul art mastery, but if a true mid-True Essence Cultivator were to attack with the same ferocity, the Xi¨¡o City Lord would be brought to an inch of his life.


    ¡°Your comprehension into arts is horrendous. It isn¡¯t related to your soul but your mentality. Unless you¡¯ve found and master a proper mental cultivation art to develop your cognitive talent, you¡¯ll take thousands of years to reach the major success stage of a superior-grade art.¡± Her words were harsh but true.


    Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but grimace at those words. He may be incredibly talented into laws, but he was absolute trash at comprehending arts. He spent eight years practicing the Great Yan Fist to the minor success stage, and that was a low-grade art. The only reason he could be said to have reached the peak initial-stage mastery in his soul arts had heavily to do with his profound soul cultivation base.


    ¡°Soul cultivation is labeled auxiliary because it is a supporting cultivation path, but the main path, the path that allows one to rival the heavens, to exceed the heavens, has to do with the Qi path.¡± She explained. The Qi path allowed one to absorb the essence of the heavens, turn it into your own, and then comprehend the myriad laws to draw power from it. By developing your own conceptual law, you could, theoretically, have such concept exceed the very heavens themselves.


    This was why it was called a concept. An idea of your own taken from the laws under the heavens.


    ¡°Your lack of Qi proficiency will cause you to stagnate, and even now, you can¡¯t even find your origin source because you¡¯ve relied too heavily on soul cultivation. You haven¡¯t even gained the slightest bit of comprehension into your origin source, your bloodline, or even used it in battle. All this time, you¡¯ve used nothing but soul cultivation, despite comprehending four world laws and a mortal law.¡± She snorted, her voice obviously filled with discontent.


    ¡°...¡±


    He didn¡¯t know how to respond. Soul cultivation placed him at the highest of the cultivation ladder within the Fallen Stars Continent, but if what she said is true, then soul cultivation isn¡¯t the path one takes to reach the peak. Her words enlightened him but left him without a way forward.


    Initially, he was planning to focus heavily on his soul cultivation, but now it felt silly. If his arts took several thousand years to reach major proficiency, then how long would it take for three? Ten thousand years? What about to perfect them? Tens of thousands of years? Hundreds?


    Would he live that long?


    ¡°Then, what should I do?¡± He asked, his eyes went dim.


    ¡°Simple. Allow me to absorb your soul energy to about ninety-five percent. With that, you¡¯ll have enough to use your spiritual sense, but not enough to rely on it heavily in battle. Focus on your conceptual laws, your qi cultivation, your body cultivation, and qi arts. Only when you must, should you use your soul arts to deal with your enemies. When you¡¯ve broken through the Origin Core Realm, then breakthrough to the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm. The benefits will be greater.¡± She stated.


    Yan Zaizen was a little skeptical towards her intentions with this offer, but he felt that what she was saying was correct, and she couldn¡¯t lie to him due to their soul oath.


    He has yet to find his origin source nor has he felt his bloodline. Tao and Bai Lufeng informed him that to reach the peak of the Qi Unification Realm, one must locate and excavate their origin source. Nothing could help one uncover it, no alchemy or support of others, but yourself.


    This was why the Origin Core Realm could be considered an impossible step for the majority of cultivators who could proceed to the Qi Unification Realm.


    Taking a deep breath, he thought for a moment and nodded. ¡°Let¡¯s do this.¡± He truly wished to find out his bloodline, but if soul cultivation would limit his ability to do so, then this was all he could do.

 Chapter 88 - The Two Books

    Seeing his decisiveness, Pinaka nodded in appreciation. ¡°In accordance with our agreement, you can utilize me in any situation you need. With this, you¡¯ll still exceed all those on this continent.¡± Her words left Yan Zaizen a little reassured in his decision. Indeed, he possessed Pinaka, a spirit-rank armament with a profound power. If he used her in accordance with his qi cultivation base and laws, who could rival him?


    He rubbed his nose softly in realization.


    Wait.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have any suitable qi arts to use.¡± He stated, realizing his dilemma had yet to pass. Besides the Yan Clan¡¯s low-grade arts and Tao¡¯s Ascending Raindrops Technique, he didn¡¯t have any other arts for qi. Not to mention, none of his arts enabled him to properly utilize his laws. If he decided to rely on his cultivation base, wouldn¡¯t he be far weaker than others due to this?


    Pinaka was shocked dumb for a second, looking at Yan Zaizen as if he was an idiot. If one truly looked at her eyes, they weren¡¯t filled with contempt or disdain, but sheer disbelief at the highest form of stupidity.


    Seeing this look on her face, he felt uncomfortable. ¡®Why was she looking at me like that?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t help but think, shifting his eyes away from that gaze.


    ¡°You...you¡­¡± Pinaka truly felt shocked hearing his words. As she was slumbered inside his soul, they were interconnected in more ways than one. Earlier, she had investigated the Meteor Ring thoroughly and found an incredible trove of books scattered about as if it was thrown around like trash. At first, she just assumed he was a disorganized person that placed very little value in arts due to his lack of talent, so she felt disdain, but now she felt truly complex.


    ¡°You!¡± She raised her hand almost instinctively, wanting so hard to make a swiping motion to slap some intelligence into this individual, but she restrained herself. After a long moment, she calmed down. ¡°You have several arts within your sub-dimensional ethereal ring.¡±


    For a second, Yan Zaizen was confused. Sub-dimensional ethereal ring? However, it soon hit him. The Meteor Ring! He couldn¡¯t help but remember him calling it that because it came from a meteor that struck him, but now it made a lot more sense. The sub-dimensional ethereal ring was like its own dimension and only the soul could interact with it.


    The arts must be those books with the strange languages.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He wanted to respond with the truth, but he felt that he¡¯ll only elicit an expression of disdain from her, so he couldn¡¯t help but hesitate. Only after struggling internally for a while did he reply, ¡°I can¡¯t read any of those books.¡±


    Pinaka went blank for a second but soon recovered. A helpless sigh resounded, ¡°You have an Aurora Soul Realm cultivation base, you can read and understand most languages.¡± She pointed out, as if saying something that was fairly known in the myriad realms.


    It was true, all languages originate from the soul, and despite them having different characters or writing styles, they all originate from that aspect to facilitate proper communication.


    When one reaches a high enough soul realm, they could instinctively comprehend written languages or even understand spoken languages. Speaking or writing it would be incredibly difficult and takes practice, but being able to read it? That was simple.


    There were exceptions, of course. For example, if a soul at the Astral Soul Realm or above created a language, then only those who¡¯ve previously studied the language or possess similar cultivation base would be able to comprehend it. Some special code-like languages could only be comprehended with the proper codex for reference.


    There were a bit more, but all of these were the minority. The majority of used languages synonymously with the same race typically are produced from the most basic of souls. As long as one was in the Perfect Nascent Soul, they¡¯d be able to comprehend it.


    Indeed, when Pinaka explained all this, Yan Zaizen realized why she thought he was dumb. At the time, he was at the Advanced Nascent Soul and because he felt he couldn¡¯t read them again, he never tried again. This realization made him gulp with shame.


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    ¡°I see.¡± Feeling her gaze on him, he shifted to the Meteor Ring. In almost an instant, he was before the scattered books. Pinaka soon formulated beside him. He was going to pick one up, but a thought hit him. He turned to Pinaka and asked, ¡°Which one is suitable for me?¡±


    There was no need to look through all of them. He imagined quite a few was useless for him to practice and Pinaka wouldn¡¯t lie, or rather, she couldn¡¯t due to the soul oath, and he trusted her.


    Earlier, Pinaka had read all of the books before. All of them were at the superior-grade or above. Unfortunately, many of them truly were unsuitable for Yan Zaizen due to his race, conceptual laws, or cultivation base. This was why she followed him, but seeing him ask for her help, she couldn¡¯t help but feel a little happy.


    She took a solemn expression, obviously taking this seriously. ¡°Hm...Most of these books are all conceptual methods, so they train a specific conceptual law, and thus their arts are defined by the concepts. Unless you¡¯ve comprehended the concept, you¡¯d be unable to bring out the full strength of the arts. However, there are two exceptions for you.¡±


    She waved her hand causing two books to float before Yan Zaizen. He analyzed them and couldn¡¯t help but be a little shocked. The first one had a violet cover with a single silver dot. This was the first book he ever picked up and he remembered it well. The second was a book with the depiction of a white planet with two black rings circling it.


    ¡°The first book a conceptual method called Violet Way of Spatial Shifting. It details how to properly utilize spatial laws, but its concept pales in comparison to yours.¡± She mentioned, recalling the Spatial Form of Infinite Stability. That conceptual law pretty much covered every concept except spatial chaos. Therefore, all the arts in that book should be usable to Yan Zaizen and even brought to greater effect than normal.


    ¡°The second book is called the Grand Heavenly Zone. It¡¯s a pinnacle-grade aura-based conceptual art.¡±


    Pinnacle-Grade?!


    In arts, pinnacle-grade arts typically referred to the absolute apex in its category. This indicated that this art stood at the apex of all aura-based arts!!


    Wait.


    ¡°Conceptual art?¡± This was the first time Yan Zaizen heard of this. There were qi-arts, soul arts, and martial arts, but he¡¯s never heard of conceptual art.


    Pinaka didn¡¯t even bother to give him the satisfaction of her disdain and directly explained, ¡°Conceptual arts rely on your conceptual laws. The greater your conceptual law, the stronger the art. The higher your mastery, the greater the art.¡± This art relied on conceptual laws, so the more profound the concept, the greater its effect. The greater the law it''s based on ¡ª Mortal, World, or Imperial ¡ª the stronger it becomes.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly surprised you have this art in your possession. This was originally an art of someone who exceeded the heavens. With every word he said, all listened. With every movement he made, all bowed in submission. With a single wave of his hand, he could cause the heavens to collapse. This shouldn¡¯t even exist beneath the heavens but beyond that.¡± Pinaka spoke, her words filled with reverence and respect. One could tell she knew who this individual was and likely even had interactions in the past with him.


    However, Yan Zaizen focused on her last words. ¡°Beyond the heavens?¡± Inwardly, he was shocked. He knew of exceeding the heavens, but what was beyond? What could cultivators fight so hard to reach?


    Pinaka looked at him with a bit of pity. This caused Yan Zaizen to be dumbfounded.


    She only spoke a few words, ¡°Below the heavens are the earths and the skies, beyond the heavens are the earths and the skies.¡±


    What?! What the hell did that mean?


    ¡°When you¡¯ve reached a point where you take your first step towards the heavens, you¡¯ll know. Until then, I suggest you focus on other things.¡± With those words, she vanished from his sight, leaving him more confused than he had ever been before.

 Chapter 89 - Meeting Once Again

    Yan Zaizen waited at the entrance of the Soaring Cloud Sect, his expression filled with contemplation. The words from Pinaka left him feeling complex.


    ¡®Below the heavens are the earths and skies, beyond the heavens are the earths and skies.¡¯


    Did exceeding the heavens mean going to the earths and skies beyond it? If so, what were the heavens? He felt like it wasn¡¯t something like the sky but more so like...a force. This force contained the myriad of things, the laws, life, death, and souls. You require its blessings to construct your own dao, which could rival it, which could allow you to exceed it, but...why?


    He felt like the world he lived in was far too complex with far too many mysteries. Not to mention, his own. He touched his glabella and felt really lost. Earlier, when he killed those upper-echelon members, their soul forms flew out of their bodies into his glabella. Later, it was devoured by the black hole and fueled his own strength.


    ¡°Is this my bloodline or...is this something else?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but question inwardly. He asked Pinaka about it but was left with no answer. Her only response: "I¡¯m unsure." Despite this, she knew that there was a trap on his soul and that any attempt to take it for their own uses would result in it activating that would devour all intruders.


    The mysteries were ceaselessly being created with each step he took in his cultivation path. Perhaps, one day, he¡¯ll reach a point where all answers laid before him.


    Several hours later, Tao and Bai Lufeng arrived, their eyes filled with excitement and content. One could see they robbed the Soaring Cloud Sect for all its worth, and probably even its foundation.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± He instruction, bringing out the skyship and taking off.


    Bai Lufeng eyes lit up as he piloted the ship. To him, it was truly worth following Yan Zaizen on this trip. Despite his youth, he was ruthless to his enemies. From henceforth, the Soaring Cloud Sect would no longer exist. He looked on the deck, seeing Yan Zaizen seated cross-legged with his eyes closed. Tao was leaning on the ship¡¯s railing, looking out at the passing surroundings with interest.


    ¡°Where are we heading, Young Lord Zai?¡± Bai Lufeng inquired.


    Initially, Yan Zaizen was planning on going to the Earthly Titan Sect for revenge, both personally and for Han Genji. However, he decided to check on his family first. Despite his shaky relationship with his clan, he still had few people he cared about, like his grandfather, his aunt, and uncle. They showed him care when others spat on his face.


    In comparison, the Earthly Titan Sect will always be there and getting his revenge would only be a mere thought away. In terms of strength, the Earthly Titan Sect and Soaring Cloud Sect were relatively even in strength. There was not much to worry about.


    However, the Yan Clan and their fate left him feeling uneasy. It was to the point that Yan Zaizen asked Pinaka to enact the plan of consuming the majority of his soul energy for her recovery after he finishes his business in Presba.


    He wasn¡¯t an idiot to think he could use his late-Qi Unification to easily trounce an initial-True Essence realm cultivator backed by numerous forces without it. Pinaka understood this too and agreed without hesitation. What was a few months to her? She had a thousand years left.


    ¡°To the Water Veil Territory. We¡¯ll make an appearance at the Water Veil Sect.¡± He determined. Tao nodded softly, as if judging Yan Zaizen correctly. If he truly insisted on waiting to check his Clan¡¯s status, the cold-bloodedness would be a little terrifying. Regardless of how they treated you, they were still family. You should always check up on family, if only just to be sure. Of course, if they were dead, whether you feel anything significant is up to you.


    Not to mention, it was more convenient to travel to the Water Veil Territory than go to the Earthly Titan Territory.


    Bai Lufeng nodded, knowing Yan Zaizen¡¯s intentions, and shifted course towards the Water Veil Territory. This trip on the skyship should take a few weeks, as for reaching the Water Veil Sect, perhaps a month and a half.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    Several weeks later, Yan Zaizen was trying to comprehend the Violet Way of Spatial Shifting qi-arts. The first one was a superior-grade art called The Nine Void Shifting Art, a movement-based internal art that allowed one to physically shift through the spatial void. Both unfortunately and fortunately for Yan Zaizen, whenever he tried to execute the art, he kept shifting into chaotic space. Chaotic space was incapable of bringing him any harm, but it was filled with nothingness.


    However, after a while, he realized that he could execute the art using chaotic space instead of the spatial void. Shifting in the spatial void revealed fluctuations which could be noticed by others, despite the speed being incredible, it was a little too noticeable. As for chaotic space, entering and exiting it was as silent as the arrival of night.


    The only issue was determining the destination for exit and keeping awareness of one¡¯s location both inside and outside chaotic space. While spatial void entering or exiting leaves noticeable fluctuations, it''s also easier to navigate within. Chaotic space, however, was incredibly difficult. It took him two weeks of non-stop practice before he could keep minimal awareness of the outside world.


    Luckily, he developed a trick to it. By leaving his spiritual sense connected both into and outside of chaotic space, he could determine his destination. This, however, had its issues. His spiritual sense connection couldn¡¯t last for long so long-distance travel was essentially impossible. However, as long as it was within 10 li, he could shift there almost instantly.


    He also found something interesting and disturbing at the same time.


    Chaotic space ran on a different timeline than the normal world. Essentially, it was for every day that passed in chaotic space, merely an hour passed in the myriad realms. However, this was its most consistent time difference. Sometimes, it can even be a minute having passed instead.


    When Pinaka informed him that he was three years older than he originally thought, he was flabbergasted to the point he couldn''t move. He was stuck in chaotic space for three years but was unconscious for most of it. Today, by bone age, he was twenty-two years old instead of nineteen.


    For three full years, the white flame and inky black orb kept him living. For three full years, he was constantly pulled apart by chaotic space. In hindsight, it made sense he was capable of comprehending a conceptual law based on it.


    With the time difference, he could practice cultivation in chaotic space. Unfortunately, chaotic space was the least suitable place for most forms of cultivation except comprehending spatial laws or practicing spatial arts.


    ¡°Since it uses chaotic space and not the void, I guess I should change its name, huh?¡± He muttered softly to him. After a while, his eyes lit up in brilliance as he exclaimed, ¡°Infinite Chaotic Immersion Art!¡± He couldn¡¯t help but feel somewhat proud of his naming sense. It fit better with his conceptual law and its execution.


    ¡°WAIT!!¡± His eyes widened in surprise as he thundered aloud. In a flash, he merged into chaotic space with a slight nearly imperceptible pop sound. Almost an instant later, he arrived on the deck of the skyship. Tao was looking about at the world on the deck. He was writing in his cultivation diary, a diary where one keeps all their insights into their cultivation within the book.


    As for Bai Lufeng, he was whistling carefreely as he held the helm of the skyship. Sometimes he would do a little daring shift here, a little twirl there to keep himself entertained. With the formations on the ship, it¡¯d be nearly impossible to disturb Yan Zaizen or Tao within the ship.


    Suddenly, Yan Zaizen¡¯s shout from his cultivation room resounded causing them to be startled. However, no fear was on their faces. One could see that their belief in Yan Zaizen¡¯s ability had already left them with a comfortable sensation of safety.


    As Yan Zaizen emerged from chaotic space with the most subtle popping sound, he dashed towards the railings and looked outwards. His expression was filled with disbelief and a little excitement. Tao and Bai Lufeng were curious, looking outwards too. However, they didn''t have Yan Zaizen extraordinary spiritual sense and could only use what they could.


    Inside the Water Veil Territory, a young woman dressed in white sat beside a pond slowly caressing the clear water with her hand. She was a beauty with a chilling aura that made one feel as if they were in a blizzard. Beside her was an older woman, she was a mature beauty with icy-blue hair and a freezing chill in her eyes far more intense than the young woman¡¯s aura. It was as if her gaze could freeze one¡¯s soul.


    However, whenever she looked at the young woman, she revealed a slight trace of warmth. If one looked closely, they could see a slight resemblance between them.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er.¡± The woman called out, despite her chilly tone, her voice contained faint warmth. The young woman stopped her caressing and looked at the middle-aged woman, she couldn¡¯t help but reveal a conflicted gaze deep within her pupils. However, that gaze was swiftly concealed with indifference.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready.¡± She replied, getting up and straightening out her robe.


    The middle-aged woman seemed to want to say something but remained silent. Until her brows furrowed and she looked towards a certain direction.


    From there, three figures were slowly flying over on a skyship.

 Chapter 90 - The Reunion

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe she¡¯s here.¡± Yan Zaizen softly muttered to himself, feeling slightly bewildered while simultaneously being excited. Earlier, Yan Zaizen kept his spiritual sense spread outwards for practicing his new Infinite Chaotic Immersion Art and inadvertently recognized a lifeforce signature he was quite familiar with.


    This signature belonged to the one and only: Lin Feilin!


    Earlier, when Han Genji initially took him to his mountain, Lin Feilin was responsible for him. He still remembered when he overdid his cultivation and lost consciousness. When he regained it, Lin Feilin helped him to bed and even gave him words of encouragement. She kept giving him resources and explained little details about cultivation to him. It may have been brief, but it was a time where he was naive and weak.


    She took care of him then, and he owes her for that.


    After, they met in Xuanwu City. She patiently explained several of his questions with pristine detail and even informed him how to get back home. At the time, she was in the Vanishing Fiend Sect, or at least, she was within a group of Vanishing Fiend Sect disciples. If there were anyone he truly felt good-will towards, it would be his aunt, uncle, Tao and Lin Feilin.


    As the skyship approached, the middle-aged woman was obviously on guard. As if readying herself, a slight trace of her qi cultivation base seeped outwards in warning.


    ¡°Oh? A peak-Qi Unification cultivator?¡± Bai Lufeng amusedly inspected, his eyes revealed a little playfulness. As for Tao, he looked at the two women and back at Yan Zaizen. ¡°Is that her?¡± He asked, obviously having some clues as to who the young woman was. Yan Zaizen softly nodded in reply.


    The skyship landed softly nearby. Surprisingly, the middle-aged woman stood her ground, not taking off in a hurry. This was only because if these three were intent on chasing after her, the skyship would be able to do so easily. What was the point? She also didn¡¯t know their intentions or reasoning for landing.


    Yan Zaizen was the first to jump off the edge of the ship and land. Bai Lufeng and Tao followed, staying a step behind Yan Zaizen as they approached the two.


    Lin Feilin looked at the three and couldn¡¯t help but feel slightly odd in her heart. As if she should recognize them but can¡¯t. It was like an itch in one¡¯s head that just constantly irritating you because it''s at the tip of your tongue.


    It made sense; Yan Zaizen had changed too drastically during these three years. Not only did he become more muscular, taller, handsome, his amber eyes contained vibrancy that it lacked before, and his dao gave him a unique aura of an unyielding confidence. All of the traits that weren¡¯t synonymous with Yan Zaizen before.


    As for the middle-aged woman, she was more vigilant in her response, directly asking, ¡°May I ask what I, Lin Qinlin, can help you three with?¡±


    Yan Zaizen looked at this woman and couldn¡¯t help but be slightly surprised. This Lin Qinlin looked about 50-60% similar to Lin Feilin and she possesses the same Clan Name and Family Line as Lin Feilin. This obviously indicated their relations. At that point, his expression was slightly more respectful than his neutral smile. For all he knew, this was Lin Feilin¡¯s mother or aunt. He didn¡¯t want to offer bad first impressions.


    ¡°It is a pleasure to meet you, Lin Qinlin. My name is Yan Zaizen. This is Tao, and this is Bai Lufeng. They¡¯re my companions.¡± His tone was respectful as he introduced himself and the others, trying to not elicit any violent reaction from Lin Qinlin.


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    ¡°What?!¡± Lin Feilin was so shocked that she couldn¡¯t help but exclaim aloud in disbelief. Her expression turned ferocious and her qi cultivation base at the mid-Essence Formation Realm exploded outwards.


    ¡°You lie!¡± Lin Feilin couldn¡¯t believe it. The Yan Zaizen she remembered was a malnourished youth filled with a weak intensity, and that was three years ago. He was trash beyond trash, not someone who could even be on a skyship let alone be the obvious leader of one. No matter what, she couldn¡¯t, no, wouldn¡¯t believe it. Her icy-cold expression contained a hint of intense ferocity that Yan Zaizen had never felt before from her.


    The middle-aged woman¡¯s cultivation base exploded as well, readying for a fight to ensue. Seeing her niece¡¯s reaction, how could she not be ready?


    Bai Lufeng, he had a nearly imperceptible sneer on his face seeing their reactions. It was truly like seeing small white bunnies trying to bark at a dragon. However, Yan Zaizen chuckled softly at this.


    He responded with words he¡¯ll never forget, ¡°You may be trash now, but that doesn''t mean it''ll remain that way. For those without talent, they must struggle to thrive. For those without fate on their side, they must grasp fate for themselves. Work hard.¡± Every word contained a trace of emotion that was impossible to miss. These words had a profound effect on Yan Zaizen than anyone could imagine. At the time, he was contemplating quitting cultivating the Immortal Herculean Method due to possible death, but because of those well-timed words, he kept going.


    Because of these very words, his dao manifested the unyielding confidence aspect. That¡¯s how profoundly important it was to him.


    Lin Feilin was stunned for a long moment, her aura deflating almost instantly upon hearing those words. Despite those words being said three years ago, she had an impeccable memory, and those words were important to herself as well.


    ¡°You...you¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t believe what was happening in front of her.


    Yan Zaizen had a big smile on his face, ¡°I wonder, am I still trash?¡± His qi cultivation base amplified by his dao slowly revealed itself, but its aura was so intensely dominating that even Tao couldn¡¯t match. The surroundings were filled with a myriad of lights as traces of laws scattered about like vapor within the wind.


    This made the already tall and handsome Yan Zaizen be even more prominently so. Even the middle-aged woman could feel her heart skip a beat looking at him during this moment. The effect on Lin Feilin was far greater. She was completely silenced, unsure of what to say.


    However, it wasn¡¯t over. As if not wanting to be left behind, Bai Lufeng slowly had his qi cultivation base erupted causing a sharpness to permeate the air.


    ¡°ORIGIN CORE REALM!!¡± Lin Qinlin''s eyes widened in shock.


    Tao, obviously disliking that Bai Lufeng was trying to show off, revealed his cultivation base as well.


    ¡°TWO?!¡± Lin Qinlin couldn¡¯t help but feel profoundly shocked. Why would two Origin Core Realm experts be here, and who was this kid that they obviously followed? She couldn¡¯t wrap her mind around all this. To her, Origin Core Realm experts were top-tier kings and queens of their respective areas. Anyone of them could take a city as their own, or create a first-tier force that could fight for resources and territory.


    Yan Zaizen looked at Lin Feilin with a soft gaze, ¡°It¡¯s been three years. It¡¯s good to see you again."

 Chapter 91 - The Tale of Lin Feilin

    Dusk slowly arrived, drawing down the sun and revealing the bright silver moon. Sitting near a campfire made by Tao, Lin Feilin and Yan Zaizen sat across from each other in conversation.


    Lin Feilin eyes were still filled with a faint disbelief, but she was far calmer than before. The icy-aura she once radiated was toned down, and a strange beautiful look of inquiry dominated her expression. It¡¯s been several hours since their reunion and Yan Zaizen had been telling her about his journey thus far. Each detail was far more surprising than the last.


    The Ying Family¡¯s scheme, the two clans trap, him being schemed against by the Xuanwu City Lord, the events of Grux, what he discovered on his return and the fate of the Soaring Cloud Sect.


    ¡°Do you mean¡­¡± Her lips were quivering as she said in disbelief. She tried to cover it up, but unlike before when they met in Xuanwu City, she couldn¡¯t. The weight of the Soaring Cloud Sect and the revenge of her master gradually being lifted up seemed to have done something to her mentally.


    ¡°Yes. The Soaring Cloud Sect is no more. Master has been avenged and all those responsible for his wife¡¯s death has followed along.¡± He said confidently, reassuring her of his actions once more. However, he didn¡¯t expect that when his words were said, Lin Feilin eyes would glisten with tears.


    ¡°You¡­¡± Before he could say more, the tears flowed like two streams. She tried to wipe her tears away with her sleeve, but it continued to fall.


    ¡°I¡¯m...thank you. Thank you so much.¡± Her words caused Yan Zaizen to feel surprised, but soon after, he had a slight smile. It¡¯s truly unfortunate that he couldn¡¯t save Han Genji¡¯s life, but he was stuck in the Deep Mines at the time. What could he do? However, seeing the expression of sublime relief plastered on Lin Feilin¡¯s beautiful face made it all feel worth it.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what this means to me.¡± She said, her face filling up with a smile so beautiful that the surrounding world turned dim almost instantly. It was as if her smile devoured all the beauty in the world, leaving only it and it alone to be marveled at by all.


    He couldn¡¯t help but feel his heart skip several beats and restart with such a thump that he could¡¯ve sworn it echoed outwards. For a second, he lost his bearings as he couldn¡¯t help but imagine what life would be like if a girl as beautiful as Lin Feilin would become his wife. Would he be satisfied?


    Lin Feilin noticed his strange expression and revealed a curious stare. Yan Zaizen saw this gaze and rubbed his nose in a little embarrassment at his thoughts. Clearing his throat, he attempted to change the subject, ¡°What about you? What has happened to you in these three years?¡±


    This was truly a question that left him bewildered and wanting answers. Three years ago, he saw her with the Vanishing Fiend Sect and now she was in the Water Veil Territory. Not to mention, she seemed to be with her relative. Only now did he realize that he knew next to nothing about Lin Feilin outside of her status as a fellow disciple.


    Hearing his question, Lin Feilin corrected her posture and wiped her tears off. With a sniffle to pull all of her crying back, her eyes turned solemn and a little bit sad. It made it hard for one not to feel pity towards his icy-cold beauty.


    ¡°I joined the Vanishing Fiend Sect, however, when I did, I met my aunt who I thought was dead soon after.¡± She looked at Lin Qinlin and said. Currently, Lin Qinlin was having a conversation with Bai Lufeng, and one could see that he was flirting with her. His posture, hand movement, and eyes were filled with clues of this. Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but inwardly shake his head, but it didn¡¯t seem like Lin Qinlin was ignoring him.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes widened slightly as he realized that this middle-aged woman was blushing like a little girl in the springtime of love. What the hell was he saying? He made a mental note to try to get notes from Bai Lufeng, but of course, without Tao knowing.


    Unbeknownst to Yan Zaizen, Tao intended to do the same.


    Lin Feilin continued, ignoring her aunt¡¯s interactions, ¡°She¡¯s an elder of the Water Veil Sect. She invited me to join with a few of my other clan members, and I did.¡± Her story was rather simple, but Yan Zaizen felt that she wasn¡¯t telling him everything.


    That being said, three years is truly not a long time for any major change to happen to a person. For example, Bai Lufeng was three thousand years old and Tao was seven hundred years old. For cultivators with long lifespans, three years could just be a single cultivation session - even to someone at the Essence Formation Realm.


    ¡°Your clan?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired, his words obviously wanting to know more.


    Lin Feilin stayed silent for a long moment, as if unwilling to respond, but she clenched her fist and seemed to have made an internal decision.


    ¡°I was born to the Lin Clan within the Water Veil Territory. The Lin clan owned a bountiful mine at the border of the Soaring Cloud Sect territory. Ten years ago, our clan was nearly annihilated, and the mine was taken by what they called ¡®bandits¡¯. However, the Soaring Cloud Sect still took control of the mine soon afterwards which, as you can suspect, meant they likely had something to do with it.¡± She explained.


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    Yan Zaizen now understood why she was so relieved that the Soaring Cloud Sect was eliminated. Similar to Shin Xuanji, Lin Feilin suffered a similar situation at the hands of the Soaring Cloud Sect. Truly, the cultivation world was cruel and vicious. Without strength or proper backing, it¡¯s highly likely your end will come swiftly. As for why the Yan Clan was capable of surviving for nearly a thousand years, that was due to Meteorite City and the Soaring Cloud Sect¡¯s support.


    Meteorite City was far away from any external enemies and was the local hegemon for hundreds of years with no one capable of usurping their position. They seemed to also have been decisive in eliminating all of their internal enemies thoroughly. Unfortunately, it seems that Shin Xuanji survived. Not to mention, their downfall was caused by the hubris of Yan Jinzen and the Soaring Cloud Sect.


    ¡°The cultivation world truly is vicious. A single mistake is all it takes¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but silently whisper to himself.


    ¡°A portion of my clan members survived and took shelter under the Water Veil Sect. The females were inducted as older disciples and outer elders, while the males were sent elsewhere. It was how the Lin Family survived. Of my direct family line, only my aunt is alive. As for me, I¡¯ve been invited as an Inner Disciple of the Water Veil Sect.¡± Lin Feilin¡¯s life story wasn¡¯t overly complicated and aligned with the truth that was the cruelty of cultivation - the strong prevailed.


    She was fortunate enough to survive and become an inner court disciple of the Water Veil Sect despite her age. To most, this would be a blessing. However, when she said it, it didn¡¯t feel like one.


    ¡°Is that it?¡± Yan Zaizen asked, feeling as if an important piece of her story was missing. For example, why she was outside of the Water Veil Sect with her aunt despite being an Inner Disciple. Shouldn¡¯t she try to cultivate her best for revenge against the Soaring Cloud Sect?


    Lin Feilin eyes turned icy-cold and her expression gradually turned indifferent. ¡°I agreed to an engagement with another.¡±


    What?!


    Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but feel inwardly shocked and also a little saddened at this. For some odd inexplicable reason, he felt a little frustrated. However, this frustration was fleeting and unstable as if it was barely there.


    ¡°Six months ago, I agreed to marry a man by the name of Khan Saiyu. He¡¯s the direct descendant of a Grand Elder in the Earthly Titan Sect. The reason¡­¡± She looked as if she wanted to continue, but now she felt a little lost. The reason was obvious: Revenge for Han Genji and the Lin Clan.


    However, now what?


    Everything has already been cleared up before she even knew what to do. However, the marriage was set for a month from now. Her leaving the sect¡¯s grounds was so that she could clear her thoughts and ready herself mentally for the sacrifice. But was there a reason to do so anymore?


    Shockingly, when Yan Zaizen heard her and knew of the implications, he couldn¡¯t help but chuckle loudly. It drew the attention of Tao, Bai Lufeng, and Lin Qinlin. He shouted asked, his voice filled with tyrannical ferocity, ¡°Do you want to get married to this man?!¡±


    Despite being shocked, as if instinctively, she shook her head softly. When Lin Qinlin saw this, her expression instantly turned somber. Her refusal after her previous acceptance could have severe repercussions for the entire Lin Family within the Water Veil Sect. Their status wasn¡¯t high, their strength wasn¡¯t great, and the Earthly Titan Sect and Water Veil Sect have a deep connection that no one knew until their alliance.


    However, how could Yan Zaizen care even if he knew any of this?


    ¡°Then fine!¡± He thundered, ¡°As your Ninth Brother, how could I let you marry unwillingly? If you say yes, then heavens better not say no. If you say no, I dare anyone in this entire country to say otherwise!¡± His voice was filled with rambunctious laughter. His expression reverted back to his previously practiced heroic expression, but this time, with his handsome features and tall stature, he truly looked like a hero described in books.


    ¡°Let¡¯s annul this engagement! Are you willing?¡± He turned towards Lin Feilin and reached out his hand to her. His eyes filled with unyielding confidence and warmth. For some inexplicable reason, she felt that as long as she grabbed his hand, the world itself would have to make way. It filled her with confidence. She looked at Lin Qinlin¡¯s dark expression filled with shock and surprise, and couldn¡¯t help but nod inwardly.


    She grabbed his hand with gusto.


    ¡°Haha! I am!¡± Her icy-cold voice and indifferent expression melted away, filled with an infectiously mesmerizing smile and warm happiness.

 Chapter 92 - The Infectious Dao

    ¡°The dao truly is infectious,¡± Tao commented by the side, his eyes flickering with traces of profound intelligence. As a person who spent two years besides Yan Zaizen, he knew this more than anyone. A person with the dao could gather followers as easily as picking up a pebble on the side of the street. People intentionally and unintentionally flock around, desiring what they have, and seeking the dao within them.


    Earlier, even he realized that his personality was being slowly affected by Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao. Not to mention, this dao was still in its developmental stages, but it was still so incredibly strong that he felt the desire to listen to Yan Zaizen¡¯s every word and watch his every action.


    ¡°Tyrannical ferocity, somber calmness, unyielding confidence, ice-cold decisiveness, and heartfelt warmth. To have so many characteristics that synchronize so perfectly together, if the rumors are true, his dao will certainly be an extraordinary one.¡± Tao whispered to himself, looking at Yan Zaizen and Lin Feilin.


    From what he knew, the dao in its early stages was born from one¡¯s past experiences and actions, and there were quite a few whose dao would shatter before fully forming. Yan Zaizen almost suffered this due to his indecisiveness and lack of confidence when thinking of Ya Qinqan, and only when he rectified these thoughts, was his dao further accentuated towards completion. If he had kept that unstable mindset, it¡¯s possible his dao could¡¯ve shattered and vanished from existence. This is why Pinaka helped him, if that happened, then the heavens would surely smite her.


    The dao was a fragile internal law that existed within oneself. It was like manifesting your own law, one that solely belongs to you and you only. When Yan Zaizen saw the motes of light before, his assumption was correct, if he combined all the motes of light into a single entity and comprehended it thoroughly, it truly would rival heavenly law as a whole.


    It could, theoretically, become its own heaven.


    For those with a dao even greater than normal, it could even exceed it.


    ¡°What is the heavens truly?¡± Tao couldn¡¯t help but mutter softly, his eyes filled with confusion and ponderance. Many knew what the heavens were, the regulator and controller of the myriad realms, but many records state that it¡¯s so much more than just that. Some records even mention that the heavens are the dao and the dao was the heavens. Unfortunately, his realm and comprehension were far too low to sift through the truths and falsities of these rumors.


    ¡°Fei¡¯er, this is serious!¡± Lin Qinlin shouted, her tone was exasperated by their ignorantly casual words. The world didn¡¯t just work like that. You couldn¡¯t make a promise and break it without consequences, and simply deciding that you would no longer marry someone you swore to was a humiliating affair that could breed a death grudge.


    However, Bai Lufeng spoke before Lin Qinlin could continue. Despite loving to see weaklings overestimate themselves and underestimate others, he couldn¡¯t allow this beauty to do so. ¡°Qinlin, you must understand, Young Lord Zai, ahem, if he decides that she won¡¯t be married. I don¡¯t think anyone on the continent could tell him otherwise.¡± He was trying to figure out a way to say it without revealing too much.


    This, however, only caused Lin Qinlin to feel further infuriated, but she kept it all inward seeing Bai Lufeng speak. Bai Lufeng was a mid-Origin Core Realm cultivator who took an interest in her, and he was her ticket into the Origin Core Realm. Earlier, they were just talking about a grand-tier Origin Consolidation Pill that could guarantee half-step Origin Core cultivators an ascension into the realm.


    How could she ruin her chances to argue over this?


    If it wasn¡¯t for that, why would she flirt so obviously with another man? She had a little more self-respect than others, but an additional three thousand plus years of life, as well as a huge standing in the cultivation world, was sufficient for her to place that respect into the trash bin. Not to mention, a mid-Origin Core Realm expert as a backer would set her up nicely for the future. Each stage in the realm was like the difference between the earth and the sky.


    She went silent, nodding towards him with a shy expression. Bai Lufeng could see her thoughts and couldn¡¯t help but laugh inwardly. There were countless people like this Lin Qinlin. The ones who act high and mighty to all those lower, but obedient and seeking favoritism from those stronger and more wealthy than themselves.


    The non-cultivation world had a name for them: Gold-diggers.


    Despite this, Bai Lufeng was ecstatic.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.Tao looked over and couldn¡¯t help but inwardly shake his head. In the cultivation world, one truly doesn¡¯t know how important strength and wealth is until they¡¯ve lived hundreds or thousands of years in struggle. Women like Lin Qinlin were a dime a dozen, quite literally. It wasn¡¯t just restricted to women either, but men take the same course of actions. Many are willing to throw down their bottom lines for wealth, status, personal power, and most importantly, longevity.


    This is why robbery was so prevalent in the cultivation world and why Grux slave culture was required with their population density and resources.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t take Lin Qinlin seriously. He looked at Lin Feilin¡¯s soft hand which was within his own, and couldn¡¯t help but have particular thoughts. As for Lin Feilin, she was staring at him with that mesmerizing smile on her face and looked at him as if he was the only person in the world. A little embarrassed, he looked at Bai Lufeng and instructed, ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    Bai Lufeng promptly nodded, executing his movement art and arriving at the helm of the skyship. He brought it closer, for ease of boarding.


    Lin Feilin seemed to notice her hand being in contact with Yan Zaizen for a little too long, and she quickly pulled it away. Her expression returning back to its icy-cold gaze and indifferent expression, but it was hard not to see the soft blush on her face. She jumped onto the skyship first, as if trying to avoid his gaze.


    Yan Zaizen laughed at this. Yan Zaizen and Tao slowly ascended on the deck, while Lin Qinlin also followed suit. Internally, she was cursing their actions and hoped that nothing too serious takes place. After they realize their overestimation, perhaps they¡¯ll even join the Water Veil Sect. She arrived next to Bai Lufeng, her face still containing that flirty shy expression and she engaged in conversation with him.


    Tao escorted Lin Feilin to a cultivation cabin as per her request and Yan Zaizen stayed on the deck looking at the surroundings in deep contemplation. Only when Tao returned and arrived beside Yan Zaizen did his eyes show signs of activity. ¡°Tao, my Dao. Do you¡­¡± This wasn¡¯t the first time he realized the effect he had on people. In the Deep Mines, he could make others feel fear due to his tyrannical ferocity, and now, he could obviously tell that Lin Feilin was affected by his unyielding confidence and warmth.


    He realized that the lower one¡¯s soul cultivation base and qi cultivation was, the easier it was to affect them. He feared that her feelings of warmth were gained from his own, and his existential thoughts of them possibly pairing could affect her feelings as well. Could it be...that if she developed feelings for him, it wasn¡¯t her own?


    This scared him a little.


    Tao, however, could only sigh at his thoughts. ¡°I can¡¯t say for certain, but she trusted your word of the Soaring Cloud Sect destruction without a single shred of proof. She trusted you to help her out despite the repercussions if you failed. If she¡¯s smart, then she should have realized this. But she didn¡¯t.¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart dropped. Indeed, his dao can inspire confidence not only from himself but to others, and her low cultivation base caused her to naturally trust him. In that case, was it real? Would any feelings she has for him be nothing less than manipulation via his dao? If he said that he loved her, would she respond in kind despite not knowing him more than a month? Despite them not interacting too deeply?


    He felt that would be the case.


    ¡°I said it before, no one in this continent is worthy of you. If you decide to formulate your own harem, it¡¯ll be only a snap of your fingers away and the women will pile, but if you want something true, then that¡¯ll be difficult. However, if you wait till your dao fully formulate, it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult to find someone. At this moment, your dao aura is slowly condensing and becoming stable, but it leaks far too often. When you can prevent that from happening, you¡¯ll know it¡¯s true. Until then, don''t think about it too much or stifle your desires. Act how you wish.¡± Tao reassured him.


    Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but feel irritated by this. However, if that¡¯s the case, then he¡¯ll simply wait. Perhaps he and Lin Feilin had a future, perhaps they didn¡¯t, but he¡¯ll have to wait until that day comes.


    ¡°Those who possess the dao has the grace of the heavens bestowed upon them, what individual can resist willingly? It¡¯s like resisting the very heavens, too difficult.¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice resounded within his consciousness. One can hear the sheer bitterness in her voice from these words. However, she didn¡¯t say anything else and slowly went back into deep recovery.


    Yan Zaizen sighed, his eyes looking at the skies. ¡°Well, I¡¯m young anyways. I have time.¡± He comforted himself, his gaze filled with the unyielding confidence of his future.

 Chapter 93 - Water Veil Sect

    Yan Zaizen was within his cabin contemplating his Infinite Chaotic Immersion Art, and he felt that this art could be used for things other than just movement. What if he could send attacks into chaotic space and redirect them? When this thought arrived, he attempted it with Tao, but was left sorely disappointed. The moment an attack of another entered chaotic space, it would be ripped apart in an infinite number of directions. Due to the time difference within, a second was like a minute. Barely anything could survive this.


    That being said, he could use it to immerse enemy attacks for defense, but when he tried, he realized the strain was incredible. This had to do with his low cultivation base, the larger the opening, the greater the qi-essence consumption. Not to mention, the greater the power, the higher the qi-essence consumption. This meant it had limited capabilities for now, but the theory left many possibilities that could only be excavated with a higher cultivation base.


    For example, things with his qi-essence weren''t affected by the chaotic space ripping effect. If he shot an arrow into chaotic space, and had it reappear right in front of an enemy, the surprise factor would be incredible. He just needed to get proficient at sending other objects besides himself inside and controlling their exit paths. The level of control was staggeringly high, and he didn¡¯t possess it yet.


    While he was practicing his art, the others were doing their own things. Tao was currently at the helm of the ship, while Bai Lufeng and Lin Qinlin were absent. Lin Feilin was cultivating in her personal cabin without leaving. As for the two absentees, if one looked closely, they were both in Bai Lufeng¡¯s cabin doing god knows what.


    What shocked Yan Zaizen was that Bai Lufeng asked him if he could have an Origin Consolidating Pill. It wasn¡¯t to use, but for display. Seeing his pathetic begging expression, Yan Zaizen relented. He even decided to give it to him. To Yan Zaizen, an Origin Consolidating Pill didn¡¯t have too much value at the moment. He had six after Tao used one, so what¡¯s the point of being stingy? If he needed more, he could simply buy them later.


    He also found out that an Origin Consolidating Pill could help initial-Origin Core Realm cultivators to progress to the mid-stage. So he gave Tao three for his own usage, while keeping the other three for himself. Since he didn¡¯t need any at the moment, he gave one to Bai Lufeng.


    Because of this, Bai Lufeng and Lin Qinlin were currently engaging in dubious activities. It was only when they arrived within the Water Veil Sect¡¯s borders did they exit out of their cabin.


    Lin Qinlin had a deep blush on her face and Bai Lufeng¡¯s expression was satisfied and content. That being said, Bai Lufeng still had the Origin Consolidating Pill in his possession. He was quite the stingy one.


    Yan Zaizen originally felt a little disgusted at both of them, but recalling the cruel nature of the cultivation world such as life within the Deep Mines, he shrugged it off. In there, women and men gave themselves up for far less than an Origin Consolidating Pill. They gave themselves up for a tiny bit of ore to fill their quota for the day.


    The continuation of your life didn¡¯t hinge on your dignity, but on your willingness to survive at any opportunity possible. He recalled Diyi and how he would¡¯ve decided to be a slave for 500 years if it meant a chance at survival, unlike her.


    Thinking up to here, Yan Zaizen actually felt some respect for Lin Qinlin¡¯s decisiveness. For a chance at three thousand additional years, an incredibly high status in the cultivation world, and personal power, she was willing to do this for a slight chance, not a guarantee, but a slight chance. That required some hardcore decisiveness. If it worked, the ones who died of old age or weakness because of their pride would certainly not have the last laugh.


    Yan Zaizen arrived on the deck, looking at the border of the Water Veil Sect. He was inwardly shocked at the sight. The Water Veil Sect had an actual water curtain that created a demarcation line that differentiated it from the outside territory. It covered hundreds of li of land and formulated a circular line. The water curtain itself was thousands of meters in height with an inch of thickness. The fact that it spanned around the entire border from beginning to end made one marvel at the profoundness of it all.


    It wasn¡¯t just him who was shocked, even Bai Lufeng and Tao was stunned at the sight. It was as if the entire sect area was covered in an actual water veil. If anything, the sect was true to its name.


    Lin Qinlin couldn¡¯t help but feel a sense of pride well up inside seeing their stunned expressions. She began to explain, ¡°This is called the Mazu Veil Formation. It spans the entire border and without proper identification, entering would be nearly impossible. With this, even the Solitary Sword Sect or the three great clans would have to ask for permission to enter.¡±


    In truth, this formation didn¡¯t exist on this scale until their True Essence cultivator emerged recently, but it was still a point of pride. Before, instead of the border, it only surrounded the sect itself. However, with the rise to the True Essence Realm, the things one could do was obviously on a greater scale.


    Tao, however, couldn¡¯t help but scoff at her remarks. ¡°If it could cover the entirety of the Water Veil Territory, perhaps I¡¯d be impressed, but this formation isn¡¯t even larger than the Deep Mine God Formation, nor does it function come remotely close.¡± This may be a profound formation but it was quite insignificant compared to the Deep Mine God Formation. This formation could barely be considered a rank eight, but the Deep Mine God Formation was dubbed a rank nine. It may be only a single rank, but the difference was huge.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Lin Qinlin couldn¡¯t help but be shocked and a little infuriated, but she didn¡¯t know what the Deep Mine God Formation was, and she felt it¡¯d be slightly inappropriate to argue with an Origin Core cultivator. She kept silent, not wanting to worsen her relations with them and ruining her chances of obtaining that pill. However, inwardly, she cursed Tao¡¯s lack of appreciation.


    Lin Feilin arrived on the deck soon after, her eyes lit up but also filled with slight worry. After segregating from Yan Zaizen for week or so, she grew more clear-headed. She couldn¡¯t help but be worried about her rashness and how she easily believed Yan Zaizen¡¯s story. How could she believe Yan Zaizen actually eliminated the Soaring Cloud Sect which stood tall for thousands of years in a single day? She felt it impossible.


    However, now she was on this tiger, and it¡¯s unlikely she¡¯ll be able to get off. If something goes wrong, she¡¯ll have to plan for that.


    As they approached the water curtain, they stood just a few meters away from it. Tao couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°How do we enter? Do we just...barge through?¡± Since he was piloting the skyship at this moment, he truly felt a little lost.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s brows furrowed. He knew the main reason as to why he was here - to check on the Yan Clan - but he was a little hesitant because of Lin Feilin¡¯s situation. In regards to the Yan Clan¡¯s status, when he asked Lin Feilin, she said she wasn¡¯t sure. As for Lin Qinlin, she also wasn¡¯t of a high enough status to know. She does know, however, that the Yan Clan was indeed captured and brought into the borders.


    As for their fate? Unknown.


    He was contemplating taking an aggressive route, ignoring Lin Feilin¡¯s relations with the Water Veil Sect.


    ¡°Wait.¡± Lin Qinlin said, retrieving a talisman and shattering it. This was a transmission talisman, one similar to the one Prince Ren used to contact the Xi¨¡o City Lord. One would place a message within the talisman, shatter it thereby activating the formation, and a qi transmission would be sent towards a relay formation.


    Several minutes later, a young woman with short brown hair appeared outside of the curtain with inquisitive eyes. She inspected the skyship and all those on board. Tao and Bai Lufeng didn¡¯t bother to hide their qi cultivation bases, allowing it to seep through and reveal their prowess. This immediately elicited an expression of respect from the young woman.


    She exited the curtain, ¡°May I board?¡± She asked, her tone was filled with neutral respect. This displayed that she wasn¡¯t being subservient to the other party simply because of their high cultivation and she had her own pride. Yan Zaizen nodded at her question, but she didn¡¯t even take Yan Zaizen seriously. She awaited Bai Lufeng¡¯s response.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Several dozen seconds passed in awkward silence. They all waited for her to board and she waited for them to give her permission. Yan Zaizen actually felt slightly enraged at her dismissal of his response. He stepped up, speaking loudly, ¡°If you don¡¯t wish to board, then no need to ask. Say what you wish to say.¡± Yan Zaizen tone was tyrannical to the apex. Bai Lufeng chuckled and Tao softly shook his head.


    The girl was surprised, but after looking at Lin Qinlin, she garnered a little of the situation and realized she offended someone inadvertently. She apologized and attempted to board but was decisively stopped by Bai Lufeng. ¡°Unless our Young Lord says otherwise, remain where you are.¡± His words were domineering as well, and she was stunned silly.


    This was the Water Veil Sect territory, who did they think they were? Did they believe themselves invincible because of their cultivation bases? Disgusting. To a True Essence expert, they were ants, and she was backed by one. She looked at Lin Qinlin and her expression turned calm without any neutral respect any longer, her tone even a little rude.


    ¡°Lin Qinlin and Lin Feilin, you two are allowed. However, the others must wait outside until we get proper permission and proof of identity.¡± She stated, her voice contained a trace of coldness. Initially, she was going to let them in after some background verification, but if they want to enter? Well, they can wait for a few weeks or even months before permission is granted.


    That¡¯ll teach them that being arrogant before the Water Veil Sect was beyond their capabilities.


    Lin Qinlin¡¯s expression paled at their interaction and she wished this wouldn¡¯t occur. She looked at Lin Feilin and motioned her to proceed with her. She looked at Bai Lufeng and apologetically whispered something to him, but Bai Lufeng had a slight smile on his face at all this with no anger present. To him, what was a Water Veil Sect?


    Yan Zaizen furrowed his brow at this development. He inquired, ¡°How long will getting this proper permission take?¡± In truth, Yan Zaizen suspected that with a formation of this size, they must be pretty intense with their security, so waiting actually felt proper. This was also what Lin Qinlin informed them of beforehand, it may take a few hours before entering, but with their cultivation bases revealed, they shouldn¡¯t take longer than a few minutes.


    However, the young woman had a soft sneer on her face at his question, ¡°It could take a few weeks or even a few months at the latest. Our sect is currently heavily backed up on arrivals.¡± She said, her tone containing a hint of an apology that was obviously false with a hint of mocking.


    Yan Zaizen thought for a second, and realized the situation. His eyes flickered with a vicious light.


    Tao looked at Yan Zaizen, ¡°What should we do?¡±


    What should they do?


    What could they do?!


    They weren¡¯t here for hugs and cookies!


    They weren¡¯t here for permission!


    THEY WERE HERE FOR HIS CLAN!


    He should¡¯ve done this from the very moment he arrived.


    ¡°Simple,¡± his tone contained a trace of tyrannical ferocity filled with imperial dominance, ¡°Let¡¯s go see this sect leader of theirs.¡± The moment he said this, his body released soft silver-blue light causing the skyship to be shrouded in the mirage of a beautifully resplendent aurora. His dao aura erupted with a tyrannical ferocity that even caused the young woman to flinch with deep fear.


    ¡°Hahahaha! Let¡¯s!!!¡± Bai Lufeng laughed loudly to the heavens, his Origin Core cultivation base fully erupting with the sharpness of daggers and swords. Tao followed suit, the world twirling inwardly with him at the center. He couldn¡¯t help but feel infected by Yan Zaizen¡¯s and Bai Lufeng rambunctious actions.


    Lin Feilin and Lin Qinlin eyes turned into needlepoint, and the young woman felt something brush past her, and she directly lost consciousness. Her body following straight downwards from mid-air, creating a soft thud from the impact to the ground.


    ¡°FORWARD!¡± Yan Zaizen thundered, his soul cultivation base started to fill with motes of resplendent white lights that caused the aurora to condense to an even greater degree.

 Chapter 94 - Beyond Tyrannical!

    ¡°Yes, sir!¡± Tao responded, using his full cultivation base to operate the skyship. The condensed aurora covered the skyship defensively as it drove its way into the water curtain. The water curtain had the thickness of about an inch, but even still, it could withstand a full force attack of a peak-Qi Unification Cultivator. Despite this, it was penetrated like a piece of flimsy paper.


    Lin Feilin and Lin Qinlin were stupefied by their actions to the point where they had their mouths agape with shock, and their eyes widened to the point their eyelids seemed non-existent. They couldn¡¯t even process what was happening or why.


    At the Water Veil Sect, a group of individuals at the Qi Unification Realm were monitoring the barrier for any suspicious activity or movement. Since the revealing of their True Essence Sectmaster, their jobs were pretty boring. No one even tried to infiltrate, not even the typical criminals who would attempt to enter the premises for thievery or kidnapping of disciples appeared. It truly felt dull to them.


    ¡°Liao Yating, have you reached the major success stage in the Liquid Veil Steps yet?¡± A young woman asked another, filling their boredom with idle chat about cultivation. The woman named Liao Yating couldn¡¯t help but reveal a slight smile at the other¡¯s question. Indeed, she did. A standard-grade movement-based internal qi art to the major success stage was exceptional within the sect, and she focused a majority of her time on this. She was dubbed as one of top ten fastest mid-Qi Unification Cultivators within the sect.


    She had her pride.


    Just as she was about to respond, another young woman shouted urgently, ¡°Intruder!!!¡± This caught all of their attentions, and they looked at the formation before them to see an image of the intruder. A skyship surrounded by a strange aurora filled with motes of white light shoot into the territory with terrifying speed towards the sect¡¯s main palace.


    Each one of them was surprised, and immediately reacted like they¡¯ve done hundreds of times before. ¡°Alert the Mazu Guard!¡± They sat at the formation sending messages to all required parities. However, none of them was scared in the slightest. They had a True Essence cultivator backing them, who did they fear in Presba? Let alone a small and cheap ship like this one.


    Unfortunately for them, this small ship had Yan Zaizen onboard.


    ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Lin Qinlin exasperatedly shouted out. She was panicking greatly at the moment. She understood the severity of barging into the Water Veil Territory without permission - it was immediate death, with no mercy. If she was wrapped up in this and blamed, then what Origin Consolidating Pill? Would it matter if she was dead?


    Lin Feilin felt like she wanted to say something, but the sheer pressure from the three¡¯s cultivation bases left her feeling suppressed. Her cultivation was at the mid-Essence Formation and it was far too low in comparison. Any of these individuals breaths could send her to the afterlife, and she felt cautious in heart. However, there was also a hint of excitement in her eyes.


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even spare Lin Qinlin a glance. With his soul cultivation base infused with his tyrannical dao, he sent a soul transmission to all individuals within 600 li distance! Reaching not only all the members currently living in the surrounding area but all those in the sect¡¯s main palace.


    ¡°Sect Leader of the Water Veil Sect! You have 30 seconds to arrive before me, or today, the Water Veil Sect shall no longer exist. Choose!!¡± His voice was filled with a tyrannical ferocity that even an emperor would find hard to match.


    To others, they may respect this sect, but why should he? If anything happened to his aunt or uncle, every last one of them will be buried alongside them!


    EVERY LAST ONE!!!


    Tao eyes flickered with a trace of intelligent light. Yan Zaizen seemed to have developed a personality that heavily judged people on their decisions or actions. It started with Diyi, when he gave her a choice to live or die. Then, he did the same to Qiao Jianhong, he could choose to cripple himself or be crippled. The Soaring Cloud three upper echelons had the choice of a slow death filled with pain and suffering or a quick death. Even Lin Feilin was given a choice to stay engaged or annul it.


    Now, he was giving the Water Veil Sect the same type of choice as the others. It changed based on the situation, but whenever he was angry, he would give his enemies no quarter for escape.


    In the Sectmaster¡¯s private quarters, a beautiful woman filled with an unnaturally profound elegance opened her eyes when she received the soul transmission. Her eyes flickered with anger. If one perceived her cultivation base, they could feel true-essence surging within her.


    This person was overestimating himself! This was her territory; how dare anyone disrespect her? To her, even a mid-True Essence Cultivator wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to attack an initial-True Essence Realm Cultivator in their own home. It was foolish and ridiculous.


    An example would be the Xi¨¡o City Lord. If Yan Zaizen had attacked Xi¨¡o City filled with abundant formations, an army, and a sky-rank armament holding down the fort, that battle would¡¯ve went incredibly different. Even just the sky-rank armament silhouette alone brought a sensation of profound danger to him.


    However, was this the Xi¨¡o City Lord?


    No!


    He was a well-established True Essence Cultivator with a sky-rank armament, vast quantities of wealth from alchemy, and subordinates that could take down the Water Veil Sect alone. How many half-step True Essence Cultivators did they have? While the Water Veil Sect had none, but just one initial-True Essence Cultivator - the Sectmaster, Yao Wuying, herself.


    Her movements were quick as she executed the Liquid Veil Steps, it brought her outside the main palace in a blink and outside in one step. The next step brought her several li away, arriving in sight of the little skyship wrapped in a silver-blue aurora. Her brows furrowed at this. ¡°Soul cultivator?¡± After a while, she snorted in disdain and contempt.


    ¡°You overestimate yourself.¡± Her voice was calm and without a trace of anger. It was as if she treated whoever was on the skyship as insignificant. A surge of true-essence appeared within her palm, a small water ball was constructed. It was perfectly spherical without any bulge hinting at its stability.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    Multi-Dragon Surging Rivers!


    She propelled the spherical ball as she unleashed her conceptual law of water: Myriad Transformation of Clear Water! With this, she could turn any object into any other object of varying complexities. It was also the same concept developed by her disciple, Ya Qinqan, and this coincidence is what lead to her taking her in.


    Several dozen large and long dragons with a length similar to the Eiffel tower appeared from that small ball of compressed water-based true-essence. These dragons shrouded the sky almost instantly. Their rush caused the surrounding skies to be sundered ceaselessly and the ground to tremble from the vibrations of their movements.


    They opened their mouths and released a soundless roar that could cause all minds to quake at the sight.


    As the people onboard saw this, Lin Feilin and Lin Qinlin felt their souls leave their bodies in fright. Just a touch of one of those dragons was enough to extinguish their entire existence. Tao and Bai Lufeng turned serious. This attack may seem to have been done casually, but even if they ignited their very Origin Core¡¯s and executed secret arts, they couldn¡¯t hope to block this single strike.


    The difference was far too huge!


    However, Yan Zaizen eyes filled with intense tyranny and a smirk filled with battle intent.


    ROAR!!!


    He thundered out a roar so loud that the sundered skies quaked and all existences below kneeled in inferiority. His soul cultivation that neared the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm exploded viciously. Sure, with her concept, she may be able to transform her true-essence into large entities, but how could that compare with the speed of soul energy?!


    Yan Zaizen stepped outwards, his body shrouded in silver-blue light. Immediately, hundreds of dragons in a similar design to the Water Veil Sectmaster appeared within a blink of the eye. The sky may have been shrouded by the water dragons, but it was directly replaced by Yan Zaizen¡¯s silver-blue soul dragons. Hundreds of dragons soared the skies, releasing an actual roared that caused all those with weak soul cultivations to fall unconscious almost immediately.


    You think you can outdo me?


    I¡¯d like to see you try.


    When the hundreds of dragons appeared in her sight, her eyes turned into a needlepoint as she could feel a subtle soul pressure from them. Initially, she suspected this individual¡¯s cultivation was at the Advanced Aurora Soul Realm, but this strength exceeded that by far!


    Her assumption was indeed right, but he could be considered at the half-step Perfect Aurora Soul Realm with an infused dao. With this, even if he doesn¡¯t use any soul arts, he could rival the peak initial-True Essence Realm. With soul energies incredible speed and quick formation, how could she compare?


    Before she could even react, her dozens of water dragons collided fiercely with the soul dragons. Their collision caused the earth to quake and the sky to disperse. If one looked at the sky, they could see faint traces of outer space from above. The very atmosphere of the planet was being ripped apart in their confrontation! Luckily, this planet wasn¡¯t weak and didn¡¯t shatter instantly.


    The soul dragons overwhelmed the water dragons in less than a second. Not only were they superior in number but also in speed and power. The dragons, however, didn¡¯t cease their advance. They continued their movement towards the Water Veil Sect Leader with a speed she couldn¡¯t even match even with her movement art.


    Her eyes widened as she retreated, her hands formulating another ball of spherical water, pushing it out to create another dozen of water dragons, but they were cleaned up as quickly as they were created. She released several more spherical orbs of water to delay the soul dragons, but the sheer numbers were too much for her to respond to immediately.


    She revealed a decisive gaze, a veil appeared on her face that seemed like the surface of a rippling ocean, and her aura skyrocketed in power.


    When Yan Zaizen saw this, his eyes narrowed. However, he could see that this was a pseudo sky-rank armament. It wasn¡¯t a true sky rank armament, but one with a formulating Spirit Form. Due to its incompletion, it couldn¡¯t exhibit the full strength that a sky-rank armament could. Despite this, the power gained was not small.


    However, there was an issue with pseudo and true sky-rank armaments and that was consumption rate. The reason why no cultivator uses sky-rank, even pseudo sky-rank armaments, carelessly had to do with essence consumption. A single usage could very well take 10% of an entire initial-True Essence realm cultivators reserves, and that was on the low side.


    As for the Xi¨¡o Mountain? One could imagine what a single usage could consume. As for a pseudo sky-rank armament, specifically, the Oceanic Water Veil, the legacy armament of the sect, would consume about 15% of her true-essence with each usage. However, with great consumption, comes great power.


    Immediately, she released a spherical orb of water once more, but this time, it was covered with traces of oceanic ripples. It felt far greater than any other sphere thus far. This sphere, when released, transformed into a boundless ocean that surged across several dozens of li with profound power.


    Yan Zaizen eyes narrowed further, his gaze decisive. Immediately, Pinaka appeared within his hands as he pulled back not only the string but the soul dragons swarming forward. They instantly retreated like a flash, but they didn¡¯t disappear, instead, they condensed around the bow.


    An arrow was condensed from the essence of the heavens, formulating a crystalized arrow radiating with profound power. This was an arrow condensed from essence, infused with the characteristics of Pinaka¡¯s power! It alone was terrifying. However, this wasn¡¯t enough.


    The condensed soul energy integrated into the arrow causing it to possess silver-blue light radiating with soul-shaking power. A majority of his qi-essence surged inside, giving it a destructive conceptual law. Taking a deep breath in, he aimed the arrow at the sea of water surging towards him. It was like a single man facing a world of water! Yet, the man simply looked forward without any hesitation or fear on his face.


    Breath out.


    Release.


    SOAR!


    ¡°One Arrow! Annihilate ALL!¡±

 Chapter 95 - A Single Arrow!

    As the arrow was released, the world itself slowed down. It wasn¡¯t as if time slowed, but more so, the arrow was traveling far too fast. This was the first time Yan Zaizen had ever released an arrow backed by Pinaka, his conceptual laws, and his qi and soul cultivation base! The sheer pressure it placed on his body caused his bones to fracture and his skin to rip apart almost instantly upon release.


    Fortunately, the Immortal Herculean Method isn''t called ¡®Immortal¡¯ for flare. It held an extraordinary accelerated factor for healing wounds, and this layer of damage healed almost as quickly as it appeared. How could such a heaven-defying physique ever be normal? It could survive who knows how long in chaotic space by itself? It was because of this healing factor!


    And that was at the initial success!


    At the perfection stage, how could it not be hundreds of times greater? Despite his vital energies being consumed quickly, it was still extraordinary.


    As the arrow traveled through the air, the sky didn¡¯t ripple, the earth didn¡¯t quake nor split, but it was like a silent night.


    ¡°What?!¡± Internally, a profound sensation of danger caused the Water Veil Sectmaster¡¯s eyes to shrink to a needlepoint. She tried to instinctively take a step away for retreat, but her movement art was simply far too slow.


    The arrow collided with the oceanic wave of water and penetrated it as easily as flimsy paper. As it did, an aura of destruction suffused within the oceanic wave like a ripple which caused the water to vanish into thin air. By the time it exited the oceanic wave, half of it was disintegrated, and even still, the Water Veil Sectmaster still couldn¡¯t move.


    Seeing this, her first reaction was the simplest and most decisive. She directly ignited her true essence within her pathways. The ignition of one¡¯s true-essence would cause an extraordinary surge of power to erupt outwards, often times allowing one to exceed a stage temporarily at the cost of cultivation base drop afterward. However, only qi-essence or above could withstand such ignition.


    It was almost instant as the true-essence in her body caused her aura and power to reach rival the peak initial-True Essence Realm. It may just have a ¡®peak¡¯ added, but each stage difference or single step was a world of difference for a True Essence Cultivator.


    Her strength directly increased by several times.


    She didn¡¯t stop there as she forcefully drew upon the power of the sect¡¯s grand formation for further support.


    However, the arrow didn¡¯t show mercy, approaching with a penetrating silver-blue soul-piercing light. Despite this taking a long time to describe, the events happened in less than a blink of an eye!


    The arrow arrived before her instantly and collided with her defensive true-essence.


    BOOM!!!


    A single explosion was heard as the world was filled with rustling winds for hundreds of li. Everyone within the border of the Water Veil Sect could feel the turbulent winds produced by the explosion, while the nearby area was nearly vanquished entirely.


    Several seconds later, the explosion produced a mushroom dust cloud filled with the essence of destruction and penetration. The characteristics of the Archery of Pure Destruction. The sky directly above no longer had clouds or even an atmosphere. Everyone could see the myriad of stars as if it was nighttime. Several li of distance were rendered deleted from existence.


    Yan Zaizen was panting a little, the exertion on his soul, qi, and vital energies was pretty heavy to release this single arrow. The benefits of having Pinaka, a spirit-rank armament, was that the consumption wasn¡¯t considerably massive for each usage and she could adjust for its user. This strength may be great, but that was less than 1% of her true strength.


    ¡°If I was at full strength, simply my arrow alone could do hundreds of times more damage.¡± Pinaka was obviously discontent as she scoffed. Luckily, only Yan Zaizen could hear her as the rest would probably die from these words. If that was the case, could they even be considered ants in front of her?


    However, Yan Zaizen was truly shocked at the events. He had hopes, but it wasn¡¯t clear. Now, he understood what Pinaka meant when she mentioned that with her and his current cultivation, he could still dominate the entire continent.


    Several seconds passed and a faint feeble figure appeared within the dust cloud. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes narrowed as he scanned with his spiritual sense. He was inwardly surprised.


    She was alive.


    Indeed. The Water Veil sectmaster not only ignited her true-essence but she overdrew on her meridians and pathways, which pulled out every last ounce of power from her pseudo sky-rank armament. She even drew power from the Mazu Veil Formation. If one looked up, they would no longer see any water curtain surrounding the territory of the sect any longer. All of these things in conjunction allowed her to survive with little damage physically, but the soul damage was still a bit severe.


    When she appeared, her expression was solemn beyond compare. She looked towards Yan Zaizen, her eyes filled with anger and grievance but also defeat. From this day forward, it¡¯s unlikely she¡¯ll be arrogant due to her cultivation any longer.


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    Yan Zaizen faintly smiled triumphantly, ¡°If you simply arrived peacefully and obediently, this could¡¯ve been avoided.¡± He spoke the truth, but how was a person going to react when a small ship appeared in their hometown acting arrogant to all hell? How would he respond? How would anyone?


    At this moment, she truly felt enraged and wanted nothing more than to kill Yan Zaizen, but she was intelligent and regained her clear head after this near-death experience. That single arrow could cause the main palace of her sect to collapse in a second. She couldn¡¯t afford to be muddle-headed in anger when her sect faced true danger.


    She slowly approached the skyship and Yan Zaizen stepped forward, flying to meet her in mid-air. Tao and Bai Lufeng were incredibly shocked by the sequence of events. It occurred so fast that a single blink could¡¯ve caused them to miss it. It was so massive that the skies rippled and the earth was decimated, and even a hole in the sky a li wide appeared.


    It was still open! But, slowly repairing.


    As for Lin Qinlin and Lin Feilin, they didn¡¯t even see most of what happened. Several sky-devouring dragons appeared, disappeared, and then a huge explosion that shook them to their core was released. To them, this was like two to three seconds.


    Fights between true experts are done and decided in seconds, and sometimes, milliseconds. Unless one had a weak cultivation base, this was typically the case.


    The Water Veil Sectmaster, Yao Wuhen, looked at this powerful yet handsome youth with disbelief and shock. From his vibrant aura of lifeforce, he couldn¡¯t be more than a century in years! Did she just...barely survived against a junior several dozen times her age. She truly felt inwardly pathetic, but continued anyhow with a dark expression, ¡°What do you want?¡±


    For the first time, Yan Zaizen could clearly see this sectmaster. She was most certainly a beauty despite her damaged attire from their fight. Long black water-like flowing hair, soft eyes that resembled clear water, a lithe physique and phoenix eyes. Her skin was as white as snow and not single natural blemish could be seen anywhere.


    If it wasn¡¯t for earlier, Yan Zaizen¡¯s first impression of this woman would be exceedingly high by her looks alone.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the Yan Clan.¡± Yan Zaizen voice was direct, immediately declaring his objective. There was no longer a reason to deal with this diplomatically. If something happened to his aunt or uncle, to rectify this crime, he¡¯ll bury every last one of the Water Veil Sect members with them.


    Innocent or not!


    Hearing this, Yao Wuhen was shocked. Her eyes narrowed, and she spoke with a strong voice, ¡°What for?¡±


    Yan Zaizen immediately revealed fierce killing intent as his silver-blue aurora light manifested in the skies above, white motes of light swam through by an infinite amount, and his aura surged to the heavens and back. ¡°Where! Are! They?!¡± He thundered every word, his eyes filled with malicious intent. If his family was killed and he didn¡¯t get revenge, how was he supposed to face his mother? How could he face his father?


    ¡°This¡­¡± Yao Wuhen felt a profound sensation of danger as she instinctively took a step back. Seeing this, she felt slightly humiliated, but she understood the circumstance. Her current state may lack physical damage but her cultivation suffered a huge drop. If they exchanged blows once more, with all her trump cards gone or used up, she would face certain death.


    Even if she gathered up her elites, her fate would remain the same.


    She furrowed her brows and considered the situation, not caring about what would happen to the Yan Clan, she spoke decisively. ¡°They are currently situated in a location in our territory.¡±


    What?


    Wait...What?!


    They were alive?


    Yan Zaizen felt odd, and his fierce momentum deflated almost instantly. This entire situation was because he assumed the Water Veil Sect eliminated the Yan Clan due to their transgression against the Ya Clan. In truth, he was going to bury both the Water Veil Sect and the Ya Clan with them, especially since the Ya Clan could be considered traitors.


    He truly hated traitors.


    ¡°Where?¡± His voice turned soft subconsciously.


    Yao Wuhen was now even more shocked than before, her expression filled with hints of confusion. She couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    Yan Zaizen softly smiled, a smile filled with unyielding confidence and warmth, ¡°Me? My name¡¯s Yan Zaizen. Grandson of the Yan Clan Lord.¡±


    Yao Wuhen was stunned into silence.


    ...what?


    ...What?!


    ...WHAT?!

 Chapter 96 - The Yan Clan Lives!

    Yao Wuhen¡¯s expression darkened, her elegant countenance to turned heavy and filled with internal screams. Truly, she wished to scream out her mind. She had never felt so stifled before since her childhood, but this young man before her¡­


    ¡°Yan Zaizen? The one that died.¡± Her voice was filled with deep frustration, as if Yan Zaizen was trying to play her for a fool. For one, this man barely had any physical features similar to the Yan Clan. As someone who¡¯ve come across them, they all have specific hereditary traits and distinctions.


    Originally, Yan Zaizen truly did have those traits, but the Immortal Herculean Method had remodeled his entire physique, even his originally average face was transformed. Unless one was exceptionally close to Yan Zaizen, they would never come to the conclusion that he was the same person. This could obviously be seen by Lin Feilin not recognizing him or even believing him afterwards.


    Yan Zaizen helplessly smiled, shaking his head with a little shrug, ¡°I¡¯m not dead. However, believe what you will.¡± In truth, he didn¡¯t have to prove anything to Yao Wuhen. It¡¯s already lucky that he doesn¡¯t cut her down for her attacks earlier. Seeing the doubt in her face, Yan Zaizen grew bored, ¡°Take me to them.¡±


    Yao Wuhen eyes squinted slightly. She truly did not like being ordered around in her own backyard, but recalling the battle from earlier, she silently nodded in agreement. Currently, her bodily state was in a mess, and even flying was difficult for her. If it wasn¡¯t for her good poker face, she would be drenched in sweat and heaving out a lung.


    Her cultivation base will most certainly suffer a drop due to this battle, and if she could keep her True Essence cultivation base, that would be a miracle in and of itself. This single battle, which occurred in the blink of an eye, had ruined a majority of her plans for the future.


    She glanced at the skyship, seeing Lin Qinlin and Lin Feilin, her eyes radiated hints of anger. However, she didn¡¯t say anything, turned around and slowly flew away towards the west. Yan Zaizen followed, his eyes glancing towards the main palace to the north. Several battleships were flying through the skies with a unique insignia.


    ¡°The Mazu Guard?¡±


    The Mazu Guard was an elite group of warriors from the Water Veil Sect, they knew how to formulate a profound formation that could rival a half-step True Essence cultivator. It is due to this army that the Water Veil Sect was given the title of a top first-tier force before their sudden rise. However, to Yan Zaizen?


    They were ants.


    Directly ignoring them, he continued following behind Yao Wuhen.


    Yao Wuhen took out a talisman from her spatial ring and sent a message to the Mazu Guard. Earlier, the Mazu Guard was on their way, but the sudden calamitous exchange caused them to halt as they waited for their sectmaster to handle the situation. However, when they arrived, they could see a small skyship, their sectmaster, and an unknown youth following behind her somewhere.


    When they received the talisman transmission from Yao Wuhen, they halted and realized the severity of the situation.


    She only relayed a single word: Retreat!


    Due to her injury, Yao Wuhen took several minutes before reaching a deep valley etched between two mountains. Unless one looked closely, they would be unable to see the cluster of people or makeshift houses within it. When Yan Zaizen scanned this place with his spiritual sense, his eyes widened with surprise.


    Everyone was here.


    ¡°Uncle Lou, Aunt Qin¡­¡± He felt inwardly relieved at their health. They may not be living in the best conditions, but they were living. After his parents died, his talent was determined, and life hit an all-time low for him, these two showed kindness. He couldn¡¯t help but chuckle as he recalled his memories.


    Oftentimes, he would steal Uncle Lou¡¯s wine and food for himself. As for Aunt Lin, as puberty hit, so did certain...urges. He would steal her undergarments for activities. He would even peek on her in the baths quite often, and many times the others wished to kill him, but she remained on his side always. Well, she still gave him beatings, but at least it wasn¡¯t castration.


    Surprisingly, Aunt Lin wasn¡¯t related to the Yan Clan. She was an outsider that married into the Yan Clan. Even still, she was married into the ¡®Lan¡¯ family line. Despite this, she still treated Yan Zaizen like a nephew, despite his actions or failures. Uncle Lou was his true Uncle, a brother of his father, and son to his grandfather.


    When his father died, Uncle Lou didn¡¯t try to replace him, but he comforted Yan Zaizen many times, such as teaching him how to be shameless and how to steal. A large majority of his desire for beautiful women, good wine, great food, and immense wealth stemmed from Uncle Lou. If there were anyone that the previous him remotely resembled, it¡¯ll be Uncle Lou.


    They and his grandfather were the only people he cared about.


    He chuckled at his nostalgic thoughts, not bothering about Yao Wuhen any longer. He wasn¡¯t apologetic for his actions earlier or her current state. However, he felt a little awkward considering the situation was more complex than he originally thought.


    He glanced towards Yao Wuhen, who looked at him with cold eyes, and his originally happy chuckle transitioned into an awkward one.


    Clearing his throat, ¡°What happened?¡±


    Yao Wuhen still felt unbearably stifled at this young individual who seemed to ignore the fact that they engaged in a battle where a single slip could¡¯ve ended either of their lives - especially hers. She inwardly groaned, explaining with an indifferent voice, ¡°The Yan Clan committed crimes against our subordinate family, the Ya Clan. However, instead of eliminating them, they were imprisoned in this valley and placed under close watch. Many in the Ya Clan advocated for their survival, and even my own disciple desired it as well.¡±


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    She glanced towards the Yan Clan and couldn¡¯t help but be inwardly happy at their situation. With Yan Zaizen current prowess, he could threaten her and the Water Veil Sect¡¯s very existence. If they had handled the situation as she wanted it, eliminating all without mercy, then wouldn¡¯t she be running away with her life? However, could she escape Yan Zaizen?


    ¡°I see¡­I guess...they aren¡¯t traitors.¡± There was a slight smile on his face. It seems that even when one rises, there were still people who remembered the favors given to them once before. In that case, everything was fine. This was all he wanted to verify, their safety and life.


    ¡°My Grandfather, Aunt Qinlan, and Uncle Louzen.¡± He listed out three individuals, looking at her with a solemn expression.


    How could Yao Wuhen, with her thousands of years of life, not recognize his meaning? He didn¡¯t care about the Yan Clan, but he cared about those three individuals and only those three individuals.


    However, what Yao Wuhen didn¡¯t know, was that if she buried the Yan Clan, even if they were excluded, she would be buried alongside them. It wasn¡¯t because Yan Zaizen had any special feelings towards anyone else, but that he wouldn¡¯t be able to face his mother and father in the afterlife if he didn¡¯t get revenge.


    His father and mother loved the clan.


    ¡°Fine.¡± She responded flatly.


    Yan Zaizen revealed a slight smile, waving his hand causing a small bottle to shot towards Yao Wuhen. Surprised, she instinctively caught it with her true-essence. Looking at this small bottle with only a single tiny pellet within caused her eyes to furrow in contemplation.


    ¡°It¡¯s a grand-tier Earthly Rejuvenation Pill. Make sure you take care of the clan, especially those three.¡± He said, turning around and traveling back towards the skyship. He wasn¡¯t here to meet the Yan Clan or free them for their actions, he only cared about three people, and he made sure she knew this, but he couldn¡¯t leave them like this. If something happened to them or they weren¡¯t treated well, he would feel slight guilt towards his parents. However, he felt comfortable leaving them in the hands of a True Essence expert who he could threaten.


    As for the Ya Clan? Who cares.


    Ya Qinqan? He truly didn¡¯t give a shit.


    Yao Wuhen eyes widened with an immense amount of shock. ¡°Earthly Rejuvenation Pill?!¡± This was a grand-tier pill that could help a True Essence Realm cultivator heal their wounds after over exhaustion and damage. It was like a second life. With this, she would definitely recover within a few months of time. The worth of this pill was so extraordinary that a first-tier force could sell their roots and still be unable to obtain it.


    Even those who¡¯ve been crippled in the Origin Core Realm has a slight chance of recovery taking this pill. That was as hard as ascending the heavens! Typically, a grand-tier alchemist would never sell something so heaven-defying, especially if they were in the True Essence Realm. Who would sell another life?!


    Unbeknownst to her, Yan Zaizen had taken several of these pills off the Xi¨¡o City Lord. When the Xi¨¡o City Lord learned that his spatial ring was stolen, he was so enraged he coughed up a body worth of blood and passed out in extreme indignation. He even swore to get revenge one day on Yan Zaizen for his actions, even if he was part of the Anima Syndicate.


    Tao originally estimated the wealth of the total possessions to be three billion, but many things were just basic market price. A pill like this wouldn¡¯t be sold normally in the Fallen Stars Continent, but in auctions for far greater than its market price. In truth, many of the pills in his ring would be far higher than originally estimated.


    He was the greatest grand-tier alchemist of an entire country after all.


    ¡°Oh!¡± Yan Zaizen stopped his return, looking towards Yao Wuhen, ¡°The marriage between Lin Feilin and Khan Saiyu, end it. As my Senior Sister, her status with me behind her. He isn¡¯t even worthy to carry her shoes. If they refuse, tell them they can all be buried.¡± He gave a cold grin and directly left.


    ¡°...¡±


    Yao Wuhen felt surprised, but then a realization dawned on her. Lin Feilin? She recalled the two on the skyship and recognized the young girl at the mid-Essence Formation Realm. ¡°I see¡­¡± Looking at the pill in her hand, she had a thought. Her eyes glowed brilliantly with intelligence.


    She spoke loudly enough for Yan Zaizen¡¯s departing figure to hear, ¡°Your identity?!¡±


    Yan Zaizen laughed at her thoughts, shouting to the skies, ¡°As long as those three are safe, as long as Lin Feilin is happy, my identity will protect them.¡± This was indirectly agreeing to her request to reveal his identity to the world as well as his cultivation prowess. If anything, it should serve as an invisible barrier to protect the people he wanted without actually being there.


    He would never have guessed that one day his very existence would shield others. This would also mean that as long as they were taken care of properly, he would back the Water Veil Sect. He threw a transmission talisman towards Yao Wuhen. Like a speeding bullet, it appeared before her instantly. She properly stored it and felt inwardly satisfied with all of these events.


    Even if the situation was at a knife¡¯s edge, Yan Zaizen¡¯s prowess could take down grand-tier forces alone. In the country of Presba, he represented the equivalence of a mid-True Essence Cultivator. This level of deterrence would cause all to think three times before taking action.


    At the end of the day, this was worth it. Of course, she had little intention of revealing who he was exactly, she needed to keep that a secret or else the Yan Clan may be a little too arrogant.

 Chapter 97 - Shin Xuanjis Choice

    Yan Zaizen yawningly stretched out his fatigued muscles, feeling a wave of relief surge throughout his body. Taking a deep breath, the surrounding essence was quickly siphoned from the vicinity to enhance his blood circulation.


    ¡°Today felt so long.¡± He casually remarked, looking towards the skyship suspended in mid-air. On board, Tao, Bai Lufeng, Lin Qinlan, and Lin Feilin stared at him like curious peacocks. He couldn¡¯t help but lightly chuckle. To think, three years ago, he was considered the lowest form on the continent. Now, he could say a single word, and the myriad forces of the continent would have to take it into serious consideration.


    ¡°Don¡¯t get too complacent. Your cultivation may be exceptional on this tiny planet, but you¡¯re still insignificant in the myriad realms.¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice resounded, one filled with obvious disdain at Yan Zaizen¡¯s mentality. However, Yan Zaizen simply shrugged carelessly. He had long realized that Pinaka was affected by his Dao and had a tyrannical ferocity about her she couldn''t directly control as a True Spirit, so he didn''t feel insulted.


    Sure, he may be insignificant now, but what about in the future? Everything required one step at a time, and he hasn¡¯t even taken his first step yet. Now that he was forging his own path, he needed to close off all the karma gathered in the continent before he decides to travel to higher realms.


    Arriving on the skyship, he looked at Lin Feilin, and smilingly said, ¡°Your marriage is now called off. If anyone gives you any trouble, complain to the sectmaster. She¡¯ll help in an instant. Haha.¡±


    His words were so casual that it felt surreal to her. She looked at this handsome, tall, powerful Ninth Brother of hers and couldn¡¯t help but feel her heart flutter slightly. For her, he displayed his dominance to the sectmaster and arranged for her status. How many would do this? How many had such capabilities?


    Of course, in reality, Yan Zaizen only did that by a whim. His true intention of arriving here was due to the Yan Clan. Lin Feilin, however, assumed he went solely for her, creating this misunderstanding. Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t attempt to clear up her thoughts, looking towards Tao. ¡°We¡¯ll be leaving. I still have some unfinished business.¡±


    Lin Feilin broke out of her stupor, looking at Yan Zaizen with soft eyes filled with reluctance. ¡°Do you have to leave...so soon?¡± Her voice turned quiet and completely unlike her usual self. Yan Zaizen was startled, looking at this icy-cold Senior Sister of his, and couldn¡¯t help but feel odd in his heart.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Yan Zaizen eyes sparkled with radiance, reaching his hand out to grab the edge of her chin with his curled index finger. He brought her eyes to his and smiled softly, ¡°I¡¯ll be back, one day. At that time, you can tell me all the things I¡¯ve missed.¡± Yan Zaizen attempted to put on the most dashing expression he could, looking softly into her eyes, but inwardly he was a little bit nervous.


    This was his first attempt at acting like a cool heroic hero to the icy-cold beauty. To capture her heart permanently with a single glance. Initially, he thought she would act aggressively at being randomly touched, but instead, she blushed from ear to ear, avoiding his radiant gaze. However, she didn¡¯t try to remove his hand from her chin.


    With the softest voice one would ever hear, she softly replied, ¡°Okay.¡± After that, Yan Zaizen removed his hand and felt satisfied. This move was something Bai Lufeng had transmitted to him when attempting to attract a girl¡¯s attention and reviewing their responses at physical contact. If they were repulsed, it was a no. If they blushed and acted shy, they were a full yes!


    After a little more conversation, the trio departed from the Water Veil Territory. Lin Qinlin wanted to stay, but was decisively rejected by Yan Zaizen. He gave her an elixir called the Origin Excavation Elixir, and sent her on her way. It was far less efficient than the Origin Consolidating Pill, but it could help a peak-Qi Unification Cultivator reach the half-step Origin Core Realm.


    Initially, Yan Zaizen assumed Bai Lufeng would plead on her behalf, but he was silent. He said nothing as she was sent off. One could see that he truly didn¡¯t care about this woman.


    Truly a playboy.


    ----------------------------


    Two months later, in the Earthly Titan Sect, there was an outrage of panic within. There were many people dashing to and fro locations with rapid steps, their cultivation bases fully erupted, and their faces filled with fear.


    It happened so suddenly.


    Several minutes ago, several of the upper echelon members suddenly fainted dead. Upon examination, it was revealed their souls were directly snuffed out of existence by a powerful force. However, only selective people were hit. There was also a Grand Elder who went missing suddenly, but no one could find her. They searched for any semblance of answers or order, trying to get their bearings amidst this chaotic situation.


    There would be times where someone would be perfectly fine, but then the next second, they would drop dead suddenly.


    ¡°What is happening?! Calm down, everyone!¡±


    ¡°ARE WE BEING PUNISHED?!¡±


    ¡°Where is Grand Elder Kiyun?! The Sectmaster is missing as well!¡±


    ¡°Oh...god...its the heavens! We¡¯ve angered the heavens!!!¡±


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.While all this was going on, a male youth with intelligent black eyes, long black hair, and a countenance that seemed to hint his long-gone handsomeness was bound heavily in a metal cage. He wore a set of qi diffusion cuffs, and his body was filled with laceration marks indicating torture. His eyes were filled with intelligence, but severely dim in light and overwhelmed with exhaustion.


    This was Shin Xuanji!


    His decision to join the Earthly Titan Sect backfired greatly. Three years ago, when he joined, they immediately captured him and interrogated him with extreme prejudice. For three full years, he was constantly tortured by the sect for information about Han Genji. The only reason he wasn¡¯t killed had to do with him revealing subtle hints that he knew the location of the piece of mid-grade essence crystal in Han Genji¡¯s possession.


    He would never fully tell them, but simply that it was hidden somewhere that only he knew. He was hoping, praying, that as long as he breathed, there was a chance to overcome the situation. In truth, he¡¯s been given every torture method possible. From the pulling off one¡¯s nails, the breaking of the fingers, and even castration, and yet he refused to break.


    His personal hatred for the Earthly Titan Sect now exceeded the Yan Clan by thousands of times. People he trusted betrayed his master and himself for wealth. It was disgusting. However, that was the cruelty of the cultivation world. If you do not possess strength and backing, you¡¯re nothing more than fish on the chopping block for those higher up the pyramid.


    How could he contend when his cultivation was only at the peak-Qi Revolving Realm? He was insignificant. However, he was filled with a drive to change his fate. To go against what the heavens demanded of him!


    He understood that the moment they felt he was no longer a source of information, they would immediately exterminate his life. How could they let Han Genji¡¯s disciple survive in this world? Why would they leave a ticking bomb so close to them?


    ¡°I swear, I¡¯ll kill them all!¡± He silently swore. If one looked closely, he had no teeth in his mouth and his tongue held countless lacerations. His skin was sickly pale, he was beyond scrawny as if he hadn¡¯t eaten for weeks, and his lifeforce was like a flickering flame unwilling to be exhausted by the cruel gust of the world.


    POP!


    A tall, handsome youth appeared like a ghost within Shin Xuanji¡¯s cell. His eyes revealed a profound realization as he stood behind the bound Shin Xuanji. ¡°So...I figured this would be your fate after learning of their betrayal.¡± He silently thought, his eyes staring at Shin Xuanji¡¯s pathetic appearance. Initially, he was going to sweep all possible threats to his aunt and uncle, including this Senior Brother of his. However, the world was truly too cruel.


    ¡°How come...we all have such unfortunate fates.¡± Yan Zaizen muttered, realizing that the lives of himself, Shin Xuanji, and Lin Feilin were horrendous. They either had their clan eradicated or treated like slaves at one point in time. However, out of the three, Shin Xuanji truly had the worst of it.


    Shin Xuanji was constantly mumbling his sworn oath to himself, attempting to keep himself sane. With a quick spiritual sense examination, Yan Zaizen could see all that was done to him during these past three years. He took a deep breath, gathered his thoughts, and decisively decided.


    ¡°Three years ago, you didn¡¯t act against me during my weakest hour because of our relationship, our bond as fellow disciples. Today, I¡¯ll repay that kindness. I¡¯ll give you another choice, your fate will be your own to decide.¡± His body was covered by a silver-blue light, disguising his features.


    Slowly, he appeared within Shin Xuanji¡¯s line-of-sight. This startled him greatly, his eyes looking at this silver-blue silhouette, not with fear, but filled with hatred and unyielding will.


    ¡°You have a choice.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s voice boomed within his soul.


    ¡°You can forget your hatred with the Yan Clan. If you do, you¡¯ll be given a chance. You¡¯ll be given freedom, wealth, protection, and the ability to grow. The chance for vengeance.¡± His words entered directly into Shin Xuanji¡¯s soul, ¡°or, you can choose to stay. Await your fate, whatever that may be.¡±


    When Shin Xuanji heard those choices, his eyes glowed with a long-forgotten radiance. In truth, he thought he was having delusions, that this was a manifestation of his will to fight on. If he chose the path to wait, wouldn¡¯t it be the same as accepting death?! The choice was obvious.


    ¡°Yan Clan? Compared to the Yan Clan, the Earthly Titan Sect deserves a thousand deaths!!¡± He said, but due to his lack of teeth, it came out a little incoherently. However, Yan Zaizen understood it all. ¡°The Yan Clan killed my family, but if it means getting my revenge on the Earthly Titan Sect, then I can forgive it all!¡±


    Indeed.


    When one experiences tragedy from afar, the reaction isn¡¯t nearly as intense as experiencing it yourself. Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t understand the full story of the Shin Clan, but that didn¡¯t mean Shin Xuanji knew it either.


    ¡°Swear on your very soul!¡± Yan Zaizen voice boomed.


    Shin Xuanji thundered with a chaotic roar filled with anger and hatred. ¡°I SWEAR ON MY SOUL!! LET ME GET REVENGE!¡± Traces of blood leaked from his mouth as the scabbed lacerations on his tongue started to bleed. It gave him a very horrendous and malicious appearance.


    ¡°Then, so be it."

 Chapter 98 - Finished.

    Yan Zaizen shifted through chaotic space with his Infinite Chaotic Immersion Art, arriving aboard the skyship with Shin Xuanji tucked between his arm. Shin Xuanji''s body was limp as he was thoroughly unconscious. Earlier, he had decided to swear a soul oath to pardon the Yan Clan for a chance at survival.


    Yan Zaizen fulfilled his words.


    When he appeared, two individuals were staring at Yan Zaizen with eyes filled with trepidation. They were the Sectmaster of the Earthly Titan Sect, Yao Wuying, and the previous Xuanwu City Lord. Beside them were Bai Lufeng and Tao, standing guard over their restricted form. Both had silver-blue shackles constructed from soul energy binding their physical bodies and souls.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes were colder than the harshest winter as he looked at these two. The murderous desire within his body was contained very well, but it still caused them to tremble in fear. Directly ignoring these two, Yan Zaizen instructed Bai Lufeng, "Help him refine an Earthly Rejuvenation Pill and clean him up." Yan Zaizen sent Shin Xuanji''s frail body into Bai Lufeng''s arms. Floating atop Shin Xuanji''s head was a small bottle with a single pill inside.


    With an Earthly Rejuvenation Pill, even if Shin Xuanji didn''t want to fully recover, he would have no choice. This wouldn''t be able to help him with his castrated genitals, but it would help with his nearly destroyed organs, qi pathways, meridians, and dantian. His cultivation path will be unlocked once more, as for regaining his ability to reproduce, that''ll be something he''ll have to strive for alone.


    Bai Lufeng nodded swiftly, taking Shin Xuanji and the pill down beneath the skyship with no hesitation. At this point, Bai Lufeng truly accepted Yan Zaizen as his leader, and wouldn''t question a single decision he made, nor would he even ask why.


    As for Tao, his brows lifted upwards, but he remained silent. He simply awaited instructions.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t give any, instead, he walked towards the restrained duo on the deck of the ship. "Do you know who I am?" He asked, his voice chilly. This was faintly reminiscent to his interaction with Diyi. However, this time it seemed a little different. He was a lot more composed instead of being filled with intense festering rage.


    Yao Wuying shook his head. He was a rather large man, one filled with incredible muscular features, a height that exceeded Yan Zaizen''s, and emitted a brilliant vital energy aura. However, before Yan Zaizen, he was like a tiny child afraid of giving his parents the wrong answer. As for the Xuanwu City Lord, her elderly features were filled with fear.


    "Han Zaiji."


    "!!!" Both of their eyes narrowed to a pinpoint, and their bodies instinctively struggled. Unfortunately, the bindings only tightened, causing their souls and bodies to suffer further damage. This struggle lasted several seconds before they regained their original calm.


    Yan Zaizen sighed softly. In truth, he truly wanted to kill this Sectmaster of the Earthly Titan Sect. However, taking Shin Xuanji''s situation into account, he decided against it. If anyone deserves revenge, then Shin Xuanji should do so himself, with his own power, with his own methods.


    That didn''t mean he was going to let him off, however. His hands gripped Yao Wuying''s head tightly, causing panic to suffuse his gaze, and a burst of silver-blue light exploded outwards. It tunneled into his body, ravaging his pathways, lacerating his meridians, pummeling his dantian, collapsing his vital energies, cracking his origin core and damaging his soul form.


    However, he didn''t fully cripple him.


    Instead, this form of damage will require vast amounts of resources and time to rectify. The sheer pain from the damage inflicted caused Yao Wuying to directly lose consciousness. Yan Zaizen looked towards Tao, and Tao nodded as if understanding. He grabbed Yao Wuying''s body and flew towards the Earthly Titan Sect.


    This left the Xuanwu City Lord and Yan Zaizen alone. Seeing him utterly decimate her leader, she felt all hope for her was lost. She wanted to speak but her throat was sealed and her qi was hard to urge under the soul suppression. Even if she wanted to beg for her life, she couldn''t.


    Nor would Yan Zaizen let her.


    "You sent me to chaotic space to die. I know why." He slowly straightened his back, looked at the sky, and said with a calm tone. "If it wasn''t for you, I would''ve never been enslaved. However, if it wasn''t for you, I wouldn''t be who I am today." Karma was a miraculously strange thing in the world beneath the heavens. It elicited and defined the cause and effects of the myriad things in this world, and yet, it was beyond being predictable.


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    Yan Zaizen wasn''t a fool. If he had gone home, he would''ve been imprisoned by the Water Veil Sect, or even killed by the sectmaster due to his potential. They wanted to keep the Yan Clan down, and his talent would''ve been unacceptable.


    Being sent into chaotic space dropped him off in Grux, allowed him to meet Tao, allowed him to advance his laws, allowed him to obtain Pinaka, allowed him to comprehend further on what the Dao truly was, allowed him to amass wealth, subordinates and power quickly. If he had gone home, perhaps none of that would''ve happened. Perhaps, just perhaps, he would''ve been unjustly killed after attempting to take the spot of the Clan Leader.


    However, no one could truly know.


    The only thing they could know was the present, the here and now, the effects of past actions and the changes to one''s outlook on life. The current him only exist because of that action. If that action never happened, would the current him exist?


    The answer was simple: No.


    However, that didn''t mean he felt complex or conflicted about his decisions in life or his current path he tread. "I will give you a choice." He looked at the Xuanwu City Lord with eyes, similar to Diyi, he would offer her something similar. "I can leave you with your cultivation and send you into chaotic space. Or, I can cripple you, then send you into chaotic space."


    Her eyes widened at these choices. Weren''t they the same as giving her the death sentence? What was the point of these choices?


    Yan Zaizen, however, didn''t think so. She did have an infinitesimally small chance to survive, but so did he. One was an infinitesimally small chance at survival while the other was certain death.


    He waved his hand, removing the restriction from her throat. "You have ten seconds to choose."


    "Wait! I''m sorry, this...we can work something out! I have wealth! I have secrets, I can tell you these things, I can help you!" She pleaded for her life. As someone who''ve lived for thousands of years, how could she resign herself to death so easily? The point of cultivation is to further one''s lifespan, to advance towards the heavens one step at a time and rival it. To be able to fight for and achieve immortality!


    Who would be willing to die?!


    Yan Zaizen didn''t respond. Her ten seconds were used up pleading for her life. This was her choice. He tapped her glabella with his index finger, causing a silver-blue light to surge into her body, thoroughly crippling her initial-Origin Core Cultivation.


    He brought her to her feet, kept her awake by stimulating her soul, and looked her in the eyes. "In my entire life, the one I hated the most in this world...was you." With that, he placed his palm on her chest, pushing her lightly backwards. The silver-blue restraints vanished into thin air, and her body started merging with the surroundings like entering a soft, hot marshmallow.


    POP!


    The scene was remarkably similar to the overseer in the Deep Mines. However, this time, Yan Zaizen''s eyes glowed with silver light radiating spatial fluctuations. He could see her within the chaotic space. Her grey hair follicles, her wrinkled skin, her clothes, and blood were being ripped apart in an infinite number of directions. She clawed the surrounding space, screamed violently, and twisted in odd ways.


    Her right leg was the first to go, separating from her body, and being torn to nothingness. Then, her skin, her other limbs, her torso, and then finally, her head. Yan Zaizen could see the emotions in her eyes, filled with pain, regret, and unwillingness. The same emotions his eyes must''ve had in this dark emptiness. It wasn''t long before everything from her blood to her soul was dissipated into nothingness.


    This was how she wanted him to die. This was the fate she left him to. Now, this was the fate he''d given her.


    Several minutes later, Tao returned. He saw Yan Zaizen stand alone on the deck, his eyes filled with a sort of peace and calm that one could get when they have no regrets in life. It gave him a sensation of looking at a sage at the height of his life, radiating serenity and transcendence.


    Truly, he was finished.

 Chapter 99 - Direction

    After a brief silence, Yan Zaizen stretched his muscles and felt as if a mountain was no longer attached to his back, murky rivers no longer hindered his steps, and the skies were without dark clouds.


    "I''m finished¡­" He silently muttered, his face covered with a brilliant smile. Before this one smile, the world lost its heavenly luster. Tao was stunned. During the nearly three years of their companionship, he had never witnessed Yan Zaizen produce a smile this extraordinary before. Perhaps a confident smirk, a warm smile, but never one so free and at ease.


    "Tao, set a course to Presba''s Capital," Yan Zaizen instructed. Tao broke free from his shocked state and softly nodded in assent. For some reason, he felt happier somehow; he felt freer than ever before.


    "Do you remember what I said before?" Yan Zaizen asked ambiguously, his back facing Tao.


    Tao softly chuckled, "We''ll travel the vast realm, see the myriad sights it has to offer." These words were spoken to him by Yan Zaizen in the Deep Mines, when he was at his lowest, struggling to survive an additional day in a world filled with death and despair. Those very words were said when his life was at its lowest possible. He had lost his family, his clan, his future and was left with nothing but death before him.


    Then, Yan Zaizen arrived.


    Yan Zaizen pointed his index finger towards the sky, his eyes closed in peace. "And enjoy our lives." He finished Tao''s words. These words may sound very ambiguous and wishful, but this meant the world to him. Tao was his only living friend outside of family, and in truth, likely his first true friend in this world. They''ve gone to hell and escaped together, they were unlikely to ever meet, but somehow they did.


    A young naive boy with little knowledge of the world with very little status and an intelligent scholar whose knowledge and status was of the highest within his country. Somehow, their paths crossed on that day, at that group, and their fates were interconnected forever.


    Yan Zaizen was silent for a brief moment, but continued, "What about joining me?"


    Tao boisterously laughed in response, his eyes glistening with faint traces of tears. He now realized why he felt so marvelous at this moment. "I''ll join you; I''ll follow you anywhere, everywhere."


    Yan Zaizen gently smiled, making his way to his cabin. A profound gleam suffused his eyes, and he couldn''t help but feel content for the first time in his life.


    --------------------------------


    "Master." A young woman softly said. This young woman had long-flowing brunette hair with soft, clear brown eyes that seemed to ripple like water, flawless skin, a countenance that could bring down kingdoms with a glance and the aura of high status. A lithe body that could be described as perfect, a set of milky-white mounds that bounced ever so slightly with every movement of her body. It could cause any man''s inner fire to flare at the sight. Her legs were supple with the excellent shape, accentuating her already perfect figure, cherry pink lips that seemed to be the epitome of softness, and thin eyebrows that perfected her attractive ensemble.


    An older, more mature woman whose attractiveness slightly lost out to the young woman stood before her. They were currently aboard a sky-blue skyship that was exceptionally well-designed and constructed. In comparison to Yan Zaizen''s skyship, this one was significantly greater in terms of speed, size, and defenses.


    If Yan Zaizen was here, he would recognize both of these women!


    Yao Wuhen.


    And.


    Ya Qinqan!Stolen novel; please report.


    Yao Wuhen had used the Earthly Rejuvenation Pill to make a full recovery, maintaining her initial-True Essence Cultivation. However, her pseudo-sky rank armament was still damaged, but besides that, the entire battle garnered little losses. If anything, she obtained greater benefits by gaining an ally that could rival an entire grand-tier force alone.


    In her hand was the transmission talisman given to her by Yan Zaizen. Within it was a strand of Yan Zaizen''s spiritual sense, if crushed, he would not only receive the message but location of the individual who crushed it. She recognized this and felt grateful. Essentially, this was a threat. Anyone who scanned it could easily see the half-step Perfect Aurora Soul Realm signature emitted.


    All she had to do was hold this out, and anyone wanting to take action against her must first consider the consequences. In truth, Yan Zaizen didn''t expect her to wield it as a threat but simply a form of communication in case the Yan Clan was in danger. Segregating one''s spiritual sense was a difficult thing to do, and it hurt so he wasn''t too keen on doing it. For his aunt and uncle''s safety, he gave her one.


    "Yes." Yao Wuhen looked at this disciple of hers with pride. It was fate that they both held the same conceptual law comprehension, and her talent and will was exceptional. She didn''t know the story of Yan Zaizen and Ya Qinqan, in truth, not many people did. Even Yan Jinzen only knew Yan Zaizen favored Ya Qinqan, but who didn''t favor her?


    She was beautiful, talented and had the potential to be extraordinary. Who wouldn''t favor this? In the course of these three to four years, she''d already cultivated to the peak-Essence Formation Realm and had begun to refine her dantian to the mid-Dantian Refinement Realm. To achieve this, even with a True Essence Master in three years was exceptional.


    Of course, she didn''t have Yan Zaizen''s Herculean Physique or Mid-Grade essence crystal, so this could be considered extraordinary.


    "Are we truly going to the Capital?" Ya Qinqan asked, her eyes suffused with a flickering light of expectation.


    Yao Wuhen could read her disciple''s emotions and couldn''t help but lightly smile. "I''ve already arranged for you to meet prominent youths of your generation, so be sure to use this opportunity to advance your relations."


    "Yes!" Ya Qinqan responded. From the Ya Clan, a subordinate to a second-tier force, to the disciple of a True Essence expert, someone who stood near the peak of the continent. Her rise was sudden but much appreciated. When she was younger, she always desired to join the Water Veil Sect. Now, it''s likely she''ll be its next Sectmaster.


    She looked towards the skies with eyes filled with ambition. "It was all worth it," she silently muttered to herself. Her future was limitless.


    --------------------------------


    Several days passed since the Earthly Titan Sect''s disaster.


    At an expansive lake within the Earthly Titan Territory, Bai Lufeng brought a youth filled with intelligent eyes and a handsome appearance. This youth had a calm expression and eyes that carried untold hatred and fearsome will.


    It was Shin Xuanji!


    It only required a few days for Shin Xuanji to recover completely with the Earthly Rejuvenation Pill. It was so spectacular that his cultivation that was originally at the peak-Qi Revolving Realm had risen to the peak-Essence Formation Realm. The sheer medicinal potential that could fully restore a True Essence Realm expert was hugely beneficial to his physique and cultivation. Even his vital energies were enhanced greatly by this.


    However, his eyes contained no excitement, only a chilling calm.


    "Here." Bai Lufeng turned around, throwing a spatial ring, spatial bag, and spatial bracelet to Shin Xuanji. They were specially prepared by Yan Zaizen to accommodate Shin Xuanji''s cultivation in the future, not to mention, it contained quite a bit of escape, defensive, and offensive talismans that could resist Qi Unification experts.


    It wasn''t enough to dominate the world, but enough to get him started on his next task.


    Shin Xuanji caught the spatial objects and positioned them onto himself without any hesitation. His eyes never leaving Bai Lufeng''s form. He had so many questions. In truth, he had very little idea what had happened. One moment, he was tied up in a dungeon of the Earthly Titan Sect, the next, he was freed receiving resources he could never dream of with a cultivation boost that seemed heaven-defying.


    Bai Lufeng could see his gaze filled with questions and couldn''t help but softly shake his head. He didn''t know who this youth was, but he had his orders and wouldn''t disobey for no reason. Not bothering with Shin Xuanji any further, he flew away like a comet through the skies. Shin Xuanji could only watch him depart.


    After several minutes had passed, he looked at his violet martial outfit and spatial objects with a hint of surprise. "Yan Clan¡­" He whispered, but he could feel a pressure in his soul that restricted him from actively taking action against them. Gathering a deep breath, he nodded to himself. Resolve suffused his eyes, "As long as I can get my revenge, I can forgive them this once."


    He picked a direction and slowly walked off.


    Little did Yan Zaizen know, this Eighth Brother of his will cause a storm that''ll never be forgotten among the myriad realms.

 Chapter 100 - Previous Owners Intentions

    "So you''re saying a Regalia of the Heavens is?" Yan Zaizen questioned, his mind somewhat feeling dizzy. Before him was Pinaka in her soul form, her eyes filled with slight hints of impatience and annoyance. Earlier, Yan Zaizen had asked her a question regarding the Immortal Herculean Method: "What''s a Regalia of the Heavens?"


    Despite explaining several times, Yan Zaizen found it hard to comprehend due to the contradiction of the name. However, Pinaka only snorted softly and still proceeded to break down her explanation. "The Regalia of the Heavens is an object with its own concept. It is a part of the heavens, but also separate. They are exceptionally rare and are commonly used or created by those who''ve reached the peak of their conceptual laws."


    "..." Yan Zaizen still found this hard to understand. A part of but separate? It bewildered him to the point his brain hurt. However, Pinaka had already realized that Yan Zaizen mental intelligence was somewhat low. It was due to this that his comprehension of arts was considered the lowest possible but also why his understanding of the laws was exceptionally high.


    For those who try to comprehend the heavens, typically their thoughts make constant incorrect conclusions leading to a lack of advancement, but to those who don''t have such complicated thoughts, they find it much easier to connect and progress in their laws. To put it simply, those who had a simple outlook had heightened understanding of the world''s simplicity despite its complexity. It was like a child looking at a riddle and figuring out the answer in a second while an adult would contemplate it over and over yet still might get it wrong.


    This didn''t mean Yan Zaizen was a stupid person, simply that he wasn''t educated enough to think in complex manners. With proper teaching and time, it''s highly likely he could rival Tao and even exceed him in intelligence due to this mentality and dao.


    "Think of it as a physical object that was originally apart of the Heavens but separated from it after. Therefore, it was no longer connected to the heavens. It''s why they''re exceptionally rare and incredibly difficult to obtain. If one reaches the peak of a concept, they can create these Regalia''s easily, but if not, they can only dream of obtaining one." Pinaka further explained.


    Yan Zaizen finally seemed to have gotten something, but then he felt incredibly frustrated. The Immortal Herculean Method required a Regalia of the Heavens to progress to the 2nd Level: Grand Herculean Physique. One has to refine it to determine the characteristics and attribute of their physique; therefore, no two herculean physiques were the same.


    "You obtained the sub-dimensional ethereal ring from another, right?" Pinaka asked, her voice filled with curiosity.


    "Hm? I don''t know. It just appeared on my finger after a meteor hit me." Yan Zaizen commented, but thinking about it, it was unlikely that the meteor was a meteor.


    After a brief moment of silence, Pinaka responded, "You obtained that method from the ring, so the previous owner should''ve had intentions to cultivate in it. If my guess is correct, that piece of black wood with the white flame should be a Regalia of the Heavens." She pointed out, entering the Meteor Ring''s space and arriving next to the inky black wood with the small white flame atop.


    Yan Zaizen followed her inside, arriving next to the inky black wood, and his eyes lit up in realization. The first law he comprehended was the Unyielding White Flame and it originated from the white flame atop the black wood.


    "Not only that, this compass seems to be a trans-spatial divine compass." She pointed towards the six-arrowed compass with a missing double-sided arrow pointing east to west. It gave off faint traces of silver light yet still seemed ordinary in existence.


    "Trans-spatial divine compass?"


    "Mhm. It''s an object that is exceedingly rare in the myriad realms, but it''s also unreliable. If used, you''ll be sent to any place beneath the heavens. You could end up dead, your luck either must be exceptionally good or you''ll die in some random corner alone." Looking at the compass, she couldn''t help but wonder why this thing was here and how it was obtained.


    From her knowledge, this object shouldn''t exist beneath this particular heaven. Even in the previous Era, this shouldn''t exist. This item wasn''t outlawed by the heavens but more so, it was too heaven-defying. This could be the only object that could travel to any corner of the heavens without restriction, even if the Lord of this Heaven blocked off an area personally, this compass could enter or exit from it.


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    She didn''t bother explaining its background, as it wasn''t truly important to know.


    Picking up the compass, Yan Zaizen inspected it a little and felt that it contained a conceptual law that his Spatial Form of Infinite Stability was happy to see. The moment he touched it with his soul form, he could feel his spatial avatar twitch subtly in excitement as if it wanted to hold it dearly.


    "Strange¡­" However, Yan Zaizen quickly put it down. If it could send someone to any place and they could die, he didn''t want to use it. His luck had never been that good, and he had no intentions to gamble with his life.


    "So, if I refine this inky black wood, I could progress to the Grand Herculean Physique?" He inquired, picking up the inky black wood and feeling the sensation of death and faint traces of unyielding life. Before, he was scared to even get close, but now, he felt incredibly familiar with it.


    "I''m not sure, but if the Immortal Herculean Method you practice truly requires you to refine a Regalia, it must be one exceptional method." She commented, her mind flashing with interest. A Regalia could only be created by the heavens naturally or by those who''ve reached the peak of laws. The people who could reach the peak of their conceptual law would typically exceed the heavens in power and status.


    How could it be so easy to obtain?


    The fact there was one here surprised her, but also made her curious as to who the previous owner of this ring was. From Yan Zaizen''s words, the resources were more than enough to build an extraordinary physique, a qi cultivation that exceeds the True Essence Realm, and recover or progress the soul.


    Unfortunately, a majority of those resources were siphoned by the black hole during Yan Zaizen''s soul transformation. Pinaka''s curiosity held no end. This person was the most likely one who''ve entered the Heavenly Genesis Realm or exceeded it! If so, this person was an absolute monster in the cultivation world and couldn''t be someone who wasn''t exceptional in the myriad realms.


    One must know, even the Xiantu Emperor who ruled over the Xiantu Realm, who possessed a Dao, was only at the initial-stages of the Heavenly Genesis Realm.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t know about Pinaka''s turbulent thoughts. He looked at the inky black wood with anticipation dominating his gaze. The method to develop a Grand Herculean Physique required one to refine a Regalia of the Heavens and finalizing one''s physique traits. If one could refine a regalia based off thunder, they would receive a physique based around thunder, similar to fire, space, sword, or blood.


    Wouldn''t this mean his physique would be based off life and death? Would his physique contain specific characteristics of the Siphoning Shadow of Death and Unyielding Flame of Life? If so, how extraordinary would that be?!


    He was excited beyond belief.


    However, he was frustrated further after reading the requirements to progress the Grand Herculean Physique after reaching it. It stated that he needed something called Heavenly Law Liquid. When he asked Pinaka, she said it was essentially essence liquid to the highest form possible. There were no low-grade, mid-grade, or high-grade Heavenly Law Liquid, but simply a consistent quality per drop.


    It seems the heavens refine it normally and are typically found in areas where heavenly tribulations take place. The stronger the heavenly tribulation, the greater the chance of its creation, but it was still fairly unlikely. It contains traces of exceptionally potent heavenly essence and is used by Heavenly Genesis Realm experts. He truly felt frustrated after hearing what Heavenly Genesis Realm was - the realm above True Essence Realm.


    He truly realized that his current cultivation was just the tip of the iceberg, there was still further to go!


    Regardless, he''ll have to deal with that when the time came, for now, it was time to refine this inky black wood and white flame!

 Chapter 101 - Grand Herculean Physique

    Due to the possibility that the skyship may be disturbed during his refining process, Yan Zaizen had decided to take a break from his travels to the capital. Finding a quiet mountain and carving out a cave for himself, he sat in there with excitement. Tao decided to use this time to not only further stabilize his foundation but practice his arts. Bai Lufeng, however, decided to stand guard while refining an Origin Consolidation Pill.


    Taking a deep breath, Yan Zaizen readjusted his mental state. Pinaka was now hibernating within his soul form, absorbing his soul energy with little restraint. As previously agreed upon, Yan Zaizen would focus on body and qi cultivation to further his progression to excavate his origin source and bloodline. If he could do so, it seems when he reaches the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm, and a miraculous change may occur giving him untold benefits. He wasn¡¯t sure what, but he trusted Pinaka¡¯s advice.


    She was beyond him in age, which indicated that she had boundless experience. Not to mention, they were connected via his dao. With this intimate connection, he could feel her intentions.


    ¡°Refine the Regalia with your heart¡­¡± He softly whispered. The description wasn¡¯t overly specific in intricacies, but at least it had a method to do so.


    His breathing slowly entered a strange rhythm. As his breathing did so, so did his heartbeat. This rhythm seemed to call upon a miraculous power hidden deep within his cells and called upon some unknown force from within.


    THUMP!


    THUMP!!


    THUMP!!!


    The surface of his body started to glow with a faint golden light that seemed to wish to break free from the heavenly restraints. It gave the surrounding area a suppressive feel that left one breathless and trembling in fear. Despite being several li away from Yan Zaizen, Tao was instantly disturbed. He felt an inherent but deep penetrating fear that seemed to burrow deep into his soul.


    The profound feeling was like staring at the world rushing towards you with malicious intent. Before long, his body was filled with sweat and he could barely move.


    Bai Lufeng was even worse. Not only was he kneeling, but clutching at his heart, feeling overwhelmed with a terrifyingly profound sensation of inferiority and insignificance. It was as if the sound was informing him that his existence was less than dust itself. Even tears started dripping from his eyes instinctively.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­crying¡­?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but touch his eyes to feel its moistness. It¡¯s been thousands of years since he last cried, but now he couldn¡¯t stop himself. Biting his lips in defiance, he roared outwards, but the thumping only increased which turned that defiant roar into a tiny whimper of submission.


    Tao had already folded into a fetal position, his body trembling incessantly with each thumping sound. The other existences within tens of li range were similar. This experience was as if the heavens were informing them of their insignificance and pointless existence.


    They wanted to defy its words but simply couldn¡¯t.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s reaction was completely different. His amber eyes glowed with traces of golden light that seemed to penetrate all existence and his body thumped so loudly that the world trembled around him, but where he sat, it was as still as it could be. It was as if the planet itself couldn¡¯t stop trembling but afraid of disturbing Yan Zaizen¡¯s cultivation.


    ¡°AHHHHHH!!!¡± Thundering out a roar that caused the skies to roil and the 3,000-meter mountain to develop an infinite amount of cracks as if it would shatter with the slightest touch.


    The inky black wood seemed to be drawn by some unknown power as it floated beside Yan Zaizen, specifically where his powerful heart was releasing that imperious sound. It released strings of black and white, entering his heart slowly. As the strings were drawn into him, the inky black wood shrunk little by little.


    After several minutes, the inky black wood and white flame no longer existed outside, but its conceptual law and power laid within Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart. If one could rip open his heart, they would see white and black strings circling around as if in a beautiful dance.


    Slowly, that originally red heart started to change, its color becoming golden with traces of black and white. As it did, his bones became whiter than snow, his lungs became as black as the darkest night, and his blood had a mixture of the three colors.


    An unprecedented evolution was being undergone that has never been done before! There have been other cultivators of the Grand Herculean Physique, but never have they merged two conceptual laws into one heart! There have been many that have tried during the eras, but all failed. However, due to the synchronized existence between the two, it was possible!


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    His heart grew twice its size, and his bones were harder than ever before and muscles had became strengthened yet remained supple and flexible. His skin was now flawless without a single natural blemish, and his physical features were dashing to the limit! Unlike beautiful men with feminine features, Yan Zaizen could be classified as an exceptionally handsome man with astonishing male features!


    Vibrant amber-gold eyes, powerfully sculptured muscles, tall stature, chiseled cheekbones, and perfect facial features! The pinnacle of a man!


    A long while flew by in an instant.


    Slowly, Yan Zaizen opened his eyes to reveal bright amber-gold eyes that shined with siphoning magnetism and unlimited lifeforce. A smirk tugged at his lips as he revealed his set of pearly white teeth. A breath of air was released, but it wasn¡¯t turbid by any means, but filled with an alluring flavor! A clench of his fist caused the surrounding air to yield to his motion.


    ¡°Grand Herculean Physique.¡± He silently muttered to himself, standing upright inside the cave and discovering he was now two inches taller, standing at six feet and two inches. His muscles weren¡¯t bulky, but they possessed an explosive feeling with traces of profound suppleness and flexibility. He felt that he could shatter a mountain with a single blow.


    He could shatter the sky with a single blow!


    ¡°Your...progression¡­¡± Pinaka¡¯s soft voice resounded within his soul, it was filled with shock and awe. If anyone was familiar with Yan Zaizen¡¯s physical condition, it would be the one who was connected to his soul. She could feel his extraordinary vital energy that was exceptionally potent to the point where she quivered slightly.


    Of course, this was only because she was weakened. If she was at her full, this aura could barely make her twitch.


    ¡°This is only the initial-stage of the Grand Herculean Physique. I wonder...how strong am I now?¡± After refining the Regalia, he could feel his connection to the laws of life and death had become exceptionally profound and clear. With a motion of his qi, he revealed a brilliant white flame in his right palm and an inky black orb in his left. His eyes shined with dazzling light of excitement.


    ¡°Perfect Force Level, of both.¡± He remarked, noticing that the amount of law they both possessed was full and they were completely saturated. Perhaps in the near future, he¡¯ll be able to reach the Manifestation-level.


    Pinaka wasn¡¯t surprised, however. Having refined a Regalia of the Heavens, this advancement was expected. If anything, she expected it to be far higher. This was literally an object carved naturally by the heavens or created by someone who reached the peak of both conceptual laws! Refining it into one¡¯s body would bring extraordinary effects!


    ¡°Your strength...hard to estimate due to body cultivation physique strength being hard to gauge outside of actual battle, but your vital energies...it should rival those at the True Essence Realm in intensity.¡± She softly calculated Yan Zaizen¡¯s latest vital energies, but obviously, she couldn¡¯t be sure. Unless he revealed his vital energies to its maximum with a proper martial art, determining his strength would be nearly impossible.


    ¡°Hahahaha!!!¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but laugh. Not to mention, he felt like his blood contains traces of lifeforce so powerful that it scared him, while also having death aura mixed within that seemed to have originated from his lungs.


    With every breath, his quad-lungs would absorb the essence from the air, convert this essence into death-attributed essence, and this essence would flow into his blood and to his heart. When it did, the heart would absorb the death-attributed essence and convert it to even stronger lifeforce that would flow throughout the body to strengthen every aspect of his physique.


    He was truly getting stronger with every breath!


    It followed the same concept as the inky black wood!!


    ¡°AHHHHH!!¡± He roared towards the sky with a voice filled with exhilaration and power.


    However¡­


    The mountain he resided in that was nearing collapse¡­


    Collapsed...

 Chapter 102 - Plan

    ¡°Tao...you look like you¡¯ve had a mountain fall on you.¡± Bai Lufeng said, stifling a laugh as he looked at Tao¡¯s appearance.


    Tao was covered in dust, his clothes ripped from the sharp rocks, and his body filled with cuts, bruises, and indentations from pelleting of rocks. Even if he had an Origin Realm cultivation base, that didn¡¯t mean he could handle a mountain collapse on him. He was almost in tears as he felt sore all over, his gaze when he looked at Yan Zaizen was filled with an intense grievance.


    Yan Zaizen looked away, holding his smile. Not only did he cause both of them to feel a hint of inferiority that caused them to waddle up like babies for a bit, but he also caused a mountain to collapse. He felt a little guilty, but it was a bit funny. The reason for that was simple.


    Earlier¡­


    ¡°I don¡¯t know if you should cultivate in the same mountain as me,¡± Yan Zaizen warned.


    ¡°Pfft, even if you bring down the mountain, I¡¯ll be unharmed. I¡¯m not at the Origin Core Realm for show!¡± Tao responded in a voice filled with pride and reassurance.


    Yet¡­


    ¡°Well, I did warn you¡­¡± Yan Zaizen quietly muttered, avoiding Tao¡¯s gaze while rubbing his nose lightly. Tao snorted in defiance, unwilling to accept that explanation.


    You collapsed a mountain on top of me!


    How could I forgive you with just that?


    However, Yan Zaizen directly ignored his grievance and tried to change the subject. ¡°Have you figured out the amount of wealth we¡¯ve accumulated so far?¡± This was a very important question. The last time they checked their wealth was after the royal robbery, but now they¡¯ve robbed two first-tier sects ¡ª Soaring Cloud Sect & Earthly Titan Sect ¡ª and many of their experts. As for the Soaring Cloud Sect, they ripped it from its roots and pocketed it all.


    Tao¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement with a slight smile, as if his wounds didn¡¯t exist. He checked his spatial ring, his eyes suffused with a little bit of greed. ¡°The Soaring Cloud Sect truly had some good things, some very rare materials they likely didn¡¯t know how to use or was saving it. Similar to the Earthly Titan Sect. Not to mention, I found a True Essence Sublimation Pill from the elderly male Soaring Cloud Sect¡¯s Grand Elder who fought back viciously in defiance."


    No wonder he fought back so fiercely, this pill was sufficient enough to help someone at half-step True Essence Realm breakthrough! It heightened the chances, but because his cultivation was far too low, he couldn¡¯t use it. They were all surprised that he possessed this pill.


    Those weren''t the only incredible things. The Sectmasters of both sects possessed an extraordinary amount of wealth. As commonly known in the cultivation world, even if someone had an extraordinary amount of essence to make a cultivation breakthrough, it still required a vast amount of time to refine those materials and thus cultivators, especially high-ranking ones, typically had a vast amount of low/mid-grade liquid essence drops.


    ¡°Adding everything obtained after Sky Heart City, we¡¯ve gained nearly two billion in wealth. In total, we¡¯ve earned seven billion, and that is just market price estimations! If we had the highest price for all the rare materials and pills, we could easily reach ten billion!¡± His eyes suffused with intense greed.


    Bai Lufeng and Yan Zaizen weren¡¯t any different, their eyes filled with the light of greed. ¡°We¡¯re rich! Hahaha!¡± Laughing towards the skies, Yan Zaizen felt incomparably satisfied. However, Tao said words that broke their dreams. ¡°We may have this amount of wealth, but we still have to trade it for actual essence to be worth much, otherwise...we just have a lot of useless materials we can¡¯t really make use of¡­¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Yeah...right.


    Even if the things they possessed were worth ten billion, that didn¡¯t mean they actually had ten billion in their possession. Yan Zaizen sighed in resignation, ¡°What about in actual wealth?¡±


    ¡°About two billion...¡± His voice was filled with a deflated tone.


    Bai Lufeng¡¯s eyes widened with surprise. Two billion may be far less than ten billion, but that was still two billion! The equivalence to twenty mid-grade essence crystals! This amount of wealth would still blow grand-tier powers out of the water, but they looked like they were robbed! These people...if it wasn¡¯t for the fact Yan Zaizen could kill him with a thought, and Tao wasn¡¯t exactly a small fry, he would¡¯ve smacked them both upside the head.


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    ¡°Well, two billion is good enough. We can trade off the materials at the Capital, maybe auction a few of them off, right?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired. Tao responded with a slight nod in agreement.


    ¡°Then, that''s that. We have two True Essence Sublimation Pill, and many other grand-tier pills and elixirs, we can definitely sell them for top dollar!¡± Yan Zaizen exclaimed.


    ¡°...¡± Both Tao and Bai Lufeng remained silent.


    Did he really want to sell the pills and elixirs? Did he really want to sell the True Essence Sublimation Pills?! Was he insane?! They were priceless, who would ever even think about it?


    Seeing both of their looks, Yan Zaizen felt a little embarrassed after some thought. These pills and elixirs may not be useful to him now but they may be useful to him in the future. ¡°Okay...we¡¯ll sell the materials for top dollar!¡± He corrected.


    They both nodded in perfect sync.


    ¡°Young Lord Zai, you¡¯ve changed.¡± Bai Lufeng finally took notice of Yan Zaizen¡¯s extraordinary changes. Not only was he taller, he looked more attractive, even Bai Lufeng was feeling odd sensations from looking into those amber-gold eyes.


    Tao, however, didn¡¯t even take note. He pretty much saw Yan Zaizen grow a foot and change drastically during the Deep Mines over the course of two years, he was numb to it.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had a breakthrough in my body cultivation method.¡± Yan Zaizen casually replied. Bai Lufeng didn¡¯t know about the Immortal Herculean Physique, so he could only accept that response and not delve deeper. It was obvious Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t willing to speak further on the subject.


    However, both Bai Lufeng and Tao couldn¡¯t help but conceal a deep complex feeling within their hearts. Earlier, they were in a terrible state of emotional and mental instability. Yan Zaizen¡¯s breakthrough had caused them to nearly collapse in mentality as if the heavens deemed them irrelevant.


    Luckily, the moment Yan Zaizen finished his cultivation and arrived near them, they could feel his dao aura that radiated slightly quickly repair their mentality with unyielding confidence, warm sensation of safety, and they regained control of their lives once more.


    Essentially, just his presence alone allowed them to feel better.


    Tao felt this more prominently than Bai Lufeng, and he was relieved. Yan Zaizen became his guiding light of hope and he gained new ambitions and dreams under him. Around Yan Zaizen, he felt beyond comfortable.


    ¡°We¡¯ll cultivate for a few more months and take off towards the Presba Capital.¡± Yan Zaizen declared. Tao and Bai Lufeng nodded in understanding.


    The Presba Capital was the capital city of the entire country. It housed numerous grand-tier clans, the imperial-tier royal clan, and the solitary sword sect. Despite its name of being a city, it covered a vast amount of land that exceeded two thousand li.


    Yan Zaizen intended to use their continental-type Spatial Platform. Unlike the spatial platform in Sky Heart City, Xuanwu City or Sky Titan City, this platform could travel to other continental planets within the Xiantu Realm.


    This platform was how all major transactions between continents were performed, and it was due to this platform built by the Xiantu Empire that all the grand-tier or higher forces gathered within this so-called capital city. All four of the countries and a few other powers had their own continental-type spatial platform.


    ¡°Xiantu Continent¡­¡± Yan Zaizen muttered softly to himself. This realm had three continental planets each with millions of islands ¡ª Fallen Stars Continent, Mystic Wave Continent, and Xiantu Continent ¡ª but the Xiantu Empire was located at the Xiantu Continent.


    Not only was the Xiantu Empire located there but also the Main Headquarters of the Anima Syndicate! This was his destination. He could go to one of the lesser locations for membership, but the main headquarters were spoken of by Wu Yuanxu with an air of reverence.


    He mentioned the extraordinary cultivators there, the status one would receive if they were a high-ranking member and various things that fascinated Yan Zaizen.


    Not to mention, the Xiantu Continent was the strongest continental ground within the Xiantu Realm! Yan Zaizen intentions were exploring the myriad realms, why not the owner of his birth realm as his first destination?

 Chapter 103 - Tyrannical Martial Art!

    ¡°Grand Herculean Physique¡­¡± Yan Zaizen was seated in a lotus position floating atop a lake''s surface. The intended plan was to wait for several months to consolidate his body cultivation and practice his arts before restarting their journey to the Presba Capital.


    This was taking into consideration the time it took to refine an Origin Consolidating Pill for Bai Lufeng and Tao¡¯s own cultivation goals. Of course, a few months may not be much in the grand scheme of things, but it¡¯ll definitely be beneficial to perform ascetic cultivation after a breakthrough.


    ¡°Your foundation is astounding.¡± Pinaka softly admitted within Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul form. Oftentimes, they would communicate via the soul unless Yan Zaizen decided to take the initiative to enter his sea of consciousness in soul form. She continued, ¡°You possess a half-step Perfect Aurora Soul, a physique and vital energy that could rival the True Essence Realm, and a qi-cultivation that¡¯s been tempered by four world laws.¡±


    If this was given to someone who was tens of thousands of years old, this wouldn¡¯t be impressive, but it was on someone who was twenty-two! Xiantu Realm may be weak in the overall scheme of things, but that didn¡¯t mean they were truly insignificant. The Xiantu Empire could control an entire realm after all, only those who¡¯ve taken a step towards rivaling the heavens could accomplish such a feat.


    How could anyone who could perform such a feat be considered weak? How could the people they govern be weak? Yet, Yan Zaizen could probably eclipse a majority of the realm¡¯s population at twenty-two.


    ¡°Uhm...thanks.¡± Yan Zaizen awkwardly said, rubbing his nose with eyes suffused with intense satisfaction. However, Pinaka¡¯s next words dumbed cold water on him.


    ¡°If it wasn¡¯t for the fact you are unbelievably bad at practicing arts, you would be the perfect cultivator!¡± She mentioned as if praising him, but it felt like rocks pelleting his confidence.


    Yan Zaizen wanted to refuse but couldn¡¯t.


    It was true; Yan Zaizen was terrible at practicing arts. He¡¯s made zero headway into the Grand Heavenly Zone and had to change the Violet Way of Spatial Shifting to something else. This wasn¡¯t some ingenious move that should be praised, the Violet Way of Spatial Shifting aligned perfectly with Yan Zaizen¡¯s Spatial Form of Infinite Stability, but he simply couldn¡¯t figure out how to enter the spatial void.


    By all means, this was horrible.


    It was like someone tried to solve a puzzle to input specific blocks into specific holes, but because they couldn¡¯t figure out how, they threw the puzzle away and made their own blocks and holes. Because of this, he could only use the cultivation art as a reference and had to devise this new Infinite Chaotic Immersion Art by himself.


    Yan Zaizen had a dark expression on his face, his eyes filled with traces of reluctance and unyieldingness.


    Wait.


    Yan Zaizen had a miraculous memory pop into his head. ¡°Earlier, you mentioned that if I had a mental cultivation art, I could fix this issue!¡±


    A mental cultivation art trains the psyche in a unique way which brings about a myriad of extraordinary effects, especially towards one¡¯s comprehension towards laws, arts, or even the dao, memory, processing of information, heightened physical senses, and far more. It was exceptionally beneficial to armament creators and alchemists.


    However, it had its disadvantages. It could result in a split in personality, lack of impulse control, too much impulse control, emotional degradation, and in some cases, shattering of the psyche if cultivated improperly. One could even turn into a completely different individual mentally.


    A majority of the myriad realms do not cultivate the mind and it has even been outlawed by some races. Even in the Xiantu Realm, the number of circulated mental arts could be counted on one¡¯s hand.


    Pinaka couldn¡¯t help but be stunned for a second, ¡°Indeed, a mental cultivation art could help you fix this issue of your cognitive comprehension and perception. There is a major issue with that, however. Mental cultivation arts are very changing to your personality and for those who¡¯ve comprehended a dao, if you cultivate the wrong art, your dao would automatically collapse.¡±


    It¡¯s not like she wanted to keep things from Yan Zaizen, but she truly didn¡¯t have a mental art suitable for him. His tyrannical dao didn¡¯t fit the mental cultivation art she knew, which focuses on honing the mind with serenity and patience. Before she met Yan Zaizen, she was reserved and filled with gentle serenity, but Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao has already impacted her personality to an extraordinary degree. They were too opposing.


    She could barely contain her contempt, her disdain, or her harsh words. She and Yan Zaizen were different by the core, so their reactions to his dao were different, but give that type of dao to someone who¡¯s lived for countless years, seen many things, and having to interact with someone with very little knowledge.


    It was VERY hard to deal with.


    If it wasn¡¯t for Yan Zaizen¡¯s understanding of her personality shift due to his dao, it¡¯s highly likely with Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao, he would¡¯ve lashed out at her long ago. Fortunately, his dao was still in its nascent form which was evolving its characteristics and gained some warmth. Despite this, it didn¡¯t affect her enough to abate the distressing personality traits, but it did let her care more than before.


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    ¡°I see...so, no art? Even amongst the books?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired, unwilling to give up.


    ¡°None that wouldn¡¯t cause your dao to shatter almost instantly.¡±


    Yan Zaizen softly sighed with sadness, but not defeat! If he didn¡¯t have one on hand, that didn¡¯t mean a mental cultivation art suitable for him didn¡¯t exist! One day, he¡¯ll find one to properly cultivate his mental cognitive functions and improve his talent in arts.


    As for his intelligence, it wasn¡¯t horrible, but he was simply inexperienced, like a child. The more he learned, the greater he¡¯d progress. Unfortunately, his childhood wasn¡¯t filled with many lessons and scholar studies.


    Taking a deep breath, he put his mind elsewhere, recalling the Immortal Herculean Method branded into his soul. ¡°Now that I¡¯ve reached the Grand Herculean Physique, I can practice the Herculean Avatar Art.¡± He decided.


    The Herculean Avatar Art was a manifestation-based martial art that wasn¡¯t really a unique art within its category. Pretty much all cultivation methods from qi, body, or soul would have an avatar art with slight variations in form and execution. It¡¯s because of this that it didn¡¯t have a specific grade or level of successes. The moment you cultivate it, it¡¯ll progress alongside the progression of your cultivation.


    ¡°Use your vital energies to manifest a Herculean Avatar. Eclipse the world with your palm, crush mountains with your feet, and conquer all with your gaze.¡± He recited the basic synopsis. The Immortal Herculean Method truly had domineering descriptions for everything and he couldn¡¯t help but feel excited. Unfortunately, besides this Herculean Avatar Art, the Immortal Herculean Method had no other arts.


    ¡°If I can cultivate this, I¡¯ll be able to manifest a herculean avatar out of my vital energy and fight with others!¡±


    Pinaka intervened, ¡°You should be careful when you cultivate this art.¡± She calmly reminded with traces of wary in her tone.


    Huh?


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Avatar Arts are basic, but this cultivation method is beyond domineering and heaven-defying. You refined a Regalia of the Heavens simply to reach the second level, and there¡¯s still three more. There¡¯s no way this art is ordinary, and it may elicit odd consequences if you cultivate improperly.¡± She warned, obviously fearing him improperly cultivating the art and causing a cultivation deviation moment that could take his life. Normally, she wouldn¡¯t warn anyone of something so basic, but Yan Zaizen had poor art comprehension talent. If something could go wrong, it¡¯s likely he¡¯ll suffer.


    ¡°...¡± He understood what she meant. However, how could he just run away with those words? He had to cultivate it regardless!


    Four months later, Tao and Bai Lufeng had finished their respective cultivation. They stood beside the lake Yan Zaizen was cultivating above. However, their expressions were filled with extreme fear and backs drenched with cold sweat. As Origin Core Cultivators, they would¡¯ve never imagined an aura would cause them to feel such a reaction.


    It wasn¡¯t as intense as before when they were huddled like babies in a corner, but it wasn¡¯t that far off. It was like they¡¯d just saw a god before them in its full glory. Both of their mouths felt horrendously dry and their heartbeats were uncontrollably erratic.


    ¡°HAHAHAHAHA!!!¡± Yan Zaizen was laughing at the center of the lake, his eyes filled with an amber-gold luster that felt heaven-defying. His body gave off a strong sensation of vital energy that could put all the True Essence Realm cultivators he¡¯d met thus far deep into the dirt with shame.


    ¡°I did it! Hehe!¡± He was beyond excited. Pinaka, on the other hand, was silent as night within his soul form. Currently, she was hurdled within his soul form absorbing his soul energy like a baby sucking a pacifier. Every now and then, one could see her bow form inside Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul quiver slightly.


    Yan Zaizen ignored her lack of reaction, clenched his fists and felt like he was drenched in gold. The Herculean Avatar Art truly was domineering and his first true Martial Art that he felt proud to possess. Initially, he had his assumptions about the art, but its true form surprised him.


    Normally, Avatar Arts would simply manifest a larger version of oneself, but this art was fundamentally different, just like Pinaka said, but it was spectacular in its difference. This was because of one of its core differences: It was easy to cultivate for Yan Zaizen.


    Unlike normal arts which were filled with complexities, this art focused on instinctual feelings for progression, it was very well suited for those with his mentality. Despite this art not having any defined mastery levels, he felt like he reached the very peak in just a few months.


    He landed softly beside the uncomfortable Tao and Bai Lufeng. As he was laughing softly, the fear in their eyes lessened unconsciously. After regaining their breaths and composure, they both said, ¡°Congratulations, Young Lord Zai.¡±


    ¡°Mhm. We¡¯re ready to go?¡± He inquired. They both nodded in assent. Now that they¡¯ve finished their respective cultivation, they could depart.

 Chapter 104 - Capital of Presba

    Presba¡¯s Capital was a hoarding-grounds of the myriad of grand-tier forces in Presba, including the Imperial-tier royal clan. In Presba, there were only seven grand-tier forces, including the newly ascended Water Veil Sect.


    The three clans: Xin Clan, Ke Clan, and Li Clan.


    The two sects: Solitary Sword Sect and Water Veil Sect.


    The two palaces: Dark Mist Palace and Earthly Fortune Palace.


    All of these forces had half-step True Essence or True Essence Cultivators at the helm, with the three strongest being the Xin Clan, Li Clan, Solitary Sword Sect, and Earthly Fortune Palace with peak Initial-True Essence experts dominating their region.


    There were also many first-tier and second-tier forces who were subordinates of these powers residing within the capital as well. Due to this, conflict was common and even war was sometimes executed within the capital. Despite this, it was still the safest place in all of Presba. The Imperial Clan of Presba ruled over the central area in the capital which made all those nearby to not be bothered by any outside forces, typically dealing with internal issues instead.


    It was the only Imperial-tier force with a mid-True Essence expert similar to Grux. It was only because all of the countries were roughly at the same power that no wars among them occur. If it did, whoever ended up winning would just be swept by the other countries until the entire continental hierarchy collapsed into chaos.


    The Presba Capital was divided into three sections, the outer wall, the inner wall, and the royal wall. Each wall circled around the vast land sealing off any intruders and fortifying its defenses. Despite not fearing war due to the consequences, it didn¡¯t mean the country didn¡¯t prepare for it. The outer wall contained the myriad of second-tier and first-tier forces with countless civilians and cultivators making way with their lives.


    The inner wall mostly contained cultivators as civilians and was home to all the grand-tier forces, excluding the Water Veil Sect. The royal wall contained only the territory of the imperial-tier force that was the royal family. The land within the walls was large enough to rival all the owned land of the grand-tier forces, not to mention it was far richer in terms of atmospheric essense density.


    Each wall stood a thousand meters high, filled with various formation inscriptions that would cause anyone analyzing them to feel a headache. Atop the walls were numerous guards patrolling on its broad surface. There were even houses located at the height of the walls, likely the barracks or residences of the guards.


    ¡°It truly is extraordinary.¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but exclaim in wonder. Out of all the cities he¡¯s seen, this was by far the largest and most spectacular he¡¯d ever laid his eyes on. The wall itself was so tall that he felt as if a mountain was before him, and the myriad of formations gave it a profound sensation that could cause one to prostrate in reverence.


    It took three full months since their cultivation session to arrive here. Yan Zaizen was now twenty-three years of age, if you considered his time in chaotic space, and he had a more refined aura than before. There were several events during this travel of note, such as an attempted robbery by a half-step Origin Core Realm pirate, helping a family survive the onslaught of bandits, and getting dirt drunk at one of the cities in their path.


    When they left the city, Bai Lufeng said something that caused both Yan Zaizen and Tao shocked.


    ¡°I wonder...if I have another kid now¡­¡±


    Yan Zaizen and Tao just shook their heads at those words. This man truly was a playboy, but if these women fell for his moves, what were they to say? Not to mention, with Bai Lufeng¡¯s lifestyle from before, it¡¯s likely he left many children without a father. Actually, Bai Lufeng wasn¡¯t the only cultivator who took this lifestyle, but many others.


    Tao informed Yan Zaizen that fatherless children happen quite often in the myriad realms either due to the death and struggle they are presented with or the journey to the peak takes them away. If you wish for a good future with protection for your kids, you needed strength, and in search of that strength, many men left their families. Tao was actually someone who suffered this fate.


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    He was an orphan after both his father and mother died to the cruelty that was Grux in their search for strength. Despite this, his exceptional talent and intelligence got him noticed by the Imperial Scholar at the time, and after many trials and tribulations, he took up the Imperial Scholar¡¯s family name and Grux title.


    The world truly held limitless opportunities ready to be taken and limitless dangers ready to reap away lives at a moment''s notice.


    ¡°When we arrive, we should buy a better skyship.¡± Yan Zaizen remarked. This skyship had the top speed of a peak-Qi Unification Cultivator, but that was exceptionally slow to all those on board. Just casual flight for any of them could leave this skyship in the dust. His words were greeted with simultaneous nods from Tao and Bai Lufeng.


    This skyship truly was horrible in terms of speed. If they had a better one, they could travel the myriad realms dozens of times faster. If it wasn¡¯t for their lack of rushing, they would¡¯ve already just flown to the capital with their own cultivation bases.


    They arrived at the outer gates of the capital. Each wall had four gates signifying the four directions, and they were about a hundred meters in height with several hundred meters in width. It was like a rectangular gate, the first Yan Zaizen ever saw, but after seeing the myriad of people, skyships, and large mounts traveling in and out of the capital, he could understand why it was so wide.


    ¡°The population within the capital exceeds one hundred million.¡± Tao softly said at the side, looking at this grand city with calm eyes. Grux had ten times Presba¡¯s total population, and they were in the tens of billions, but with a similar land area. Seeing the dense number of people, he didn¡¯t even flinch. Not only that, Bai Lufeng had the same sentiments. This wasn¡¯t anything too extraordinary to him.


    Yan Zaizen had asked Tao about the issue of population vs resources in Grux and why they didn¡¯t simply attack other countries with their sheer numbers. However, Tao educated him thoroughly. Grux had an abundance of materials but not cultivation resources. In the cultivation world, a single Origin Core expert could mindlessly slaughter hundreds of thousands of Essence Formation cultivators with very little effort.


    Because of this, numbers barely matter in a war between cultivators. What matters is the highest cultivation, taking Yan Zaizen and Yao Wuhen¡¯s fight into consideration, they pretty much leveled  several li of distance with a single exchange. In a war, the True Essence experts will determine the winners, but Grux cultivators in terms of strength were pretty even with the rest.


    Despite their boundless materials they can gain wealth off of, this still required time or alchemists to better make use of it. Yet, while they use this time, how could the others not also make use of this? Not to mention, make absurd trades with Grux who needed a vast amount of resources? Cultivating a single expert at the True Essence realm would take thousands of years. It was just too difficult.


    Presba, on the other hand, had the issue with disaster beasts. They were swarmed by it and clearing them off was an impossibility due to the divine beasts within it. This prevented them from removing a threat that impeded their success. In Grux, they had very little disaster beasts, but Presba had to share their resources with them, or face a civil war within their country.


    Each country seemed to have their own respective issues that prevented their growth, but this balance left the continent stable. The Mystic Wave Continent, from Tao¡¯s knowledge, was filled with an ever-existing war within the territory. It was like Presba but more volatile. The war between divine beasts and cultivators were extraordinary there.


    ¡°The world truly is filled with complexities.¡± Yan Zaizen commented at the side, feeling excited to see all the different situations and interacting with all types of races. When he first arrived in Xuanwu City, he had his first desire to meet an actual Divine Beast, perhaps...he¡¯ll be able to do so sooner than he originally believed.


    They entered the outer wall without trouble after paying a fee. It wasn¡¯t particularly expensive, but to purchase an ID for continuous entry and exit was. They didn¡¯t have any intention of leaving Presba except through the continental-type spatial platform, so there was no need for that.

 Chapter 105 - Star Night Royal City

    "Star Night Royal City, the capital city of the Inner Walls within the capital itself. The largest, most prosperous city within the Inner Walls. Home to the Earthly Fortune Palace and Xin Clan. Also, home to the continental spatial platform. Due to this, it could be considered a capital within a capital." Tao slowly listed off some information he''d obtained of this city from records in Grux.


    Passing through the inner wall was as easy as the outer wall. As long as you have the proper wealth to purchase an entry pass, you can enter the inner wall. However, it was dozens of times more expensive than the outer wall.


    "Finally, we''re here." Yan Zaizen remarked, looking at the astonishing skyscrapers and spectacular buildings with varied designs littering the city. He instructed Tao to land the skyship outside of the city gates. Afterward, he immediately stored the skyship within the Meteor Ring, causing quite a few people who were curious about their existence to have widened eyes. It was incredibly uncommon for a ring to be able to store a skyship, and unless it was specifically designed to hold the skyship, it was a near impossible feat.


    Anyone who could accomplish or possess such means would definitely have an extraordinary status.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t mind the gazes, looking at Bai Lufeng with some thought. His gaze caused Bai Lufeng to feel strange, and he was even fiddling a little in his spot like a child being watched by their parent.


    "Don''t cause any trouble in the city." Yan Zaizen warned. Earlier, while they were traveling through Presba, this man didn''t only indulge in his desires, but he often caused issues with the natives. Of course, with his profound cultivation base, he could handle any issue, but it was still troublesome if he offended some great force.


    Bai Lufeng looked away with some shame, unable to muster any feeling of being aggrieved at the warning. Tao scanned Bai Lufeng and shook his head, displaying his apparent disapproval of his abhorrent actions. If this Bai Lufeng was more like him, a scholarly gentleman, how could he be in this position?


    However, Yan Zaizen turned his gaze to Tao. This time, his eyes became more solemn than before. "Especially you."


    What?!


    Tao was appalled at this accusation and declaration, taking a deep breath, reeling backwards, and placing his hand softly on his chest. His eyes filled with disbelief at such words. Could it be that Yan Zaizen didn''t trust him? Him?! He couldn''t help but put on an aggrieved expression of presumed innocence.


    Yan Zaizen directly ignored his bullshit expressions of disbelief and added, "No drinks."


    This Tao may seem all scholarly and nice on the outside, but the moment he gets a bit of drink in him, he does the most ridiculous things. His hidden perversions would reveal itself completely leaving no trace of his previous scholarly bearing. If Bai Lufeng caused them trouble due to his disdain and arrogance, then that''s fine and reasonable. However, this person caused many fathers, mothers, daughters, and spouses to feel murderous rage at his acts.


    Unfortunately...his profound cultivation base just made him untouchable to most. Normally, Yan Zaizen wouldn''t have to worry about these two, but in the city of Star Night Royal City, he truly felt the need to restrain them. Sure, he wasn''t afraid of anyone in the country, even if the Ancient Emperor of Presba was before him, he''d still have no fear, but that didn''t mean he wanted to offend everyone in the country.


    These two would definitely act with unbridled methods if left alone due to his protection. It felt like watching two kids at a playground, afraid they may trouble the other kids. He looked at them with keen eyes, but for some odd reason, he truly felt like his warning was lost on the both of them.


    A soft sigh later, he instructed, "Tao, sell the materials at the Earthly Fortune Palace. Bai Lufeng, arrange for the continental spatial platform at the earliest."If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    They both nodded in response.


    Approaching the Star Night Royal Gates, they met a young man with black hair and ample muscles fitted in a suit of armor. Surprisingly, at the gates, there was only this young man directly watching over entry and exits.


    The individuals in the city looked at him with apprehension, fear, and reverence. This young man looked in his mid-twenties, with vibrant eyes indicating an extraordinary lifeforce, and vital energy that felt suffocatingly strong. Bai Lufeng looked at the guard and others reactions to him, he couldn''t help but scoff at it all.


    The guard only possessed the strength of an initial-Origin Core Realm and his vital energy aura was similar in intensity. The look on this guard''s face was filled with arrogance and tyranny, and for some reason, it irked Bai Lufeng greatly. However, recalling Yan Zaizen''s earlier warning, he decided to keep an indifferent expression on his face.


    Tao looked at this guard and couldn''t help but appraise him. His young age and profound body and qi cultivation base indicated an extraordinary status and future. However, he was a mere gate guard. This was shocking.


    Yan Zaizen''s reaction wasn''t as intense. He directly ignored this man''s traits and gave him no look of appraisal. Currently, Yan Zaizen had already built himself a steady foundation and with his dao filled with a tyrannical ferocity bordering on imperialistic sovereignty, how could he give anyone who works as a gate guard a gaze of appraisal?


    Were they even worth it?


    They directly stood in-front of the gates. The guard scanned them with his senses and his brow pricked in interest. Tao was young with an initial-Origin Core cultivation base and Bai Lufeng was at the mid-Origin Core Realm, how could this not cause the young man to feel surprised? Typically, in Star Night Royal City, those in that level of strength would typically come with airs to the heavens and nose so high the sky was beneath them.


    However, Tao and Bai Lufeng were a step behind Yan Zaizen, obviously displaying their inferiority in terms of status and importance. He looked at Yan Zaizen and furrowed his brows. Yan Zaizen vital energy aura and soul cultivation base was thoroughly hidden, but his qi cultivation base was at the late-Qi Unification Realm with an exceptionally youthful appearance.


    This caused the young guard to be surprised. He calculated that Yan Zaizen couldn''t be more than a hundred-years-old, and for a junior to reach such a cultivation stage with a stable aura was exceptionally rare. He thought for a second, looking at Yan Zaizen with analyzing eyes.


    Being gazed at so intensely made Yan Zaizen a little uncomfortable, but since this was the guard''s job, he would respect it. His personality has never been to eliminate people over the slightest of slights. Those he''s killed thus far deserved to be killed.


    After a short while, the guard walked towards Yan Zaizen with steadily powerful steps. The armor on his body was exceptionally heavy that each step caused slight tremors through the ground for hundreds of meters. This would be like a mortal in the aftershock of an earthquake, but to cultivators, this was just a mild annoyance.


    "You, what''s your name?" The guard asked, but the tone he spoke wasn''t one filled with arrogance and disdain, but one filled with just a powerful domineering aura. The nearby individuals immediately drew their gazes over, looking at the guard and Yan Zaizen.


    "Oh god...to think they obtained ''his'' attention."


    "Xin Guanyu! He''s making a move! What will he do?!"


    "...I wish I was in the city...hope I don''t get caught in the crossfire¡­"


    Many individuals in the surroundings were having conversations relating to the young guard named Xin Guanyu.


    "Xin Guanyu?" Yan Zaizen silently thought. Star Night Royal City was controlled by the Xin Clan and Earthly Fortune Palace. Someone from the Xin Clan was actually the gate guard of the city, and one so young and obviously talented as well. This surprised Yan Zaizen, and the surrounding conversations intrigued him enough to give this Xin Guanyu an appraising eye.


    "Are you deaf?" Xin Guanyu frowned, looking at Yan Zaizen with a flickering light within his eyes. Bai Lufeng brows went up in excitement. Truly wishing for a conflict to occur at this moment, ready to watch the world burn. Tao, however, was solemn. Unlike Bai Lufeng that wants Yan Zaizen to throw the world into chaos with his exceptional prowess, Tao didn''t want to create issues.


    Their goal was to use the continental spatial platform, not offend every last power in existence.


    Yan Zaizen''s furrowed his brows but didn''t take it seriously. "Yan Zaizen," he answered calmly.


    Yan Zaizen? Xin Guanyu couldn''t recall any Yan Clan worthy of note. He could only assume that Yan Zaizen wished to remain anonymous due to reasons, but walking around with two Origin Core bodyguards was a little too noticeable.


    "Good. I''m Xin Guanyu." His voice was truly bolstering to the atmosphere. "You can enter."


    What?!


    All that for...that?!


    Yan Zaizen felt puzzled.

 Chapter 106 - Sun Huan

    Walking the vast and brilliant streets of Star Night Royal City, Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but be lost in his thoughts. Earlier, Xin Guanyu approached him with vigor and dominance but didn¡¯t ask or do anything. Simply granted him entry.


    It was truly odd.


    Tao and Bai Lufeng was also a little confused by the events expecting something grand and epic to occur, but was left quite deflated. Regardless, since no issues occurred, they went along with their respective tasks. Tao had left for the Earthly Fortune Palace¡¯s Emporium to sell all their loose materials and to purchase other useful things such as a skyship, if possible.


    Bai Lufeng left to get an assigned time to use the continental spatial platform. Typically, spatial platforms would have specific days to be used to travel to specific places. This was all worked out from behind the scenes by the owners'' desire. Any outside use was generally considered an act of war. This situation was quite similar to the Xuanwu City spatial platform being used only once a year. However, that was only once a year to be sent outwards. They received many from other spatial platforms on varied days from many different locations.


    A large reason for this was resources required for each use of the platform. Xuanwu City simply didn¡¯t have the materials or wealth to keep it functioning year round. Same could be said for a continental spatial platform in this city.


    As for Yan Zaizen, he didn¡¯t really have anything to do, but his experience in cities was just far too little. He decided to sightsee. However, the events from before simply took too much of his attention. He had a distinct feeling that this Xin Guanyu will be incredibly important or had a scheme set up that would involve him, perhaps with malicious intentions.


    If so¡­


    His eyes flickered with an intense murderous light.


    He¡¯ll kill all!


    ¡°Liar! Liar! Liar!¡± The voice of a young woman resounded in the surroundings, causing all bystanders to look with intrigued interest. Even Yan Zaizen was attracted as he looked to see a beautiful, jadelike woman with a voluptuous figure that was tantalizing to all men. An average-looking young man, with an elegant white martial attire, a longsword brandished on his hip, and an aura like a sheathed blade was in front of her.


    Currently, he had an expression that was ugly to the extreme, between crying and laughing, trying to lower the woman¡¯s accusations with every word. However, he failed with each attempt causing her to be further infuriated.


    ¡°Lovers¡¯ spat?¡± Yan Zaizen chuckled inwardly, his eyes filled with amusement. He took the role of a bystander. Not many would know this, but Yan Zaizen loved drama! He enjoyed reading books about heroes and warriors traveling the world overcoming countless trials and tribulations, but also those love-crazed men and women who lived and breathed for their spouses.


    He always imagined his mother and father were similar to those in their youths. The struggles, the laughs, and the ¡®awwws¡¯ from their heartfelt moments. It all truly got to him.


    The young man looked around as if hoping to grasp at straws for survival, and caught the sight of a handsomely brilliant young man with a violet martial attire, amber-gold eyes filled with brilliant lifeforce, a stable posture and glorious physique. His eyes flickered with disbelief but then suffused with intense excitement.


    As Yan Zaizen cultivated the Immortal Herculean Method, his appearance was becoming more and more profoundly attractive. His originally amber-eyes which were once his favorite features were upgraded to amber-gold. This very feature also made him stand out in a crowd greatly, including his profound aura. If Yan Zaizen had been aware of his surroundings, he would¡¯ve noticed many females and males alike looking his way in intrigue and appraisal.


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    In truth, this type of observation happened everywhere he went. However, he just ignored it subconsciously. Due to the trauma from his youth, he avoided looking at people who appraised him or stared at him. If he did notice, he would be parading the streets with a heroic expression filled with loftiness to muster more eyes of admiration.


    The young man dashed towards Yan Zaizen with steady steps, the young woman surprised but followed behind, her eyes filled with suspicion.


    ¡°Brother! Why did you take so long?!¡± The young man, Sun Huan, slithered his way to Yan Zaizen side, wrapping his arm snuggly around Yan Zaizen¡¯s shoulder. Initially, Yan Zaizen was going to react violently to this sudden breach of personal space, but he was intrigued. He restrained himself and waited for this to play out.


    Seeing Yan Zaizen not fight back, the young man¡¯s eyes lit up with excitement.


    ¡°Brother? Who¡¯s your brother?!¡± The young woman approached with eyes filled with suspicion. However, when she looked at Yan Zaizen¡¯s appearance, she felt odd. Her heart thumped slightly, and she felt slightly guilty. She turned her gaze away towards Sun Haun, hiding her emotions.


    ¡°This is the person I was waiting for! I told you! I¡¯m not waiting for some other woman.¡± Sun Huan said, using one more method to try to pacify her anger. However, she was still skeptical, but didn¡¯t wish to say anything cause of Yan Zaizen¡¯s extraordinary appearance. It was highly likely he was someone profoundly important, and she didn¡¯t wish to feel dumb by saying careless words.


    ¡°Right? Brother?¡± Sun Huan gaze seared through Yan Zaizen with helplessness.


    Inwardly, Yan Zaizen was chuckling like a maniac. This person was trying to get out of being caught cheating on his woman. This young lady had a figure so voluptuously delicious that many wouldn¡¯t even think of cheating on her, but this average-looking swordsman had such balls.


    Yan Zaizen was just about to denounce it all and let it blow up in Sun Haun¡¯s face, perhaps snicker to the side as he watched the drama unfold, but a light glowed on the young woman¡¯s finger. A talisman transmission was received.


    After looking at it, her expression shifted to deep urgency, looking at Sun Huan and Yan Zaizen with a little bit of anger, but didn¡¯t pursue further. ¡°Sun Huan, if I find you with another woman! I swear!¡± She threatened before utilizing a movement art to take off. The bystanders were disappointed, returning to their daily routine, but Yan Zaizen was even more disappointed.


    ¡°He truly got out of this one¡­¡± He commented silently.


    ¡°Whew! I truly got out of that one!¡± Sun Huan said, patting Yan Zaizen on the back in good work. He was almost sure this bystander would ruin his fa?ade, but it seemed the heavens were on his side. Thinking a bit, he felt like he owed this bystander a bit for his silence. It was similar to how when one asks for information, they should repay for such information. If someone helps, they should receive help or reward in return.


    ¡°I must thank you, uh...guy. My name¡¯s Sun Huan, how about I take you to eat at a great restaurant with the most extraordinary youths of this generation?!¡± His words were filled with excitement, but it didn¡¯t seem like he was actually excited. It was more like he was trying to sell Yan Zaizen something with a false belief in his product.


    However, Yan Zaizen only heard two words from that sentence.


    Free food!


    ¡°DEAL!¡±

 Chapter 107 - Seeing Her Again

    In Sky Night Royal City, there were many incredible locations for one to visit. However, there was always a single location that had the highest degree of prominence and raved reviews from all those who spoke its name. This location was called the Tian. It was a simple name, but it resounded gloriously throughout the city for having exclusive clientele, the greatest wine within all of Presba, and food that could make one a glutton.


    This was the general consensus to all those who¡¯ve had to luxury and privilege to dine at this restaurant.


    The building was rectangular in design, with three floors total, each ascending floor taller in height than the other. The walls were constructed from dreamwood, a material commonly used in the creation of beds or chairs to emit an overly comfortable and pleasing sensation towards one¡¯s mind. The floor was paved with silver-gold wood that many didn¡¯t know the name of. It had the odd effect of naturally gathering essence energy from the air and releasing a stimulating air that could promote one¡¯s cultivation.


    Simply staying in this restaurant for an hour could amount to a day of cultivation outside. There was a myriad of pillars placed intricately and meticulously around, each had unique inscriptions on them that gathered essence from the air and released it even thicker into the atmosphere. This coupled with the floors caused a unique cycle that caused the air within the restaurant to become incredibly rich and comfortable for cultivators.


    If a Qi Revolving cultivator could practice in this area for a week, they would immediately progress to the Essence Formation Realm with zero issues to their foundation.


    On the second floor reserved for those with prominent status, but not ones that rival half-step True Essence Cultivators, were five youths - three females and two males. They were exchanging conversation regarding various things, including cultivation, and other juicy details of the city. Each and every one of these youths had prominent statuses given to them by their masters, clans or sects.


    ¡°Sun Huan is late...again.¡± A beautiful young woman with long, fiery crimson hair and blazing red eyes frustratedly remarked. Her body was exquisitely elegant, and her lips had a fiery red that made it look exceptionally plump filled with juicy flavor. She was Li Ruogang, the daughter of the half-step True Essence Grand Elder within the Li Clan. Her status was exceptionally profound, capable of rivaling any of the three ladies within Grux.


    ¡°Why do we even care about him?¡± A handsome youth dressed in an elegant blue-robe questioned, his tone obviously filled with displeasure that others cared about Sun Huan. Despite this, his expression was calm and aloof. Ke Zedong was a member of the Ke Clan, his father and mother were both highly prominent members of their generations. His father was a warrior with a cultivation at the peak-Origin Core Realm while his mother held a recently attained title of a low-rank grand-tier alchemist.


    Unlike the Xi¨¡o City Lord who was an official mid-rank grand-tier alchemist who produced many grand-tier elixirs and pills over the course of centuries. Despite this, she was still highly regarded amongst her peers.


    ¡°...¡± A stoic male looked about with calm indifference that was far more real than Ke Zedong, he was dressed in black with a spear leaning softly on his thighs. However, deep within those eyes, one could feel a faint battle intent that seemed to want to fight the heavens. He was the Dark Mist Palace¡¯s Core Disciple, Hei. Similar to Tao, he had no clan name or family line.


    ¡°He¡¯s coming.¡± A bespectacled, scholar-like young woman with short black hair voiced. She corrected her glasses position with a slight push of her index finger, keeping her eyes honed to an open book in her hand. Despite her actions, no one voiced any objection to her actions. She belonged to the Earthly Fortune Palace with a high status, and similar to Hei, her name consisted of only hers: Mei.


    The last individual had long brunette hair, soft brown eyes that seemed to contain clear water, and a beauty that could rival any woman in this room. She was Ya Qinqan! They were all gathered in conversation, a gathering of those with high talents and potential that may dominate Presba in the future. None of these characters here could be slighted.


    As for Sun Huan, he didn¡¯t have a family-line, but he was a Core Disciple of the Solitary Sword Sect. Typically, those without a family-line were born as orphans and adopted by sects or clans. They would simply be given the name of the Clan or a clan within the sect and their own names.


    Yan Zaizen looked at this three-storied but oddly proportioned building with an inquisitive eye. From Sun Huan¡¯s mouth, it seemed this location was incredibly prominent within the city and home to many talents and people of high talents. However, despite his words, he didn¡¯t seem to truly care much about this place.


    ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± Sun Huan had a bored expression, losing any excited demeanor he once had. Witnessing this, Yan Zaizen felt a little awkward. He was here for free food, not really caring about Sun Huan¡¯s problems. After eating, he¡¯ll take his leave. As for the geniuses gathered in the Star Night Royal City? He had little interest in it.


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    ¡°Gathered here to discuss the Heavenly Fortune Auction, yet having very little capital to get anything truly worthwhile.¡± Sun Huan muttered, obviously feeling this meeting that seemed forced upon him by his superiors were irrelevant. However, the Heavenly Fortune Auction prickled Yan Zaizen¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Heavenly Fortune Auction?¡±


    With the most unenthusiastic tone one could make, he replied, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s something held once every century. Even True Essence Cultivators will be there, they¡¯ll be bidding for all sorts of miraculous treasures! Unfortunately¡­¡±


    I see.


    They were too poor to get anything worth shit.


    Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but inwardly chuckle at this. However, the Heavenly Fortune Auction made his eyes shine with excitement. What if he sold the pills and elixirs in this auction? Wouldn¡¯t a storm be created and the wealth he could claim be massive? Although Tao and Bai Lufeng would definitely dislike this, he could purchase a lot more useful things to him at the moment.


    Like a grand skyship!


    They walked into the restaurant. A young girl with a soft-like beauty greeted them, but seeing Sun Huan, she nodded and informed them that they were allowed to proceed to the second floor.


    The place truly felt extraordinary to Yan Zaizen, his eyes flickering with various lights of interest. The floor, walls, and pillars were extraordinary. Even the smell was heavenly! He licked his lips in excitement, he would truly break this young man¡¯s wallet if given the chance.


    If someone offers free food, you take them for the ride of their lifetime! One filled with regret!!


    Well, he did make that girl angry, he deserves it. Mhm, definitely deserves it!


    His eyes flickering with a malicious light, chuckling evilly inside, but his stomach was rumbling with anticipation. Sun Huan felt a chill run down his spine as he felt sudden danger, but after scanning the area, he couldn¡¯t feel any.


    ¡°Perhaps...I¡¯m imagining thing¡­¡± He couldn¡¯t help but silently mutter to himself in comfort.


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re here!¡± Ke Zedong said with hints of impatience. They entered the room under the urging of a waiter, arriving in the VIP closed off area filled with elegant paintings and exquisite design patterns etched everywhere. There were many different formations etched in this room, one that isolated sound, prevented qi or soul sense from penetrating, and defensive formations making it incredibly resilient.


    As Yan Zaizen walked in, the five had their gazes pulled towards him. Each one of them had differing expressions, ranging from indifference, curiosity, surprise, anger, and disbelief. Hei was indifferent, Mei had curiosity in her gaze as she studied Yan Zaizen¡¯s masculine features and sculpted-like physique, Li Ruogang was surprised, Ke Zedong held anger within his eyes, and Ya Qinqan was in disbelief at the appearance of a new individual.


    ¡°Who the hell is this?!¡± Ke Zedong exploded, questioning with fury at Sun Huan¡¯s obvious disrespect for not only being late but inviting someone new without notice. Not to mention, this person was exceptionally handsome, and that would lessen his chances of taking any of these girls as his own.


    ¡°He¡¯s my sworn brother. You have a problem with that?¡± Sun Huan eyes turned sharp, his body exuded an aura filled with a domineering sharpness that was even greater than Bai Lufeng¡¯s at its essence. Despite this, he was only at the peak-Essence Formation Realm.


    All of them were.


    They were developing their foundational realms ¡ª Dantian Refinement & Pathway Expansion ¡ª so their realms were rather low in comparison to those who¡¯ve skipped those realms. However, how could that mean they¡¯re weak? Each one of these individuals had high status with anextraordinary foundation; their battle prowess would rival normal Qi Unification experts, perhaps even those at the mid-stage!


    Ke Zedong flinched slightly at this, his momentum obviously lessening greatly at those words. He snorted coldly and looked unconcerned. He was obviously afraid of this Sun Huan.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes widened with shock so intense that his mind seemed to have been shaken. His reaction was noticed by all those in the room, curious as to why he was eyeing Ya Qinqan in such a way.


    ¡°You¡­¡± His words trailed off.

 Chapter 108 - Everything!

    Ya Qinqan was his first love. Someone he wished to see succeed in life and initially felt extremely conflicted about. However, that was until recently. Not only was he more aware of the schemes in the cultivation world, its cruelty, but he also came to terms with her actions from before. Initially, he wanted to ride on her fame, talent and wealth to enjoy his own life.


    This was fundamentally flawed idealism in the cultivation world.


    To enjoy life, one must rely on themselves. To gain power and status, the most stable is your own. If you don¡¯t wish your life and death to be controlled by others, you need the power to exceed them!


    The last time they met, he was talentless, pathetic cultivation base, no wealth, disregarded by his clan, and had no future. Why would she choose him? All he¡¯d done is give her resources that he didn¡¯t even obtain himself, but resources he¡¯d received from another party.


    Did he expect her to give everything up to him, her virginity, her love, and her loyalty? Yes, at the time.


    Now?


    No. It wasn¡¯t realistic. He knew that.


    His idiocy and willingness at the time obligated her to nothing, and sure, she could¡¯ve rejected his resources, but who would? Especially in this world where any leg up over the competition was fought for with teeth and blows! If he was in a similar situation, how could he refuse? It may sound despicable, but it was also the truth.


    He always imagined how he would react if he met Ya Qinqan. At the time she chose Yan Jinzen, he felt enraged and wanted nothing more than to get revenge on Yan Jinzen for taking what was his.


    In the Deep Mines, he imagined that he would talk to her directly. He would inform her he held no anger and had moved on peacefully in understanding. When Pinaka discussed the concept of being a cultivator, he had no intentions to speak to her any longer. He was moving to the myriad realms to explore it! How could he care? Why should he?


    Her life no longer had any relation to his own. If it wasn¡¯t for this coincidence, it¡¯s unlikely Yan Zaizen and Ya Qinqan would¡¯ve ever met again. However, the heavens worked in mysterious ways, and karma must be closed off.


    Regardless of any rationalization, Yan Zaizen would always have his thoughts trace back to his childhood, to Ya Qinqan, and it could impact his future cultivation.


    Surrounded by odd gazes, Yan Zaizen closed his eyes and eased his mind. At the moment, acting irrationally was inappropriate. Should he kill her? For what reason? For him willingly giving her resources? That¡¯s like killing a homeless guy because you gave him a quarter and he spent it. Who would do such a thing?


    He wasn¡¯t one to kill at the slightest of slights nor did he have any intentions to become someone who does.


    At the moment, Ya Qinqan was a fly to him. She was like an insignificant flower that lingered in the background of his mind, a flower he could annihilate with a single blow of his lungs. Was she worthy of any emotional response from him?


    He opened his eyes slowly, his gaze filled with unyielding confidence and warmth. A soft, brilliant smile tugged at his lips, ¡°Greetings!¡±


    With his change in demeanor, all of them didn¡¯t know how to react. The women felt their hearts race slightly at this smile, feeling odd in their hearts, while the men felt unusual as well.


    However, Hei¡¯s pupils constricted to a needlepoint in disbelief. He belonged to the Dark Mist Palace. The Dark Mist Palace wasn¡¯t overly strong like the rest of the respective grand-tier forces, but their leader had been bestowed a Dao by the Xiantu Emperor. He recognized that feeling instantly, the aura of a dao.


    The others, however, weren¡¯t frequently in contact with this aura so they didn¡¯t know. In truth, about 99.9% of the people on this planet, including True Essence Cultivators, wouldn¡¯t immediately recognize the aura of a dao. Only scholars who¡¯ve read about it extensively or those who¡¯ve personally experienced it before.


    ¡°This guy is¡­¡± Hei¡¯s expression turned solemn, and there was a hint of fear in his heart. In the Xiantu Realm, only a few people that didn¡¯t number more than a hundred had the dao of the Xiantu Emperor. This meant the trillions of people of this realm was vastly ignorant. However, this aura of the dao didn¡¯t coincide with that dao. This was an entirely different dao!


    In that case, who the hell was this person?


    ¡°He¡¯ll be eating with us, I¡¯m sure you all won¡¯t mind. Let¡¯s sit.¡± Sun Huan acted domineeringly, lazily declaring before taking his seat. The waiter stayed silent throughout and only approached when Sun Huan sat, giving him many golden menus filled with all sorts of dishes and wines.


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    Yan Zaizen slightly smiled, looking at the waiter in patience. The waiter wasn¡¯t inexperienced, the moment he acted and placed the menus in front of Sun Huan, he immediately produced a chair near Sun Huan and placed it appropriately, politely gesturing for Yan Zaizen to take his seat.


    Yan Zaizen accepted. A set of menus were also placed in front of him. The rest was just curious about who this was, but no one took the initiative.


    Seeing the situation, Sun Huan explained, ¡°He¡¯s someone who helped me out of a bind. I¡¯ll only be treating him to a meal, you all can talk as freely as before.¡± Directly ignoring their discontented gazes, he placed his feet lazily on the table and proceeded to read the menus.


    Li Ruogang couldn¡¯t hold in her curiosity any longer, ¡°Who are you?¡± She didn¡¯t wish to dine with any unimportant person from the streets; she felt it was beneath her.


    ¡°Yeah, who are you?¡± Ke Zedong echoed, his eyes filled with irritation at everything.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled lightly, glancing across the room with a trace of interest in his eyes. If he had taken the proper route, cultivated slowly with a high status, would he have been like the youths here? Gathering together with similarly aged cultivators with fairly even potential?


    With his current cultivation, the difference in status that would be produced by it, these youths should be happy to even receive a glance from him, including Ya Qinqan, and yet, they¡¯re so impatient and aggressive.


    It was truly funny.


    Rely on your daddy¡¯s wealth? Rely on your mama''s name? What good does that do for you? Real power that could send a decree that all on the continent must follow was greater than anything they possessed or likely ever would.


    His gaze, for the very first time, held a trace of potent disdain. This trace of disdain caused all those present to feel uncomfortable, as if they were being looked down upon from up high.


    He decided to simply not respond.


    They weren¡¯t at a level where he needed to.


    He signaled the waiter, causing him to arrive swiftly beside him with a look of calm, ¡°What¡¯s your order, Young Lord?¡±


    ¡°Everything.¡± He responded.


    ¡°Everything?¡± They all thought in surprise, including the waiter.


    ¡°Young Lord, do you-¡±


    ¡°Everything on the menu, that¡¯s my order. Is that a problem?¡± Yan Zaizen smiled softly, his amber-gold eyes shone a brilliant light. The waiter was shocked, looking at Sun Huan, who also had eyes as wide as a full moon.


    ¡°Wha...what do you mean by everything?¡± Sun Huan¡¯s couldn¡¯t help but say carefully, his eyes filled with disbelief.


    ¡°You said you would give me a meal for my help. Well, I want everything. I thank you in advance.¡± Yan Zaizen said, chuckling with a satisfied tone. ¡°Unless...you aren¡¯t a man of your word?¡±


    ¡°Urgh!¡± This obviously hit a nerve on Sun Huan¡¯s pride. Yan Zaizen heard about those swordsmen of the Solitary Sword Sect, they were essentially those who always looked forward, fought to the very end with unyielding confidence, and never went back on their word or conscious. Typically, the Solitary Sword Sect practices conceptual laws that coincide with those specific paths.


    The waiter, obviously in the tough spot, looked at Sun Huan who looked like he was about to spit out a mouthful of blood. His eyes were filled with reluctance, and he could feel the intense pain of his wallet. Tian may be a prestigious restaurant, but it wasn¡¯t incredibly expensive to the point where you¡¯d go broke so easily. After all, it was only food.


    A majority of cultivators can go without eating for months, years, or even decades. They rely on their essence to sustain themselves, and unless they were body cultivators, they would sometimes not touch food for centuries, only having wines of varied types.


    ¡°Young Lord...Do yo-¡± The waiter was about to say something to ease the situation, but Sun Huan rose his palm up to motion him to cease. With gritted teeth, he looked at Yan Zaizen and shouted, ¡°EVERYTHING!¡±

 Chapter 109 - Knot Undone!

    Yan Zaizen¡¯s demand and domineering attitude left all those at the table speechless. Hei was cautious, not taking his disdain personally. Anyone who possessed a dao wasn¡¯t low in status or talent. A dao was essentially an amplifier that could heighten all things like armament creation, alchemy, soul, body, and qi. It was something that was miraculous beyond belief and placed one easily at the top.


    Despite the Dark Mist Palace leader only having the cultivation at the Half-step True Essence Realm, no True Essence cultivator would ever dare treat him disrespectfully. This was the gravity of the dao.


    Ke Zedong, however, felt angry, but he wasn¡¯t an idiot. If he was all arrogance and no brains, it¡¯ll be easy to cause the fall of his power with his actions, and thus, he took a road of caution. This young man obviously didn¡¯t treat them with any concern, and even if it was irritating, they didn¡¯t know his identity. He could be the Prince of Amber for all they know.


    Mei¡¯s eyes flickered with intelligence, as if deducing something. Ya Qinqan had the most innocent of reactions, simply being unconcerned. This young man may be arrogant and handsome, but he wasn¡¯t someone she felt was important to her life. He was nothing more than an interlude.


    However, Li Ruogang gaze flickered with malicious intent. To be directly ignored never felt good for anyone, and if it wasn¡¯t for the fact that this youth having a higher cultivation base, she would¡¯ve already taught him a lesson. Sitting angrily, she felt stifled.


    Yan Zaizen, on the other hand, concerned himself with none of their reactions. ¡°You said there was an auction being held in the city, right?¡± He inquired to Sun Huan who was flaming with eyes filled with anger.


    ¡°Yes!¡± He said through gritted teeth, if he pushed down anymore, his gums would bleed. He had to hold himself back from pulling out his blade and taking this youth¡¯s head for robbing him blind. However, he wasn¡¯t a malicious murderer who¡¯d kill because of his own idiocy. This event will serve as a lesson to never invite someone to a meal without establishing clear limits beforehand.


    A valuable life lesson!


    Valuable indeed!


    ¡°When is it being held?¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s tone was casual, his eyes filled with satisfaction. Seeing his gaze, Sun Huan let out a deep sigh of resignation, giving his wallet its final goodbye, and returning to his normal demeanor.


    He was quite quick to bounce back!


    Sword cultivators typically had sharp and firm wills, living by the edge of the blade, and containing unyielding confidence in each stroke. If his mentally had fallen due to this minor setback, how could he accomplish great things in the future?


    ¡°Tomorrow. As I said before, it happens once a century and is extraordinary. Unfortunately, with this meal¡­¡± His tone near the end contained some discontent, but he continued, ¡°They will have earth and sky pills and elixirs, pseudo sky-rank armaments, peak earth-rank armaments, rare materials and a myriad of arts!¡±


    Alchemy was divided into many tiers, with Earth-tier pills and elixirs typically for Qi Foundation, Qi Revolving, and Essence Formation Realm Cultivators. Sky-tier were typically used for Dantian Refinement, Pathway Expansion, and Qi Unification Cultivators. Grand-tier pills were the highest form of alchemy tier for the Essence Path, for the Origin Core, True Essence and Crimson Star Realms!


    Alchemy that exceeded those was placed in the heaven-tier. They were useful for those in the Heavenly Genesis Realm and higher! However, to even see one would be nearly impossible in the Xiantu Realm.


    This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up in anticipation, he inquired, ¡°What about Grand-tier pills and elixirs or sky-rank armaments?¡±


    His words elicited disdain from every one of the members, but Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t take this heart, they couldn¡¯t even touch these types of pills let alone buy them. As for him? He had an established alchemist¡¯s centuries worth of creations. Any pill he brought out would be grand-tier!


    ¡°They¡¯ll be in the auction, but if they do come out, it¡¯ll definitely cause a bidding storm to arise! Only those at the highest level would have knowledge of items at that level, so don¡¯t ask me for the specifics.¡±


    After another round of conversation about the auction, the first plate of food arrived. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up as he saw a golden-fish drenched in dazzling white broth with specks of golden flakes within. It looked like food one would imagine an immortal would consume.


    Seeing the food arrive, the others started having conversations, ignoring Yan Zaizen¡¯s presence and getting into their own rhythm. Yan Zaizen learned a lot from their conversations, including some juicy gossip they unintentionally spilled.


    Hei, however, didn¡¯t engage in conversation. He stayed stoic and silent, his eyes sometimes flittering with caution when he looked at Yan Zaizen. Ya Qinqan was actually a lot different than what Yan Zaizen originally assumed. Before, she wasn¡¯t very talkative, only speaking short sentences or making small gestures. However, in this group of geniuses, she was comfortable enough to talk, argue and even laugh.


    He just realized...the only time he saw her laugh was when he made a joke as he delivered resources. Was it real?


    Probably not.


    This new side of Ya Qinqan wasn¡¯t new. It was just never revealed to Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°To think...I was such a fool when I was younger. Recalling all my attempts, my average looks, and my weak strength, I truly was pathetic thinking I could buy her affection.¡± He thought, his eyes flickering with lights of calm and serenity. This person before him was the real Ya Qinqan, not the one he idolized and desired when he was younger.


    He could feel a knot deep within his heart, hidden behind his confidence, come undone.


    There was no more self-anger. No more ¡®what if¡¯s?¡¯


    This person was an entirely different person. So, why should he feel like she was his first love? In truth, the one he fell in love with was imaginary, a figment of his imagination created to deal with the death of his parents. The affection he imagined, the life he desired, and more. He knew that now.


    Li Ruogang still had an itch she couldn¡¯t scratch whenever she looked at Yan Zaizen, even though he was handsome and had an aura about him that seemed dazzling, she felt irritated that he ignored her. She just couldn¡¯t handle it. Clenching her teeth, she made up her mind.


    ¡°You, are we supposed to just call you mr. random person? What¡¯s your name?¡± This time, her voice was filled with a thundering momentum.


    Yan Zaizen lightly chuckled and smiled at this girl¡¯s persistence. Was it even necessary? After today, it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll ever have too deep of an interaction. Yet, despite this, all the conversation around him stopped at her question. Seeing this, Yan Zaizen softly shook his head and relented.


    ¡°My name¡¯s Yan Zaizen.¡± His words were deliberately loud and clear in enunciation. ¡°Remember it well.¡±

 Chapter 110 - Yan Zaizen?!

    "Yan Zaizen?!" Ya Qinqan''s startling reaction of disbelief elicited curious gazes from all those present. When they looked at her beautiful countenance only shock and constricted pupils could be seen.


    "Yan Zaizen?" Mei''s eyes shone with an intelligent light, her thoughts obviously reached a conclusion. As someone from the Earthly Fortune Palace, she regarded herself as a well-read individual that kept up with current events. Not to mention, she researched every individual that she interacts with thoroughly.


    If materials could be considered wealth, then knowledge was power. She believed in this philosophy.


    She knew of the Yan Clan mysterious disappearance within the Water Veil Territory. The squabble that occurred due to Ya Qinqan''s marriage disagreement with a Yan Clan member. Now that she thought about it, it made sense that Yan Zaizen''s reaction was so intense when he walked in, his eyes focused on Ya Qinqan.


    Besides those thoughts, she had her assumptions, but just that. She couldn''t be completely sure.


    Ke Zedong also knew of Ya Qinqan''s background. As someone who was attempting to court her, how could he not? Unfortunately, he didn''t know as much as Mei did regarding the situation. Despite that, his eyes furrowed in contemplation.


    Hei didn''t know much about the situation, so he wasn''t even remotely affected, but he remembered that name intently. Sun Huan also had zero reaction to the name but felt quite interested by all the varied reactions.


    Li Ruogang understood a little about the situation, but it wasn''t at the forefront of her memory, thus not making any immediate connection.


    "Impossible! Why take someone else''s identity? Do you have no shame?!" Ya Qinqan immediately came to the most logical conclusion. This person had to be an imposter as the Yan Zaizen looked completely different, had a different aura, and his eyes had a weak amber color to it.


    This person before her was the exact opposite of the Yan Zaizen she remembered. If logic was taken into consideration, even if Yan Zaizen didn''t kill himself, only three years passed since. Even if he cultivated with the heavens support, how could he be in the Qi Unification Realm and change so much?!


    "Hahaha! I''m not that shameless." He couldn''t help but laugh intensely at her reaction, finding it quite funny. He decided that playing the ''you are, you aren''t'' game was a waste of time and directly said some choice words.


    "Do you remember the times I''d sneak out of the grounds to the Ya Clan for you? The times I would haul the materials on several trips to your doorsteps because I broke my spatial bracelet? Or how about the time I wanted to kiss you, but you told me you weren''t ready? Directly leaving with the words: ''Give me time.'' Do you remember?"


    A smirk appeared on Yan Zaizen''s face, his eyes flashing with traces of disdain. Even if the Ya Qinqan from before was a figment of his imagination, that didn''t mean he liked this one.


    The Ya Qinqan before him was an insignificant flower while her Master could only concede in defeat within his presence. She may embody the proper characteristics of the cultivation world, but those memories of his past still existed.


    "Im-impossible! How could you...you''re¡­" She couldn''t even finish a sentence. Her state of mind was in chaos due to disbelief. For a second, she believed she was dreaming it all. Could this be her internal demon manifesting?


    Seeing her state, Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but shake his head at her patheticness. Who knew she was so basic in mentality? Tao was right, on this continent, it''s highly unlikely any girl was worthy of him, Ya Qinqan included.


    "Oh, don''t forget to tell your master to remember our agreement. Otherwise, The day the Water Veil Sect is drenched in blood will come." His tone was so casual that it didn''t seem like a threat, more of a casual promise to pay money if someone performed a specific task.


    "..." Those words caused all of their pupils to constrict in utter disbelief.


    So brazen!


    Yao Wuhen was an initial-True Essence cultivator and yet he threatened to wash their entire sect in blood? Who would believe he had such capabilities?This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    However, Mei''s eyes flickered with some calculation and information she obtained about the Water Veil Sect''s assault nearly a year ago surfaced. It mentioned there was a young male at the forefront of it, but the Water Veil Sectmaster suffered injuries that required her to heal in seclusion.


    If what Yan Zaizen said earlier was true, then he, or someone he knew, defeated Yao Wuhen and let her live within her own territory! That person must have the strength of the mid-True Essence Cultivator to achieve such a feat easily!


    That was someone who stood at the apex of the entire Fallen Stars Continent.


    "You¡­" Ya Qinqan couldn''t gather her bearings to speak, still in shock at the realization of who was in front of her.


    Yan Zaizen simply ignored her, continuing to eat without feeling the slightest bit concerned.


    BOOM!!!


    A thunderously loud smashing sound echoed out throughout the entire Tian. All those within felt a tremor that shook them to the core.


    SWIPP!!!


    An odd tearing sound appeared that seemed like plastic was ripped off with a swipe of one''s hand. An aura erupted from afar bringing an intense pressure to all those in Tian.


    "What''s happening?!" Su Huan was shocked, his heart felt like it was going to explode as the blood in his body felt torrential and flowed at odd speeds. He felt like his body''s blood was affected by an external aura.


    "Blood Laws?" Yan Zaizen calmly commented. Everyone here, excluding Yan Zaizen, was clutching at their hearts, circulating their qi to abate the symptoms, but was obviously struggling. As for him, he wasn''t affected. How could a Herculean''s heart or blood be so easily affected?


    "Li Clan, it''s time you paid the price for your actions!" A booming sound rang out. Li Ruogang''s eyes flickered with intense fear. It seems a great enemy with a grudge was outside.


    Tian restaurant may be fortified, but under the assault of a True Essence aura, it was of very little help. If a powerful expert wanted to enter here, the formations couldn''t stop them for more than a few seconds. Fortunately, it wasn''t the target.


    "Who would attack the Capital so brazenly?" Yan Zaizen casually questioned, his spiritual sense spreading outwards. He continued to eat an elegant fruit cake on his plate, truly having no concerns at the outside events.


    "This is really good!" He muttered with a mouth filled with delicious cake.


    The outside was chaotic. There were thirteen individuals in unified blood-red attire fiercely assaulting a single man. There were also several other figures in the sky a distance away, but they didn''t intervene, as if letting the man fend for himself.


    This man looked in his early thirties with a grand beard, a fiery-red robe with the character for ''Li'' embroidered on his back, chest, and sleeve. He was surrounded by a world of fire that seemed intent on incinerating the world. Within his hand was a sky-rank armament in the shape of a large fan. With each swing, a storm of flames would incinerate all in its path.


    His cultivation was extraordinary!


    Peak initial-True Essence Realm!


    He was the Li Clan''s Patriarch. From an outsider point of view, this was a premeditated conflict. The thirteen individuals each had a profound cultivation base and each held a talisman that shone with a resplendent cerulean light.


    Ten late-Origin Core Cultivators, two peak-Original Core Cultivators, and one half-step True Essence Realm fought against one man. They each held peak earth-rank armaments while maintaining a perfectly executed formation that allowed them to rival a weak initial-True Essence expert. This formation created the manifestation of a 40-meter blood giant with the half-step True Essence expert at its lead.


    The talismans in their hands seemed to possess an incredible water-based true-essence aura. They released a combined aura that weakened the Li Patriarch fire-attributed true-essence. The aura it gave off was indeterminate, but to Yan Zaizen with his extraordinary spiritual sense, he could see they were linked to Yao Wuhen somehow.


    Despite this, Yao Wuhen was floating nearby like a bystander enjoying a show. The fight was taking place several li in the sky, avoiding damage to the people on the ground. This seemed to be a deliberate agreement between both opposing parties.


    "Oh? If this continues, the Li Clan Patriarch will die soon." Yan Zaizen commented, the fight put an intense pressure on the Li Clan Patriarch, he seemed to have been injured before this fight so his cultivation was incredibly superficial. It''s possible his base strength could barely be considered at the True Essence Realm, let alone defeating those well-prepared against you.


    A few dozen blows in several seconds passed and the aura in the sky continued to rise to the peak, but soon abated shortly afterward. The Li Clan Patriarch was slain just as Yan Zaizen predicted. The blood giant held a spear constructed of hardened blood that ran him through and caused his body to nearly explode in a torrent of blood and flesh.


    A few blows after that strike, his lifeforce was severed. Despite this, three of the late-Origin Core experts and one peak-Origin Core expert lost their life in his fierce retaliation. He ignited his true essence, but it just wasn''t enough to survive.


    "It seems the Li Clan will decline." He casually commented, causing all the genius youths to have eyes filled with shock. What just happened?


    Li Ruogang could barely catch her breath under that intense blood aura. When she heard Yan Zaizen words, she grew enraged. "Shut up! You don''t have the right to decide that!"


    Glancing at Li Ruogang struggling form, Yan Zaizen shook his head slightly andcontinued to eat his cake. They were nothing but ants, how could they comprehend the gravity of what just occurred?

 Chapter 111 - Fall of a Grand Clan

    Above Sky Night Royal City, high in the sky were seven figures floating with formidable auras. Each and everyone of them were dressed in eye-catching attire signifying high status and exuded faint traces of pure true-essence.


    ¡°Who are they?! What just happened?¡± Someone asked the crowd below, looking upwards at the figures in utter shock from the cataclysmic battle.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t that the Li Clan Patriarch? Did he die?!¡±


    ¡°The seven dressed in red, is that the uniform of the Blood Fiend Sect?!¡±


    Many different forms of questions were being circulated through the crowd. When people heard the Blood Fiend Sect, they shivered as an icy chill slithered down their spines. In Presba, there were seven grand-tier powers that are local, homegrown, and under the Presba¡¯s Imperial Family ¡¯s. However, that didn¡¯t mean all the grand-tier powers that existed within the country were only those seven.


    The Blood Fiend Sect was a grand-tier force without a specific loyalty and was based at the outskirts of Presba. They were considered a vile sect that cultivated in the profound arts relating to blood concepts. There were even rumors that they consumed the blood of their victims to enhance their body cultivation. They were renowned for their dual cultivation methods in both Qi and body, similar to how Earthly Titan Sect was defined by its body cultivation methods, or the Solitary Sword Sect was known for its profound comprehension into the Mortal Law of the Sword.


    Amongst the seven was Yao Wuhen whose eyes were filled with a shimmering brilliance. The Li Clan Patriarch¡¯s body lingered in mid-air, being held by the remnant energy of the deceased. When an expert at the True Essence Realm dies, their body exudes a profound aura that keeps the body afloat. This strange phenomenon was often a much-welcomed result to the cultivation world, especially high-ranking experts. This aura was often gathered to formulate pills, elixirs, or even help promote the Spirit Form of a sky-rank armament.


    It was unbelievably valuable.


    The other six who watched from afar deeply understood this, their eyes also displaying signs of greed and desire. However, none of them stepped forward, as if restrained by some decided agreement.


    The half-step True Essence Blood Fiend Sectmaster, Xue Hanjie, had an exhausted look in his eyes, but there wasn¡¯t any fear of the seven individuals who floated not far away, as if sure they wouldn¡¯t take action. He approached the body amidst their gazes, grabbing the corpse of the Li Family Patriarch, and taking out a silver-talisman.


    The silver talisman was a special spatial item that could store and preserve the aura of a True Essence expert. One could see he was well prepared, directly storing the corpse into the talisman with absolute caution. The only thing left behind was the flaming crimson fan that exuded faint traces of burning flames. As he was about to approach, a cerulean water-attributed true-essence rope shot out and wrapped around the sky-rank armament.


    ¡°You!¡± Xue Hanjie¡¯s eyes turned colder than the harshest winter, turning towards Yao Wuhen whose finger had an extension of true-essence. She had a faint smile on her lips, her eyes suffused with disdain.


    Xue Hanji was livid! ¡°What the meaning of this?! The plan-¡±


    ¡°The plan?¡± Yao Wuhen coldly interrupted, ¡°The plan was for me to obtain the Incinerating Hell Fan, or do you have an objection?¡± With that, she took out a transmission talisman. The other six beside her looked at the talisman with complex emotions. Some were wary, some were suspicious, and others had furrowed brows of contemplation.


    Xue Hanjiejie¡¯s teeth had been clenched to the point it noise were being produced. Earlier, the plan was to use Yao Wuhen¡¯s talismans to help weaken the Li Family Patriarch, in return, they would pay her sufficiently for her effort, but all she did was formulate talismans, it simply wasn¡¯t worth the sky-rank Incinerating Hell Fan of the Li Clan Patriarch. Its value was beyond description, and the cost was extraordinary.


    However, the talisman had the spiritual sense of a half-step Perfect Aurora Soul expert. If you were to be under the assumption that this person was not Yan Zaizen, inexperienced in soul arts, but one who had millennia of training and experience, then someone at the Advanced Soul Realm could be considered, on average, at the peak initial-True Essence. If they were extraordinary in mastery, they could rival a mid-True Essence Realm!A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    This was a peak power in the Fallen Stars Continent. However, the meaning of a Perfect Aurora Soul Expert was far different by those standards. Even a weak one could rival a mid-True Essence expert, but a strong one? Dominating the entirety of Fallen Stars Continent was a thought. If it wasn¡¯t for Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao amplification, with his proficiency in arts, it would be nearly impossible for him to rival these standards.


    Every last one of them saw this talisman as something worthy to feel apprehension towards. Especially a grand-tier power like the Blood Fiend Sect that had only one initial-True Essence expert at the helm. It would be suicide, one could see the Water Veil Sect¡¯s fate that would¡¯ve happened if Yan Zaizen was enraged.


    ¡°Tch! Fine, however, don¡¯t expect-¡± Just as Xue Hanjie wanted to express his desire to nullify any form of payment agreed upon before, he was coldly interrupted once more.


    ¡°I expect full payment. On. Time.¡± Was all Yao Wuhen said, her eyes suffused with a cold light, and she directly stored away both the talisman and sky-rank fan, directly taking off towards the highest tower in Sky Night Royal City.


    ¡°Arrogant.¡± One of the true-essence experts said, this person was a middle-aged man with black spots on his face, his eyes beady but held a vigorous aura. He watched as Yao Wuhen left, obviously discontent with her actions, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. However, what could they do? The talisman indicated a willing favor of a half-step Perfect Aurora Soul Realm expert. The threat of that, to any force, could not be underestimated. All that expert required was resources and time before he could step into that profound realm that could keep them up with nightmares. Who would willingly offend someone like that?


    Despite the others agreeing, they didn¡¯t do anything to stop her from leaving. Each and everyone of them were at the initial or half-step True Essence Realm, they didn¡¯t have the qualifications or courage to do so. At least, not be the first to make a move.


    Xue Hanjie clenched his fists in rage but did nothing as well. He turned towards the six remaining experts and coldly said, ¡°Is it done?¡± The six were leaders of external forces, not related to the Presba Capital, only here for support of this venture and the Heavenly Fortune Auction. Surprisingly, the Imperial Family nor any of the allied powers of the Li Clan within the city took action or even shown up, leaving the Li Clan Patriarch alone to die.


    ¡°The Li Clan¡¯s estate and properties are currently being claimed, all clan members are being exterminated, from elder to dog.¡± The beady-eyed True Essence expert said, his expression filled with radiant happiness. The others silently nodded in their agreement with his statement.


    ¡°Good, then we¡¯ll proceed as plan. From this day onwards, the Li Clan shall no longer exist beneath this sky!¡± Xue Hanjie said, his voice filled with tyrannical hatred. He and his experts were about to take off but were stopped by the beady-eyed expert.


    ¡°Li Baigang¡¯s favored daughter is in the city.¡± He mentioned casually, as if this information wasn¡¯t very important. However, he pointed towards the Tian restaurant, obviously with malicious intentions.


    ¡°Oh?!¡± Xue Hanjie¡¯s eyes lit up with a maliciously violent light filled to the brim with deep-seated hatred, his piercing gaze looked towards the Tian restaurant. ¡°Good!¡±


    Back in the Tian Restaurant, Yan Zaizen finished his cake, his eyes filled with enjoyment. His spiritual sense was observing the area ahead, his soul cultivation so profound that the others didn¡¯t even notice his spying or perhaps didn¡¯t care. ¡°Oh? Seems like the Li Clan was schemed against by many grand-tier forces...I wonder what they did to receive such a fate.¡± Silently musing in his thoughts, he couldn¡¯t help but glance towards Li Ruogang. He suspected that she was apart of the Li Clan from her intense reaction earlier.


    This beautiful and fiery woman will likely not live outside of today. It¡¯s obvious this operation was agreed upon by the Xin Clan, Earthly Fortune Palace, and Imperial Family. Otherwise, how could they be so brazen to attack in the capital? In that case, these powers were likely bought off, or the Li Clan simply wasn¡¯t very well liked.


    Personally, he disliked this. He hated traitors, especially those who betray their allies, but he wasn¡¯t very knowledgeable of the internal situation in the country to understand the undercurrents within. For all he knew, the Li Clan was a malicious clan that offended others to no end. Which is likely the case, considering the unified action of many different forces in agreement. This, by any means, was an exceptionally difficult task to pull off.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression darkened, ¡°Oh? Did she use my talisman as a threat?¡± He didn¡¯t like this very much, but considering it could be used in this fashion, he felt his uncle and aunt were safer now. He felt comfort in the knowledge that grand-tier forces were apprehensive at the mere sight of his talisman. This reassured him that Tao and Bai Lufeng would be safer in their operations from now on.


    ¡°What¡¯s happening outside?!¡± Sun Huan questioned, his eyes filled with wary. The girl from earlier, the one he was arguing with, had been from the Li Clan. She didn¡¯t have an exceedingly high status, but he truly cared for her. In truth, he didn¡¯t cheat on her but was trying to keep something away from her. A present for her birthday he intended to purchase, but she caught him red-handed trying to get information on the item.


    As a sword cultivator, those they favored were exceptionally few, but every one of them held a piece of their heart.


    ¡°The Li Clan Patriarch was killed a few seconds. There are a few peak experts working in conjunction to cull the entire Li Clan.¡± He explained, his tone still casual, but Sun Huan¡¯s eyes revealed a profound fear. He urged his cultivation despite his turbulent blood flow and fiercely dashed towards the Tian exit.


    However, before he could reach the door, a figure burst into the Tian entrance.


    Yan Zaizen looked at the figure and his eyes widened, ¡°I see."

 Chapter 112 - Love? Destruction. Enraged!

    The figure that barged into the entrance shocked all those present, including the other customers. It was a gracefully attractive figure with a voluptuous body that could ignite the fire in most men. Sun Huan eyes widened with shock, but then a sudden bout of relief surged into his bones. "Li Qiyu! Yo-you''re okay!"


    The figure was Li Qiyu, the girl who Yan Zaizen met earlier who left due to a transmission. Her body was filled with sweat and her eyes held traces of panic. A slight sensation of relief suffused her eyes when she saw Sun Huan, but the panic was so dominant that she was shaking, directly pouncing into Sun Huan''s embrace. "Huan! They''re...they''re killing everyone in the Li Clan in the capital! Everyone! Even those here!"


    Her words produced a shocking jerk to all who heard it, various expressions ranging from schadenfreude to fear emerged in their eyes. Many couldn''t help but feel apprehensive. If she was apart of the Li Clan, would they come here regardless of the circumstances? Could they be collateral damage? Many were ready to take their leave, hoping to avoid calamity by furthering themselves from any Li Clan member.


    "I have to go." Ke Zedong said, his eyes looking at Li Ruogang with a complex emotion. Earlier, he was attempting to court this girl, but she rejected him harsher than the coldest of winters. If she had accepted his advances, he would have probably used his Ke Clan status in an attempt to spare this girl specifically, but since that wasn''t the case, he preferred to distance himself as far as possible.


    He took off immediately, leaving the restaurant without hesitation.


    "So decisive!" Yan Zaizen commented silently.


    Mei, Hei, and Ya Qinqan had profound gleams in their eyes at his sudden departure. Mei and Hei had great statues in their respective forces, if Hei decided to take Li Ruogang as his wife, it''s entirely possible they would agree. The Palace Master was a half-step True Essence expert with a bestowed dao, this was sufficient to cause all those to think three times before action.


    However, that wasn''t the case. Despite this, he stayed, looking at Yan Zaizen''s casual bystander attitude as he glanced at everything with interest. Mei was intelligent to know that the Earthly Fortune Palace had consented to this action, taking no action against this, so she couldn''t do anything even if she wanted to.


    Li Ruogang was panicking at Li Qiyu''s words, her expression filled with fear.


    What could she do?


    "We need to leave. Now!" Sun Huan decisively said, grabbing Li Qiyu''s hand and taking off towards the entrance. He needed to protect her by taking her to his sect''s seniors. Taking out a transmission talisman, he crushed it.


    BOOM!!!


    A thunderous aura erupted, causing a pressure of pure qi-essence to exert on all individuals in the restaurant. Sun Huan kneeled in pain, unable to move, his low cultivation base yielding instantly, and Li Qiyu screamed in fear, her voluptuous body slamming heavily on the floor. Unlike Sun Huan, she had a weaker cultivation base and prowess, she couldn''t resist a single second.


    Everyone except Yan Zaizen viciously plummeted heavily to the floor or their tables, resounding shrieks of pain and alarm resounded with the harsh thuds of their fleshy bodies. "Pressure of a half-step True Essence Expert!" This was the most basic of aura arts, using one''s aura to force a mighty pressure on your opponent. In an equal battle, this was irrelevant, but to those with weaker cultivations, this was all one needed to render them at your mercy.


    As for him? With his body cultivation, this pressure felt like a light breeze in the wind. To everyone else under the Origin Core Realm? This was a mountain on their hearts, heads, and limbs. This aura, if sufficient enough, could turn your enemy into meat paste with a single thought.


    The restaurant went silent, and even the mid-Origin Core owner who ruled over it didn''t interject at this action, keeping silent and watching from afar. The soft patter of footsteps resounded as the door opened gently. A man dressed in blood-red attire with crimson eyes and an evil expression walked in slowly. His gaze scanned the surroundings with a meticulous sweep.


    "Two roaches hiding here, I see." Xue Hanjie''s rough voice resounded, a slight chuckle between his words. He could feel the unique fire-based cultivation method of the Li Clan in two members, his eyes filled with excitement as he glanced at the two girls, his eyes filled with malicious intent. Surprisingly, there was no lust in his eyes, but one could tell he wouldn''t simply kill these two girls.


    If he wanted to do that, he wouldn''t need to personally arrive. Simply his aura alone could target the two and turn them into meat paste.Stolen novel; please report.


    "Wait!" Sun Huan grunted in a shout, his qi cultivation base rotating in an attempt to erupt, but the pressure prevented it. He tried resisting, but all he could do was talk, his muscles were stiff and unmoving. Using all his vital energy, soul energy and qi, he mustered up enough resistance to talk. However, the consumption was so great he probably wouldn''t be able to keep this up for long.


    "This...girl...is...under...my...protection!" Sun Huan''s words contained unspeakable resolve, his body''s potential erupting, trying to move an inch closer to shield the downed Li Qiyu.


    Xue Hanjie looked at Sun Huan for a moment, his eyes containing faint traces of disdain. This person overestimates his status, but knowing that Sun Huan could be a root that needed to be pulled out, he''ll do so prematurely. Crippling him thoroughly, then giving him to the Solitary Sword Sect with some compensation should be enough. He laughed maliciously, "Don''t worry, I won''t kill her...yet. I have many, many things planned for her before she can die."


    Sun Huan''s eyes flashed with a cruel, cold light. "If...you...want...her...you''ll...have to! GET! THROUGH! ME!!!" His body erupted just faintly, his sword law radiating outwards slicing the pressure enough to pull out the sword at his hilt and get into a haphazard sword stance. His body shifted slowly towards Li Qiyu''s body, and his eyes revealed a resolve of life and death.


    If he wanted to get to her, he would have to kill him first!


    This thought brought out his conceptual law, Tempestuous Blade of the Sword, and advanced it to the Major Success of the Nascent-level. If it was under normal circumstances, this would be exceptional. However, this did little good but to only display an empty show of potential at critical moments, but with his weak cultivation base, he could do nothing more.


    "Fool." Xue Hanjie said after a brief pause. In the cultivation world, sword cultivators were too troublesome to deal with, and many advocated killing them directly to avoid any possible development. This only solidified his thought from crippling to directly killing.


    However, while this was going on, Yan Zaizen was looking disbelieving at his various plates of food. Especially the fruitcake that was incredibly delicious. If one looked at it, it would cause them to gasp in horror!


    It was...flattened!!!


    Due to the sudden pressure from Xue Hanjie, all the food with no protection suffered immediate damage. Unlike the aura that caused their blood to tumble, this was an exertion of force to all objects in the immediate area. If it wasn''t for formations on the table and chairs, they would''ve all collapsed instantly. However, how could you put formations on food?!


    Yan Zaizen''s facial expression was exceptionally ugly to behold. If one looked closely, it seemed that he was going to cry. This was his free meal! Now, all of it was ruined, and anything that was being made or prepared was likely destroyed.


    It would be impossible for him to obtain another one today.


    "It...was...so...good¡­" He silently muttered with invisible tears, his eyes filled with a pain of loss. It''s been a while since he enjoyed top-quality food like this. It''s always been his dream to dine like an immortal with top-class food. The most important part: he had to pay for none of it! During their travels, they didn''t go to any place remotely as good as this. Even the Sky Heart City''s restaurant fell far short.


    He felt a sudden urge of extreme rage swell up in him. Personally, he didn''t care about the calamity of others. This was developed in the Deep Mines. He didn''t even care if this Xue Hanjie killed everyone in this godforsaken restaurant, but he cared about what was his! What was his shouldn''t be touched, destroyed, or taken by anyone!! This was a bottom-line of his that has always existed since young.


    "CHOOSE!!!" Yan Zaizen viciously thundered, his eyes suffused with seething fury. This voice was backed by his late-Qi Unification qi cultivation base, resounding outwards for more than 50 li. All the true-essence experts'' eyes were drawn towards his direction, and Yao Wuhen lurched to a stop, her eyes filled with shock and fear. To everyone else at her level, this voice may have been just a voice backed by an irrelevant cultivation base, but to her, who had once heard this voice in her soul, this voice had an incredible significance.


    Xue Hanjie looked at Yan Zaizen, scanning his cultivation base and held a trace of disdain and contempt. He directly ordered, "Be silent, otherwise, this will be your last meal." How could he take a late-Qi Unification junior seriously? To him, this person was an ant.


    Yan Zaizen directly dismissed his words, getting up from his seat, turning around, and walking slowly towards Xue Hanjie. This action caused Xue Hanjie''s brows to rise in surprise. His qi-essence with traces of true-essence could be resisted so easily by this kid, he wasn''t simple, but still not someone he considered a threat.


    "Who are you?" He inquired, he wasn''t stupid. With his thousands of years of experience, how could he not notice Yan Zaizen''s exceptional characteristics, it would be better to figure out his power before taking further action.


    "Choose!" Yan Zaizen repeated, his amber-gold eyes suffused with an intense calm that hid profound anger. "You can kneel in forgiveness, hand me everything in your possession as compensation, and leave. OR! Today will be the day you''ll be crippled." To the spectators, this may be funny, but Yan Zaizen was serious.


    He didn''t kill anyone for the slightest of slights, nor did he despise this man for his actions against the Li Clan or his previous words. As he learned in the Deep Mines, if one can''t fend for themselves, then their fates would be decided by others. He may love stories of heroism, but that didn''t mean he followed their philosophy.


    The world was vastly different than those made-up stories. It was cruel, filled with constant struggles for power, wealth, and love. Sun Huan''s willingness to protect Li Qiyu with his life was an exceptionally moving moment, but Yan Zaizen wouldn''t intervene because of that. There will always be people who are willing to die for another, and he was sure many individuals he killed before had those who would do the same.


    How could he be moved by this? He didn''t believe himself a hypocrite. If he didn''t consider you worthy of his protection, he simply wouldn''t protect you.


    He was only moved by one desire: that his things were destroyed.


    This was touching his bottom line.


    Don''t touch his shit.


    Simple.

 Chapter 113 - Crippling, Robbing & Departing

    Xue Hanjie furrowed his brows in anger. Was this junior demanding him to give up his possessions or suffer crippling? Who did he believe himself to be? Normally, one would expect a violent response filled with arrogance and underestimation, but Xue Hanjie wasn¡¯t stupid.


    This youth had a powerful foundation and filled with profound confidence. It¡¯s likely that he didn¡¯t consider him a threat, but from his memory, he couldn¡¯t recall anyone who resembled this junior. Making such a threat haphazardly is how one gets killed, but acting in anger under a threat is how forces get wiped out. Underestimation is how the Li Clan Patriarch died today.


    He would not follow such an example.


    He twisted his right palm, causing a trace of qi-essence to surge outwards, aiming to turn Sun Huan into meat paste. His left hand pulled backwards, causing his physical pressure to change directions, causing Li Ruogang and Li Qiyu¡¯s body to shot towards him with a quickness.


    Whoever this kid was, he had little intention to play around any longer. He wouldn¡¯t attack some unknown individual due to anger nor would he give up his possessions because of a single sentence. If his senior comes to discuss, he¡¯ll discuss and give a little compensation for whatever inconvenience or grievance this person had. However, if nothing comes of it, he¡¯ll go about his life.


    ¡°Oh? I see. You made your choice then.¡± Yan Zaizen decided, if someone didn¡¯t wish to choose, then he¡¯ll choose from them. This has always been the case. A flash of silver-blue light with motes of white light erupted from his pupils, despite his soul energy being limited to 5% maximum, this didn¡¯t mean it was useless, the power of a half-step Perfect Aurora Soul still remained with each percentage. To a half-step True Essence Cultivator? This was more than enough.


    PNEUMA DISRUPTION!


    An invisible ripple that no one could see surged outwards with astonishing speed. Xue Hanjie felt an overwhelming sensation of danger built up from thousands of years of combat. However, the speed of soul energy was far too quick for him to react to, not to mention, he had exerted over 90% of his qi-essence in the battle earlier, how could he formulate a suitable defense against this sudden attack?!


    He felt a tremendous pressure exert itself on his soul form, directly intending to penetrate and snuff out his soul flame. A talisman placed within his body suddenly shattered, causing a barrier of energy to formulate itself around his soul form. This was a method many cultivators would take against sudden soul attacks, but this barrier was useless against Yan Zaizen. If Yan Zaizen was a normal Advanced Aurora Soul expert, then this barrier would¡¯ve worked.


    Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen infused his dao into this strike! He was also at the half-step Perfect Aurora Soul Realm, how could this talisman stop his momentum?


    The barrier was shattered like glass, the aura rampaged inside his soul form, causing extensive damage and directly damaging his soul flame. It flickered weakly in defiance. This soul flame contained all of his memories, personality, and instincts within. If this flame was gone, he would be nothing more than a vegetable without an imprinted consciousness.


    Fortunately for him, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t go for the kill. Unfortunately for him, Xue Hanjie suffered extreme damage to his soul. A mouthful of vomit and blood suddenly spewed out his mouth like a geyser. His qi-essence immediately was left without control, dispersing in the air like a harmless blood-colored light. The Li female duo was dropped suddenly without his control.


    ¡°AHHHHH!!!¡± He shrieked in unimaginable pain, holding his head and chest in unison. Due to the fact the soul was interconnected to his mind, if it was damaged harshly, it could cause damage to one¡¯s psyche. This shriek attracted the attention of all the experts in the city, and many auras were already making their way over, including Xue Hanjie¡¯s Blood Fiend Sect members.


    Yan Zaizen, however, didn¡¯t care about any of that. While Xue Hanjie squirmed in pain, he approached, arriving next to him with the Ascending Raindrops Technique. ¡°I¡¯m not done.¡± His words were exceedingly vicious, and he placed his strong hands atop Xue Hanjie¡¯s head, his eyes filled with malicious intent.


    A flash of imperceptible soul energy flickered into his body, severely damaging his meridians, pathways, and dantian. True Essence experts were insidiously difficult to cripple. Their meridians, pathways, and dantian were simply too extraordinary, and their Origin Core had already fused completely into their bodies. However, half-step True Essence Experts had a semi-fused Origin Core and could be targeted and destroyed with a sufficient force.


    If this was destroyed, their bloodline would no longer exist within their bodies with no hope for recovery. It was a very precarious stage of development.


    CRUSH!!


    Xue Hanjie¡¯s core was shattered mercilessly, his spatial possessions were extracted with the swiftness of a practiced thief. Yan Zaizen''s eyes flashed slightly. The others were approaching.


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    A light lit up on Yan Zaizen¡¯s finger.


    ¡°Young Lord Zai! Please don¡¯t antagonize anyone. This could affect our plans for the spatial platform OR participate in the upcoming Heavenly Fortune Auction!¡± Tao¡¯s voice sounded a little too late via transmission talisman. It seems he heard Yan Zaizen¡¯s thunderous voice and wanted to warn him, but what happened occurred too quickly.


    Yan Zaizen silently cursed Tao for his lateness. He realized his actions were a little too rash, but he didn¡¯t regret it. While Tao may be perverted sometimes and Bai Lufeng may be arrogant under his protection, Yan Zaizen had his own issues. His dao was filled with tyrannical ferocity and ice-cold decisiveness. It was hard for him not to act if someone touched his bottom line.


    ¡°Shit¡­¡± His eyes looked at Xue Hanjie unconscious body, then turned towards everyone who looked onwards with incredible shock dominating their every expression. He looked towards everyone and said some choice words, ¡°If you mention this to anyone, I mean...ANYONE, I¡¯ll kill you and everyone behind you.¡± His voice contained a viciousness that seemed to originate from hell.


    He wasn¡¯t truly going to kill them or everyone that was behind them for informing their superiors, but he could at least threaten to do so, right? Perhaps this would prevent word from coming out.


    Well¡­


    Yeah, realistically, that definitely wouldn¡¯t work.


    He softly sighed in resignation after realizing his words were pretty much useless. He glanced at Sun Huan holding Li Qiyu¡¯s body. Despite what he had to endure, the moment the pressure ceased, he used his power to quickly check on her condition. He couldn¡¯t help but feel his gaze turn a little softer towards this person with a hint of a good impression forming. There was no way someone like this could be a cheater with this attitude or display, and he was sure Li Qiyu would never accuse him again.


    ¡°This meal didn''t count. You owe me another.¡± His words were soft, ignoring the complex gazes of Ya Qinqan and the others. He stepped backwards, his body merged with the world as if it was a hot marshmallow, pulling space with it until his body, with a slight popping sound, disappeared from everyone¡¯s gazes.


    There was no spatial ripples or distortions, it was as if he simply stepped backwards and silently vanished into a painting.Nobody could believe their eyes, it was as if reality warped in front of them, and he just vanished. There was a strange silence permeating the air.


    A spiritual sense imprinted itself on Sun Huan¡¯s body; this spiritual sense contained 1% of his total energy, it may not be much, but it should be enough to protect him if he finds himself in trouble. He still owed Yan Zaizen a meal, after all. He can''t do so if he''s dead.


    The moment Yan Zaizen disappeared, the Blood Fiend Sect members dashed in to see Xue Hanjie¡¯s body with horror plastered on their faces. They attempted to take action against Li Qiyu and Li Ruogang, but Sun Huan protected them relentlessly. It activated Yan Zaizen''s spiritual sense, protecting his body and killing the Origin Core cultivators instantly.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Zaizen had just spent some time in chaotic space reduced time flow to see what Xue Hanjie had in his spatial possessions, and was surprised that his spiritual sense activated so quickly. Almost half of it was used in a single go. ¡°Well...Tao will definitely be angry.¡± He disliked being a hypocrite, after informing others to not cause trouble, he went and did so himself. It frustrated him a little, but what could he do?


    If he did nothing, it wouldn¡¯t conform with his dao, and Pinaka informed him that his dao was in a precarious situation and that, if one suppresses it, it could cause weakening or even shattering of his dao if he didn¡¯t act according to his will.


    The corpse of the Li Clan¡¯s Patriarch was in a special talisman and many other materials, wealth, and resources were in the ring as well. It seems this person took not only his corpse but also Li Clan Patriarch¡¯s possessions. The wealth in the Li Clan Patriarch¡¯s possession alone exceeded the wealth of both the Soaring Cloud Sect and Earthly Titan Sect combined, even if you include the True Essence Sublimation Pill. Worthy of being a Patriarch of a peak grand-tier force.


    POP!


    He stepped out, arriving beside Tao imperceptibly. Tao¡¯s brows furrowed, but he wasn¡¯t shocked by Yan Zaizen¡¯s appearance considering his mastery over spatial laws. ¡°Did you¡­?¡± He inquired cautiously.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled softly with a little guilt in his tone, ¡°I tried what I could to suppress the news.¡±


    Tao softly sighed in helplessness, he could only hope nothing comes of it.

 Chapter 114 - Heavenly Fortune Auction

    The Sky Royal Tower was a location that offered the highest level of service for guests of high status within Sky Night Royal City. Its rooms were suitable for cultivation at the Origin Core Realm and above, well designed and reinforced with defensive and privacy formations, and filled with the highest-rated service within the entire city.


    In one of the V.I.P. rooms within the Sky Royal Tower, two females, one young and one old, one standing and one relaxedly sitting, were having a conversation regarding today¡¯s earlier events.


    After Yan Zaizen left, his spiritual sense directly eliminated Blood Fiend¡¯s Sect remaining forces, causing a stir within the entire Sky Night Royal City. Even the Xin Clan and Earthly Fortune Sect were attracted to these events, but this wasn¡¯t suitable news for the Blood Fiend Sect. All of their upper-echelon members were wiped out in a short few minutes after a tremendous victory.


    It made all those who heard about it exclaim in wonder at the world¡¯s ever-shifting sands of fate. One second, the Blood Fiend Sect kills the Li Clan Patriarch; the next second, the Blood Fiend Sect members are killed.


    The two Li Clan clan members were directly placed under Solitary Sword Sect¡¯s protection within the city thanks to Sun Huan¡¯s advocating their importance to him. Not to mention, his advancement in conceptual law were indicative of his exceptional talent, and his status within the clan immediately rose.


    There was also the issue of Sun Huan having a protective spiritual sense on his body, and his unwillingness to leave Li Qiyu¡¯s side. Even if individuals had malicious thoughts, they couldn¡¯t do so until the spiritual sense dissipated naturally or ran out of soul energy.


    ¡°I see.¡± Yao Wuhen¡¯s eyes flickered in contemplation. Ya Qinqan¡¯s expression was calm with indifference, her eyes trying to conceal her shock as she retold events. To her, Yan Zaizen was a naive boy who she took advantage of. If it wasn¡¯t for him, she likely wouldn¡¯t be where she was, but that didn¡¯t mean she owed him anything. He decided his own fate with his actions, why would she carry any responsibility?


    Even in light of Yan Zaizen¡¯s exquisite display of prowess, she didn¡¯t harbor any feelings of regret. She did, however, feel a slight fear temporarily. However, after realizing that Yan Zaizen could probably kill her with a thought if he wanted, her eyes suffused with relief. He didn¡¯t kill her then, so it¡¯s unlikely he would in the future.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen...who is he to you?¡± Yao Wuhen didn¡¯t know the full story, so she was curious by her disciple¡¯s varied reactions. Ya Qinqan hid nothing, directly informing Yao Wuhen the entire story from her perspective. At the end, Yao Wuhen¡¯s eyes lit up with intelligence.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible...he still has feelings for you. However, it¡¯s only a possibility, and not a strong one. However, him meeting you shouldn¡¯t be a coincidence. Regardless, after his disappearance, he must¡¯ve had a massive amount of enlightenment and resources to progress so quickly in three years. Theoretically, such advancement should be impossible by conventional means.¡± She deduced with the information she had on hand, her eyes suffusing with a myriad of ideas. However, she still couldn¡¯t figure out how he progressed so quickly.


    ¡°For now, if you see him, maintain a positive relationship with him. If possible, rekindling your relationship with him will bring you unimaginable benefits. His strength, his current strength, would cause even the Ancient Emperor of Presba to take him seriously. If you can¡¯t, then it¡¯s fine. However, if you can, don¡¯t miss the chance.¡± She informed Ya Qinqan of her thoughts.


    If Ya Qinqan could recapture Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart, then her status would exceed even her own. No one in the entire Fallen Stars Continent would act against her without thinking three times and then three times once more.


    Ya Qinqan¡¯s eyes flickered with a soft light of reluctance, but said nothing, only assenting with a nod.


    ------


    ¡°Should I wear this mask?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired, his hand held the black faceless mask he wore in Grux. After the incident, it¡¯s highly likely his face and name circulated around, and many could be looking for him.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s unnecessary. It¡¯s unlikely anyone would have malicious thoughts towards you with the situation of the Blood Fiend Sect being dealt with. If anything, they should want to ally themselves with you, so you have no need to disguise yourself.¡± Tao informed, ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to do anything rash earlier because we¡¯re unsure of the situation within the capital, but if you do, then you do. We can deal with it.¡±


    Bai Lufeng sat peacefully to the side. His task was completed as well, with the earliest time to travel to the Xiantu Realm being a week¡¯s time. With his cultivation base, he was given special reservation as well, so there was no hiccup with the procedure. However, he felt a little discontented that he was warned not to make trouble when Yan Zaizen nearly wiped out an entire force.


    ¡°Good, since the Heavenly Fortune Auction is tomorrow, we should participate. Tao, submit this True Essence Sublimation Pill, and the other rare materials.¡± He instructed. Initially, Tao felt this was a rash choice, but with Yan Zaizen¡¯s strength, potential, and the time it¡¯ll take himself or Bai Lufeng to reach the peak Origin Core or half-step True Essence Realm would be sufficient for them to obtain another.


    As for the materials used to craft pills, elixirs or armaments, they didn¡¯t need any of them. They weren¡¯t alchemists or armament creators, so they were essentially useless. After unloading all the other materials in the city, the only thing left was the incredibly rare material or peak grand-tier alchemy items.


    ¡°Also, what¡¯s so special about a corpse of a True Essence expert?¡± He inquired. Earlier, he had observed the flickering emotions of greed as the leaders of their forces gazed at the Li Clan Patriarch¡¯s corpse. Tao¡¯s eyes lit up, having seen the battle personally, he was shocked by the events. However, now, most of the wealth was obtained by Yan Zaizen with very little effort.


    ¡°A True Essence corpse exudes a profound aura which has many uses. Their bloodline could be extracted and integrated into armaments to create a Spirit Form or for alchemy. The bones, blood, organs, or true-essence within could also be used to produce elixirs, armament bodies, or pills. With a little refinement, you could make a puppet or a second body! Of course, that would require a profound soul cultivation. There¡¯s more as well, nearly limitless in uses.¡± Tao explained, his eyes filled with excitement.


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    ¡°I see¡­¡± Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but think about the value of this corpse. He had no idea what he wished to do with it. However, it was being preserved within the spatial talisman, so he had time. For now, he¡¯ll leave it until he finds a use. He wasn¡¯t a sentimental individual who would return the corpse back to the Li Clan.


    From his understanding, the Li Clan was all but destroyed. What use would that do?


    -----


    Tomorrow arrived like the flickering of a light switch. With it, the city was filled with an uproar of commotion, rumors, and excitement. Many were dispensing of their irrelevant materials in hopes of obtaining something they needed during the Heavenly Fortune Auction. There was a selling madness during this time, and many were going crazy over the eradication of the Li Clan.


    There was news still circulating that within the inner wall of the capital, all members of the Li Clan were being culled like degenerates in the street. There was even a bounty on each Li Clan member by name. Their detailed information like physical appearances and cultivation characteristics were revealed with frightening accuracy.


    All could see the extreme preparation taken place for this event. Despite this happening in the capital, no one from the Imperial Family responded nor did anyone from Sky Night Royal City. Everyone could deduce from this factor that those conducting this operation were given full consent from the grand-tier and higher forces of Presba.


    This was a frightening event, and many couldn¡¯t help but question what the Li Clan did to suffer such thorough destruction. However, the Heavenly Fortune Auction was such a grand event that many put this thought to the back of their minds, focusing on obtaining something useful for their own strength.


    ¡°Presba is far crueler than Grux.¡± Bai Lufeng commented, standing a step behind Yan Zaizen with disdain in his eyes. Grux may be a slave country, but at least it treated its people with safety and care. If a clan was annihilated, they would be forced into slavery with the chance to regain their freedom with arduous effort. However, Presba directly annihilated everyone from the elder to the dogs, and the citizens didn¡¯t particularly care about the fall of a grand-tier power that stood for thousands of years.


    Even the Imperial Family was indifferent.


    ¡°Every country has their own tradition and mindset, this is simply normal for them. From what I know, unlike Grux, these people are subjected to strict competition and constant war, not only against themselves but against disaster and divine beasts. They¡¯ve become accustomed to loss and seeks personal strength to prevent more¡± Tao commented his observation, and he was correct.


    In truth, despite Grux having an extraordinary population, the birth rate and annual death percentage were far less than Presba. They possess far too little danger outside of dying from overexertion, while Presba had to combat beast and humankind alike, and the resources they possessed was unlike Grux, they were vastly limited due to sharing with the beasts.


    If Grux could be considered a slave country, then Presba was a country of fierce competition. This was the very reason why everyone schemed, trying to outdo each other with intelligence and foreplanning. They were also a lot more decisive than most countries, immediately clearing out the roots of an issue before thinking about the consequences.


    Xue Hanjie was willing to kill Sun Huan but unwilling to touch Yan Zaizen, and the difference wasn¡¯t perceived strength or personal threat, but lack of information. If he had known Yan Zaizen had a similar status to Sun Huan, he would¡¯ve acted without care, regardless if Yan Zaizen was at the late-Qi Unification Realm or not.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s mind pondered on the fates of himself, Shin Xuanji, and Lin Feilin. He suffered neglect and scorn for weakness, despite his status within his clan. Shin Xuanji had his entire clan wiped out due to treason. Lin Feilin¡¯s clan was eradicated by bandits who likely belonged to the Soaring Cloud Sect. Who knows what inner machinations were happening during any of these events, the countless scheming and vicious intent.


    They arrived at a grand building that stood one hundred meters high. The black walls had a myriad of golden clouds etched on its surface. Each cloud emitted an aura reminiscent of looking at the heavens themselves. The doors were designed to resemble the depiction of heavens¡¯ gate, with a pearly white look and a resplendent glow. One could see that every inch of this building must¡¯ve been worth a fortune to construct, let alone the various formations inscribed within, but simply the door itself likely cost more than a normal grand-tier pill.


    Despite arriving last minute, Yan Zaizen and the others obtained a personal V.I.P. box due to auctioning off the grand-tier True Essence Sublimation Pill. This left him satisfied, while others struggled for a basic seat, he was ushered by a beautiful maiden to his very own luxury box. Not to mention, the position of the box was high and befitting of a superior existence.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never been to an auction before!¡± Yan Zaizen truly was excited by all this. When he was younger, he always dreamed of having sufficient wealth to attend an auction, and while he held a beautiful woman in his arms, he would bid to high heavens and sweep all things with a single word. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have a beautiful woman in his arms.


    ¡°Our goal is the Heretical Lightning Skyship! With it being a pseudo sky-rank skyship with traces a lightning conceptual law, it¡¯s speed and abilities will definitely be exceptional!¡± Tao was excited as well, having been informed this due to their V.I.P. status. The Heretical Lightning Skyship, or any skyship, were defined by two major components: Armament-rank & Formation-tier.


    With a grade at the pseudo sky-rank and rank 8 formation base, its capabilities could not be underestimated. It¡¯s likely with the conceptual law within the developing Spirit Form and formations, and it could rival a weak initial-True Essence expert in terms of raw speed. This was already beyond exceptional, as they could travel dozens of li in seconds!


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yan Zaizen had his heart set out for this skyship, and no one was going to stop him from obtaining it.

 Chapter 115 - Mine! Mine!! Mine!!!

    "Greetings, I''ll be your auctioneer for the evening! Please take care of me." A womanly voice filled with delicate charm resounded, the voice behind that was a woman filled with a seductive tone. She revealed herself atop the Heavenly Platform at center stage. Her hair was long and black, with jadelike perfect skin, clear black eyes, and a voluptuous body fitted into a tight dress accentuating her astonishing assets that would put even Li Qiyu to shame.


    Her arrival caused all of the average men''s internal fires to burn, their eyes revealing desire and lust, while those who were more experienced remained calm at her appearance.


    She began by introducing the auction, explaining the various rules of the auction, and safeguards in place for the bids to reassure all individuals of their personal safety within the auction grounds. Not to mention, if they win a bid and require protection, they could pay a fee to be escorted by the Earthly Fortune Palace''s experts or stay under their protection.


    Despite her seductive tone that drew in the minds of the simple men, her professionalism was extraordinarily outstanding. One could tell she was a formidable woman, having the cultivation at the initial-Origin Core Realm yet with an age that was far less than Tao. By her lifeforce, Yan Zaizen calculated she was around three hundred years old.


    It''s likely her status was extraordinary within the Earthly Titan Palace also. The qualifications to host the Heavenly Auction, that was held once a century wasn''t a simple feat to achieve. "That''s Ming Qi. She''s the great-granddaughter of Ming Yan, the Palace Master of the Earthly Titan Sect." Tao explained, his eyes radiant as he tried to discreetly scan her voluptuous body from head to toe. His posture, however, tried to remain scholarly.


    Taking a look at this woman who''s white peaks seemed like it would burst from her dress, Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but flicker with a trace of lust. It truly wasn''t his fault. This woman was talented by the entire country''s standard, had a high status, and was exceptionally beautiful. She truly tailored all of his tastes. At least, by a superficial standard.


    Bai Lufeng saw Yan Zaizen''s gaze and couldn''t help but inwardly chuckle. He slyly remarked with corrupt intentions, "Young Lord Zai, does she suit your taste? If so, you can¡­" His words were overly obvious, causing Tao to frown slightly. Personally, Bai Lufeng didn''t believe in monogamy, he also didn''t believe in having a harem, but he believed in the fleeting moments of life.


    It''d be mistaken if one thought Bai Lufeng was always this way. He once had a wife, a son he raised personally and a very settled life. Unfortunately, as his cultivation progressed, his wife and child''s didn''t. They died a natural death.


    In Grux, this was fairly common due to the difficulty in obtaining resources. Even Bai Lufeng only progressed to the Origin Core Realm due to sheer luck, his lifespan nearing its end at the time. His son or wife couldn''t ascend to the Qi Unification Realm. Therefore, their lives didn''t exceed five hundred years.


    He outlived his grandchild, his great-grandchildren, and even further family lines. This was the cruelty in the cultivation world that silently sneaks up on you, no matter what you do, if you''re talented, it''s highly likely your loved ones will die a natural death before you, even if you could keep them safe, you can''t keep them safe from time.


    Many male cultivators who suffered similar things would continuously get wives and children to abate the loneliness that comes with exceptional talent and power. Some would only choose talented wives to ensure the maximum number of years with them. It''s even worse for people at the True Essence Realm. The average lifespan of a peak-Essence Formation cultivator was five hundred years, Qi Unification Cultivator was fifteen hundred years, Origin Core was five thousand years, True Essence was twenty-five thousand years. However, for each step progressed into the True Essence Realm, one could receive an additional five thousand years.


    This doesn''t even consider the additional lifespan you''d receive from body cultivation, which may be lower in comparison, but it mattered. They live exceptionally long lives, typically filled with constant death of allies, loved ones, and enemies. It was depressing, but when one tastes long-life and power, how could they fall into depression easily? Who could reach such a level with weak will?!


    This was also why Tao didn''t say anything at Bai Lufeng''s corrupting thoughts. It''s not like Tao was a virgin. It''s not like he didn''t have women in his bed for one-night stands or enjoyed the occasional dual cultivation. He wasn''t monogamous, most cultivators aren''t, especially those with exceptional talent. However, he didn''t know Yan Zaizen''s preferences or desires towards women.


    In truth, Tao had his suspicions about Yan Zaizen. Due to his childhood, it''s unlikely he could trust a woman sincerely unless the feelings were true and proven. With his cultivation, talent and his dao, this was a difficult feat to achieve.


    However, Yan Zaizen''s thoughts were different. He may be a little slow, but he understood the basic concept of outliving your loved ones. He was well aware of the fact those he knew within his clan will likely die within the next thousand years. Even his grandfather will die in one or two hundred years if he can''t develop his Origin Core. It was a sad reality, however¡­Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    It was their reality.


    "I''ll see." Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but feel temptation in his heart when he looked at this Ming Qi, even if what he felt was superficial, perhaps it was time to lose his virginity. Thankfully, he would never force himself upon a girl; he had his principles and dao. If he did so, his dao would shatter instantly. To force a woman to be with you displayed a lack of personal pride and self-confidence. How could his dao handle such actions?


    "We''ll be auctioning our first item of the day, I''m sure many of you have heard of its name, but I''ll explain!" Ming Qi announced. From her spatial ring, a translucent bottle filled with a single blue pill was placed carefully upon the display platform.


    Immediately, thousands of qi-senses and spiritual senses reached outwards to scan the contents of the bottle, and when they did, many people couldn''t help but gasp in excitement.


    "Our first auction is a mid-grade grand-tier Origin Consolidating Pill!" Her words caused all those who were unfamiliar with the pill to gasp in awe. Immediately, a loud clamoring occurred as many people verbally discussed this pill with fervent desire. In alchemy, pills were regarded by three grades in each tier: low, mid, and high. Typically, pills of the grand-tier suitable for Origin Core Cultivators would be low-grade, but the Origin Consolidating Pill was exceptional in its effect.


    "As many of you know, the Origin Consolidating Pill can guarantee the breakthrough at the half-step Origin Core cultivation! If one takes it while in the peak-Qi Unification Realm, they have an 80% chance of ascending to the next realm without any complications! If you take other precautions, that percentage can be further increased!"


    "We''ll be starting the bid at 4,000,000 drops of low-grade liquid essence! Each bid must be increased by 100,000 drops!" She stated, her eyes lighting up as she readied them all with expectations.


    "Unfortunate...that''s mine." Yan Zaizen commented, his eyes filled with traces of disappointment. In stories, the first item to be auctioned is highly desired. He truly believed he could bid and win it. Unfortunately, this was an item he put up for auction. The Heavenly Auction would receive 5%seller''ss fee, but the rest will belong to him.


    4,000,000 drops of liquid essence was an exceptionally high-price to many of the individuals here, but the pill was well worth it. It was essentially three thousand years of life, exceptional prowess, and status advancement. The market price would probably be around 600,000 drops of liquid essence, but who would casually sell this valuable pill that could change one''s destiny?


    As for those bidding, who knows if they''ll ever be able to gain access to this pill again?


    "4,100,000!"


    "4,500,000!"


    "5,200,000!"


    "6,400,000!"


    "8,200,000!"


    "10,120,000!"


    "Sold! 12.3 Million!" Ming Qi announced with excitement. This was double its market price. The only reason why more people didn''t bid on it was likely due to them saving for greater items or lack of funds.


    "Up next, a Crimson Flare Sunflower! An excellent material in alchemy for fire-attributed pills or elixirs! The price will start at 90,000 drops!"


    Yan Zaizen felt a little frustrated this was also one of his. It was sold by Tao earlier, he only submitted incredibly rare materials, but this one was sold casually. They must''ve obtained it and decided to sell it in the auction. He just wanted to bid.


    "The third item, a Blue Sea Jade!" Also his.


    "The four item, a low-grade grand-tier elixir, the Origin Excavation Elixir!" Also his.


    "The fifth item!" Also his.


    "The tenth item!" Also his!


    "The thirtieth item!!" ALSO HIS!!


    Every last item that showed up was something he sold, did the Heavenly Auction even have their own item?! "Did you sell them everything?!" Yan Zaizen inquired with a hint of anger, his eyes bearing down on Tao with grievance. His dream of heroically and dominatingly buying up every item was a pipe dream at this point. What was the meaning of buying up his own shit?


    Tao couldn''t help but feel awkward. He didn''t sell the exceptionally rare items that would cause war within a country, but they truly had a lot of irrelevant materials or useless armaments on hand, he sold them all at an above average selling price, but it was still a huge load. Was it...possible...that the Earthly Fortune Palace discarded all their ordinary wares and sold only the things he brought them? At first, he thought this wasn''t the case, but by the hundredth item, there was literally no item presented that didn''t originally belong to them.


    Yan Zaizen, at this point, had fire in his eyes. This entire auction that he was excited about was a total wash! Even if he earned a ton of wealth, amounting to several hundred million total from this endeavor, he truly felt dissatisfied.


    "We''ll be auctioning the final three items!" Ming Qi said, her eyes vibrant with excitement at the sheer competition that ensued. Many forces bid triple to even quadruple the market price for some items due to heated contests.


    "Finally!" Yan Zaizen remarked, his eyes filled with desire. The Heretical Lightning Skyship should be amongst these items, so he''ll buy it with zero hesitations.


    "This next item, I must apologize, there were previously no information released pertaining to it, but I''m sure all of you are prepared! However, many of you will know its name¡­" Ming Qi announced ambiguously, whetting the crowd''s appetites and intensifying their curiosity.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes lit up, for this item to not be released prior likely meant a fight would likely ensue because of it! In that case, it had to be exceptionally rare and valuable. He had to win it no matter what!


    However, Tao''s gaze was odd. Bai Lufeng felt this entire auction should be called the Yan Zaizen Heavenly Auction instead. They both guessed what the next item was.


    "I reveal," Ming Qi slowly motioned drawing everyone''s rapt attention, "A True Essence Sublimation Pill!!!" She announced with excitement that was so prevalent the entire crowd heard her tone heighten.


    "..." The crowd went silent.


    "WHAT?! GOD DAMMIT!!" At this point, Yan Zaizen was ready to flip tables in frustration. His voice was so loud that the entire box intensely vibrated.

 Chapter 116 - Intense Bidding War

    The trembling of their luxury V.I.P. caused zero commotion. The surrounding bidders only assumed it was someone a little too excited, directly ignoring after a slight glance, their eyes drew back to the True Essence Sublimation Pill beside Ming Qi. Beside this pill, Ming Qi lost all importance. Literally, no one was looking at her at this moment.


    ¡°You know what, forget it! I¡¯ll just win the other two items.¡± This was the only concession he could make mentally without feeling completely cheated out of his auction virginity.


    ¡°A True Essence Sublimation Pill?! A peak high-grade grand-tier pill?! Where the hell did that come from?¡±


    ¡°This...the storm that¡¯ll be created from this pill will be calamity inviting.¡±


    ¡°This is going to be so exciting!¡±


    There were many different comments flying about in excitement, while those with true intentions of buying this pill were solemn beyond compare. They calculated their personal funds. Some used talisman transmissions to pool remaining funds, attempting to convince others to withdraw from the competition, and all types of method to gain a greater chance at obtaining the pill.


    ¡°We¡¯ll begin the bid at...500 million drops! Each bid must be a minimum of 10 million!¡± There was no need to use her alluring features or words in an attempt to heighten the competition for this pill, its very existence was a tonic for competition. This pill essentially represented the chance for twenty thousand years of life, a status as a peak powerhouse, and prowess that¡¯ll be respected by all.


    How could they not be enticed? She didn¡¯t even need to explain its effects, those who would bid for this pill obviously knew what it was.


    A powerful aura at the half-step True Essence Realm surged in one of the V.I.P. boxes, causing everyone to draw their gazes over in excitement. Normally, if an expert of such degree erupted with their aura, many would be quivering in fear, but no one at this moment felt any sort of fear! Only excitement at the ensuing competition.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that the Vice Palace Master of the Dark Mist Palace?!¡±


    ¡°Oh god! It is, he¡¯s been at the half-step True Essence Realm for several thousand years now! He must be nearing the end of his lifespan. There''s no way he¡¯ll allow this to be won easily!¡±


    Yan Zaizen gazed towards the box, his eyes blazing with traces of vibrant lifeforce, and he could tell from the aura that the crowd was correct. This person¡¯s lifeforce signature was exceedingly dim, perhaps having a few dozen or a hundred years left. This may be a lot by mortal standards, but for powerful cultivators, this was a single cultivation session.


    ¡°700 Million!¡± His old and withered voice resounded with a hint of steel-like resolve. One could see that he was willing to throw his entire wealth at this pill; it was too rare and too precious. To understand, in the entirety of Grux, only the Xi¨¡o City Lord, who was its top grand-tier alchemist, was capable of producing this pill. In his entire life, he only produced two of these pills. This displayed its value.


    Presba doesn¡¯t even have anyone on the level of the Xi¨¡o City Lord within its employ, they had to purchase their pills from other countries, but why would they sell them such a precious pill that could indicate an overall strength enhancement for the country?! The only reason the Earthly Fortune Palace was willing to sell this was due to its owner''s wishes. Unwilling to offend him, they allowed it to be auctioned.


    However, they¡¯ll fools not to bid themselves.


    ¡°800 Million!¡± A soft but firm voice directly increased the bid by one hundred million, showing no fear. Many individuals turned their gazes to see a young, handsome male with a profound gaze dressed in sky blue robe.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that Ming Shen, the son of the Earthly Fortune Palace''s Palace Master? Why would he be bidding?!¡±


    ¡°This is insane, could it be that someone auctioned off this pill?! It doesn¡¯t belong to the Earthly Fortune Palace?¡±


    ¡°Stop being an idiot! Of course it doesn¡¯t belong to the Earthly Fortune Palace, if it did, why would they auction it off and not use it immediately? Some powerful expert must want it auctioned, and they had no choice!¡±


    ¡°850 Million!¡± An elderly voice with a feminine charm resounded once more. This attracted everyone¡¯s eyes to feel the aura of someone everyone here knew! The Grand Elder of the Xin Clan, Xin Miaoyu! The competition continued as many more influential and elderly voices started to bid. Even the True Essence outsiders competed vigorously, putting all of their wealth together in hopes of obtaining the pill.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°1 Billion!¡±


    This bid shook everyone. To reach 1 billion was extraordinary, but after thinking of the pill¡¯s capabilities and what it offered, this was worth too little in comparison. How could you estimate a profound cultivation base that dominated 99.9% of the continent and twenty thousand years of additional life minimum with 1 billion?!


    ¡°1.1 Billion!¡± The bid was quickly surpassed by the first bidder, his eyes within the V.I.P. box were filled with crimson lines of blood. His hands were clenched so hard that the arm-rest was deformed. ¡°I will win this!¡± He shouted, every single person present could feel his steeled resolve. Everyone could tell he was going all in, but how could he be the only one?!


    ¡°1.3 Billion!¡± Ming Shen laid another bid, not caring about a mere Vice Palace Master of a grand-tier power. His goal was to obtain this pill, and he had the full backing of the Earthly Fortune Palace. This was their homeground, how could he lose?!


    However, who cared if he was apart of some Earthly Fortune Palace? Who cared if this was his homeground?! This was a True Essence Sublimation Pill! This was a chance at a second life, at a higher point in that second life! Who gave two flying shits about some Ming Shen?


    ¡°1.6 Billion!¡± This bid caused gasps to resound, this price exceeded what Yan Zaizen obtained for a genuine sky-rank mountain! However, he had a gut feeling this wasn¡¯t going to stop at that.


    ¡°2.5 Billion!¡± Xin Miaoyu said calmly. This very bid caused the commotion to reach a peak, a jump of 900 million! This was extreme and the price was astonishing! Many individuals couldn¡¯t help but have their eyes blaze in contemplation. From their point of view, this Xin Miaoyu must be absolutely certain she could ascend in her cultivation if she had this pill.


    However, before everyone could feel the shock from a wealth they¡¯ll never touch in their lifetimes, ¡°4 BILLION!!!¡± Ming Shen thunderously declared, his aura flaring revealing a peak-Origin Core Cultivation. At this point, everyone realized why he was bidding personally. With this pill and his talent, he had a high chance of reaching the True Essence Realm. How could he not bid?


    A cold, powerful voice resounded, ¡°You all are pathetic! None of you are worthy! Stand down, this pill is mine. 4.3 Billion!¡± A newcomer entered the fray. Shockingly, when everyone looked at this person, their eyes widened to moons. Not a single person was exempt from this.


    ¡°The Imperial Protector, Dong Wei?! Why is he here?¡± There were many intense reactions, but all those who were bidding had their expressions turn incomparably solemn. A middle-aged man with silver-gray hair, a robust physique, and a vigorous aura revealed himself at one of the V.I.P. boxes. Obviously, he was intent on obtaining this pill despite already being at the peak of the initial-True Essence Realm.


    Many may not know this, but the True Essence Sublimation Pill could let a half-step True Essence expert have a 40% chance increase to their already existing chance at ascending to a higher stage. However, it had a 10% chance increase to ascending into the mid-True Essence Realm! This was exceptional!


    However, how could the Imperial Family truly be the only people that know this?


    ¡°Shut up! No one here is willing to be intimidated by your false bravado bullshit! 5 Billion!¡± Xin Miaoyu fearlessly bid while many others were silent as worms, afraid to take action.


    Dong Wei¡¯s eyes narrowed with an intense killing intent at being outbid and insulted. If it wasn¡¯t for his own internal pride and respect for auctions, he would''ve directly snatch this True Essence Sublimation Pill in front of everyone. However, the Earthly Fortune Palace most assuredly has their peak of the Initial-True Essence Palace Master watching this auction carefully.


    In truth, they all had their own thoughts. The person who obtained the pill first will most definitely have the advantage over the others in obtaining it. However, they all knew there was a possibility of being robbed, but if someone like Dong Wei obtained it, then robbing it would be nearly impossible and not worth it.


    ¡°HMPH! 7 Billion.¡± Ming Shen snorted coldly, ignoring these individuals of high status and fully displaying his intent on buying the pill. If he obtained it, he could simply hide here and take it; he didn¡¯t have to worry about being robbed. The only issue had to do with the price. The individual who sold this pill was definitely someone with an extraordinary prowess, if they bid too high but couldn¡¯t pay up, then they¡¯ll be directly offending someone they shouldn¡¯t.


    ¡°AHHHHHH!!! 9.7 BILLION! THIS PILL WILL BE MINE!¡± The Dark Mist Vice Palace Master roared thunderously, throwing out his entire life savings market worth right then and there. His eyes no longer had any trace of whiteness but pure blood red; he was absolutely intent on buying this pill! All else be damned!! He crushed a transmission talisman decisively.


    His action was followed by others also crushing transmission talismans.


    Yan Zaizen looked onwards with intense shock at the events that were happening at this moment. ¡°This¡­¡±


    Numerous lights lit up on people¡¯s fingers, receiving messages from their respective powers. Some of their eyes deflated, but most had their eyes lit up with competitive brilliance.


    Xin Miaoyu was the first to contest the bid, ¡°11 Billion.¡± Her voice was incomparably calm, not holding back any longer. Wealth means absolutely shit without proper time to use it, they were just liquid essence, who cared? Liquid essence isn¡¯t even effective in breaking through to the True Essence Realm, hell, low-grade essence crystals were the same, only mid-grade essence crystals could help. However, even with it, it¡¯ll take hundreds of years to process all that essence! Who had such time to waste on an off-chance?! Even if they did, their chances wouldn''t increase a single percentage!


    They didn¡¯t have the physique of a Herculean after all! This pill is far more immediate and effective than 100 mid-grade essence crystals.


    ¡°You old hag, back the fuck off!!! 15 Billion!¡± Dong Wei thundered, his eyes were slowly suffusing with madness. Resources meant shit when it came to actual power and status, to him, this represented a chance at the very peak of the entire continent and five thousand years of additional life! This was not a battle he was willing to lose.


    He had to win!


    ¡°I bid¡­¡± Ming Shen¡¯s voice resounded outwards, attracting the astonished and expectant gazes of all, ¡°31.2 Billion.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Silence.

 Chapter 117 - Payment & Departure

    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen, Tao, and Bai Lufeng completely underestimated the value of the True Essence Sublimation Pill and what it represented. As each and every one of them was younger in comparison to those bidding by several thousand or even ten thousand years, how could they possibly imagine it¡¯ll be worth this much? Even if you deduct the 5% from the Earthly Fortune Palace, they¡¯ll still receive nearly 30 billion! However, because they''re buying it, there was no profiting fee!


    100% PROFIT!


    ¡°Should we...sell the other one?¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes darted towards Tao.


    ¡°...¡± Bai Lufeng was astonished by such a question. If the pill was valued at this much, then it most definitely was difficult as all hell to obtain. Who in their right mind would give away this pill?


    ¡°No.¡± Tao mechanically answered. Not even willing to cater to the possibility any longer. One day, he may very well be in these people shoes, needing that little pill, and how would he feel if he didn¡¯t have it? Cry to his deathbed. The intensity of the auction caused Tao to forget that many have broken through to the True Essence Realm without this pill. Only those who were desperate or in an urgent need to increase their chances wanted this pill, because there was no guarantee they would breakthrough in their lifetime.


    ¡°I see¡­¡±


    No one added a bid, many crushed transmission talismans, but only got responses which left them feeling hopeless. If they did an empty bid, it would be pointless. The moment you bid, your wealth would be verified, if you can¡¯t produce the sufficient amount, the auction would simply restart again without you.


    There was literally no point.


    Ming Qi¡¯s eyes were suffused with a trace of pain. Even for the Earthly Fortune Palace, 31.2 Billion was essentially all they could bid on the item. A single million more, and they¡¯ll have to start digging into their non-liquid assets. With this, their funds for the year and their reserve gathered over the centuries were gone just like that.


    Not to mention, if the Earthly Fortune Palace were to bid on an item, they can¡¯t take the 5% processing fee. However, who would accept them taking a processing fee? That¡¯d be the truly shady bullshit.


    ¡°No other bids?¡± Ming Qi probed but received zero response. Even the Dong Wei, the Imperial Protector of Presba, was silent. That bid exceeded his upper limits, how could he contest? Same went for everyone, but the Dark Mist Vice Palace Master¡¯s eyes filled with madness. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t have anything close to that bid. His limit was hit at 9.7 billion.


    ¡°Then, the winner of the bid is Ming Shen! I must congratulate you, and hope for your success!¡±


    In comparison to this bidding war, the other two bids ¡ª Heretical Lightning Skyship & Aurora Manifestation Pill ¡ª was exceptionally weak in comparison. The skyship was immediately bought by Yan Zaizen for 2.3 Billion after a slightly fierce battle, but the Aurora Manifestation Pill was irrelevant to Yan Zaizen - he already had one.


    Several hours after the auction officially ended, Yan Zaizen, Tao and Bai Lufeng, waited within a luxury room filled with heavenly fruit, delicious wine, and comfy chairs that far exceeded the Ying Clan¡¯s. Yan Zaizen did not have a disguise on. This was essentially telling them who he was, and the consequences of offending him.


    It was highly unlikely for them to not know who he was at this point with a few hours of information gathering. A full 31.2 Billion plus his other gains from the auction. Nearly 32 Billion in wealth gained just like that, and only 2.3 billion spent on the skyship.


    Ming Yen, Palace Master of the Earthly Fortune Palace, entered with a slight smile. However, Yan Zaizen stayed seated, while the others did the same. If Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t there, they would stand and immediately bow in respectful greeting, but if their Young Lord made no move to do so, why would they?


    All Yan Zaizen had was a slight smile on his face filled with confidence, and eyes suffused with greed. The Palace Master didn¡¯t mind this, immediately walking up and placing a golden spatial ring on the table, slowly pushing it towards Yan Zaizen.


    Tao immediately reached to grab the ring, scanned the contents and after a while, nodded in confirmation. Yan Zaizen got up, not even greeting the Palace Master, directly taking his leave. Typically, a spatial ring couldn¡¯t hold a skyship, but similar to a True Essence Realm corpse, special talismans could do so. He had already obtained that and thus, there was no longer a need for him to remain.


    They left without a word exchanged between them.


    A light flickered within Ming Yan¡¯s eyes, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Others may not know what happened, but how could he not when Mei, a member of his force, was there? The person before him may be a youth, but his soul prowess was soul-shaking. He wasn¡¯t sure of his background or full strength, therefore, it was enough to not offend him.


    Six days drifted by quickly, the events of the Auction slowly subsided in excitement. There were countless individuals who stayed around the Heavenly Platform with rapt attention. Their hopes of a grand battle due to the purchasing of the True Essence Sublimation Pill were high, but alas, they had to leave with unfulfilled dreams.


    At the Earthly Fortune Palace, a grand formation was erected. It loomed over the territory like a bird of prey, constantly looking outwards for enemies while in preparation for any sort of mounted offense. The peak initial-True Essence Realm Palace Master, Ming Yen, sent word that his son, Ming Shen, will be undergoing closed door cultivation for the next two decades. Ming Yen will personally be acting as his Dharma Protector.


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    At this news, very few were surprised. With Ming Shen¡¯s talent and resources at his disposal, it¡¯s highly possible for him to ascend to the True Essence Realm with the pill, if anything, he¡¯ll reach the half-step True Essence Realm. His future was potentially limitless.


    Yan Zaizen was leisurely relaxing in a cotton-cushioned couch, his posture was the epitome of laziness. There was a wine flagon in his right hand and a bowl of grapes that gave off a faint emerald luster. After the auction, he decided to stay in the Grand Bless Inn for the week. Its services were impeccable. The food, furniture, and formations completely satisfied his desires.


    Neither Bai Lufeng or Tao was located within his room. They were located elsewhere, handling whatever types of business on the outside, and gathering information. Initially, Yan Zaizen intended to continue sightseeing, but with some convincing from Tao, he decided to just use his spiritual sense to inspect all places possible.


    It was definitely a lazy type of sightseeing, but it was exciting. Currently, Yan Zaizen was spectating two individuals who were having an argument over a woman. It seemed she was playing them both, but with their pride, how could they find fault with her? They obviously took fault in the other man, as if they specifically had the intention of snatching their woman.


    They started coming to blows, erupting with their somewhat even cultivation base and fought viciously. Initially, it was only a slight sparring of dominance, but after some sly words from the woman and insults being thrown later, they started to fight with the intent to kill.


    To his surprise, as both of the men were near the end of their rope, about to concede for the day, the woman and another man had taken this opportunity to besiege both with strikes. In their moment of weakness, they were both slain with shocked expressions. The man and woman kissed each other over their corpses, quickly robbing them of their spatial objects to even their shoes and burning their bodies to leave no evidence.


    ¡°Tch. This place truly is vicious.¡± Yan Zaizen commented. It¡¯s been only six days and he¡¯d seen a myriad of schemes be created and executed. Some of them failed, some of them succeeded, but they were all revealing of human nature. It¡¯s a wonder what people will do when they believe no one¡¯s watching. However, recalling the Deep Mines, the murder and suicides that happened there, it wasn¡¯t much better.


    In there, individuals killed for an extra day of life.


    In there, they killed themselves for peace.


    A soft resplendent light emanated from Yan Zaizen¡¯s spatial ring, the sign of a transmission being received by others. Yan Zaizen found it intriguing that spatial rings have their own specific relay signal, as long as someone is given the appropriate signal, they can crush a transmission talisman to send a one-way message.


    However, if one buys a special talisman, they can communicate two-way without crushing, but depending on the distance, the delay for the message would extend in duration. How could he know of these miraculous things and not instantly buy them?


    He checked his message, ¡°Young Lord Zai, the spatial platform is ready. We leave in five minutes.¡± The voice came from Bai Lufeng.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time!¡± Stretching rather lazily, Yan Zaizen took a step forward, slowly merging with the surroundings into an indiscernible popping sound resounded. His proficiency in Infinite Chaotic Immersion Art was being enhanced, not only in the ease of usage, but because of how it could be used. Before, Yan Zaizen required his spiritual sense to exist outside, roaming about, and deciding his exit point. Now, however, he could feel faint characteristics of his immediate surroundings without spiritual sense within chaotic space.


    This may seem like a small step, but it was enormous. This removed the possibilities of his spiritual sense being distinguished beforehand, and someone predicting his exit point, immediately striking to eliminate him as a result. There still, however, was a vital weakness.


    Distance.


    With this method, he consumed a lot of his qi-essence to gain knowledge of the outside within chaotic space. His qi cultivation base truly was too shallow for such an advanced application of spatial manipulation. This will likely continue until he ascends to the Origin Core Realm.


    ¡°I wonder...what will be my bloodline?¡± His mind was slowly distracted as he arrived within a dark area of chaotic space that seemed indistinguishable from the rest. However, to Yan Zaizen, he could feel his spiritual sense aura emanating from Tao and Bai Lufeng¡¯s transmission talismans. A single step forward.


    Pop.


    Casually appearing beside Tao like a ghost, Yan Zaizen looked at his surroundings. The continental spatial platform was exceptionally large, about the base of an actual mountain, and the people surrounding it was as numerous as ants in a colony. Tao, acting as if Yan Zaizen was always beside him, explained, ¡°Our departure time to the Dead Soul Desert in Xiantu Continent is in a few minutes.¡±


    Yan Zaizen nodded, his eyes suffused with excitement.


    ¡°Finally, the myriad realms awaits!¡±

 Chapter 118 - Events After Departure

    Standing atop the spatial platform, Yan Zaizen''s group of three waited for departure. A brilliant silver light that seemed to consume the sky in its radiance exploded violently outwards. Everyone, including Yan Zaizen''s group, had to close their eyes lest they suffer immediate harm.


    Various complex spatial formations revealed themselves, some exited the spatial platform and surrounded each individual on the platform like a protective eggshell. If one looked from afar, the entire sky in the spatial platforms vicinity revealed a large eggshell-like structure. This formation was at the grand-tier with the law of spatial transmission embedded within. The spatial energy fluctuations felt incredibly calm, unlike chaotic space.


    As a small human-sized formation encapsulated each individual, Yan Zaizen could feel his Spatial Form of Infinite Stability radiate with an indistinguishable aura from the platform. "This?" Startled, Yan Zaizen looked at his Spatial Form of Infinite Stability that resided within his soul form, and he could see its silver-eyes slowly shine with a phenomenal silver light!


    "Is this...this is!" Interconnected with his conceptual law, he felt as if he understood something. It was like seeing a fraction of the world''s many mysteries before him. Pinaka once mentioned that his conceptual law covered nearly the entirety of spatial laws, besides disrupting spatial concepts, this conceptual law defined all others! As he cultivated the Violet Way of Spatial Shifting, he was unable to enter the spatial void, but that was because he didn''t have any definite impression regarding it.


    It was like being told to navigate a city when you couldn''t understand the map, but now...he felt as if he could understand the map!


    FLASH!!


    Yan Zaizen and all the others vanished into the spatial void, their bodies transmitted through an isolated tunnel towards the end. Their bodies were shuttling through the void with exceptional speed. Typically, this sensation would be like traveling through a blinding tunnel of silver light at high speeds, but to Yan Zaizen, it was different! His eyes flickered with silver-light and peered into the spatial tunnel that was etched by the spatial platform.


    This was the first time he''d truly viewed spatial tunneling within the void before. He had a distinct feeling that...if he wanted, he could simply step out. He had the feeling that if his cultivation base was higher, he could collapse this entire tunnel with a single thought!


    "This...is the spatial void!" His silver-eyes radiated so brilliantly that they even outshone the light within the tunnel.


    ----------


    "Move!" A group of heavily armored individuals barged into Grand Bless Inn. Their fierce momentum was thunderous and unstoppable! Without any hesitation, they shattered the door and its resulting formations with sheer force. Entering Yan Zaizen''s room, their eyes scanned the surroundings in shock and disbelief.


    An armored man with a sturdy physique, broad shoulders, a grand height that exceed Yan Zaizen''s, and tiger-like eyes stepped outwards through his soldiers. The others moved aside in his presence with respect and reverence within their eyes.


    Dong Lin, the Commander of Royal Elite Army, had the qi cultivation base of initial-True Essence Realm, and a body cultivation that could rival it. His strength was legendary, having lived for nearly fifteen thousand years, and his reputation reached the ears of all in the Fallen Stars Continent. His eyes emanating tyrannical ferocity and bursting intensity were filled with discontent and a hint of anger.


    "How?" He seemed to have spoken casually, but it thundered to the point that those in the streets with weak cultivation bases collapsed to their knees. However, when he asked this question, none of his men stepped up with a response.


    Only after ten seconds of unanswered silence, did he squint his eyes in frustration. A young, black-haired woman appeared beside him like a shadowy flash, her body was slender, but it emanated a deep vital energy aura that could shatter a mountain. She spoke with the utmost respect in her tone, "From our information and surveillance, the culprit ¡ª Yan Zaizen ¡ª was here a few minutes ago."


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.Dong Lin didn''t respond, sending his qi-sense outwards to scour several tens of li around, unfortunately, because of the spatial platform being activated, even his qi-sense couldn''t penetrate its barrier. "He''s gone." He declared, his tone unpleasant.


    However, the Royal Elite Army soldiers didn''t quiver with fear at his discontent, instead, they radiated traces of unyielding ferocity that wished to make things right. Unfortunately, how could they? Yan Zaizen was just as gone as a gram of sand dumped into the ocean.


    "Find him!"


    They all disappeared with profound movement arts like silver shadows, despite their heavy armors, they were exceptionally agile. The young woman assented with a slight sound. Her body disappeared as a shadowy flash once more.


    For the next few minutes, the entire Sky Night Royal City was turned upside down, no rock was left unturned, every bucket of water searched, and any individual that seemed remotely shady was interrogated without any scruple. Their tyrannical actions didn''t elicit any display of discontent from anyone, simply fear that the one they were looking for was them, and then relief when they found out it wasn''t.


    Unfortunately for them, Yan Zaizen was in the spatial void tunneling towards the Xiantu Realm. How could they find him? However, also fortunate. If Yan Zaizen was here, the rage he''d feel from being searched for and pursued without proper explanation could''ve established the death date of the Imperial Clan. Just that may not have enraged him enough, but after being accused of a crime he didn''t commit, one could imagine his reaction.


    Several hours passed, but Yan Zaizen was nowhere in sight.


    Ya Qinqan, Mei, Hei, Sun Huan, Li Qiyu, Li Ruogang, Ke Zedong, and Yao Wuhen were currently within an open field. This field was located within the Royal Wall, it was flat and obviously meant for cultivation practice, and had a very isolated feel to it.


    Yao Wuhen''s brow was furrowed in contemplation. Earlier, her disciple was summoned by the Imperial Clan to the Royal Wall for questioning. But how could she simply allow such a thing to occur? She tagged along, her eyes suffused with discontent, but she imagined it had to do with Yan Zaizen. Luckily, no one knew that Yan Zaizen was her backer...yet.


    A kind-looking middle-aged man with greys at his temple, a dashingly handsome countenance, and addressed in light green robe slowly walked into the field. He had smiling eyes that gave one a strange and odd sensation as if a contradiction was currently taking place. He was Dong Sai, the Imperial Persecutor, and a cultivator at the initial-True Essence Realm. Unlike Grux, whose Imperial Clan''s surnames would be determined by the name of the country, all those in the imperial title was given the name ''Dong''.


    Dong Wei - Imperial Protector, Dong Lin - Imperial Commander, or Dong Sei - Imperial Prosecutor. They weren''t related by blood, but they were related by loyalties, a part of the Imperial Clan. Each one of them had an exceptional status within the entirety of the continent, and could even be considered heavyweights in their own right within the entire realm.


    As Dong Sei approached, he took out a folding fan, and slowly unfolded it. Flapping it casually on himself, he smilingly said, "Give me everything you know about this...Yan Zaizen." His words didn''t come as a request, but a demand. Yao Wuhen was calm on the outside, but her heart dropped several degrees.


    Did Yan Zaizen offend the imperial clan somehow? If so, how?


    "What did this Yan Zaizen do?" Yao Wuhen inquired. Her expression still the very picture of serene calm. Dong Sei stopped flapping his fan, his smiling eyes revealed a malicious light. This caused all those who saw, including Yao Wuhen, to feel an icy cold fear well up within their hearts.


    "I''ll be frank, as each one of you will swear a soul oath. His crime is: tainting Princess Qin! The daughter of the Ancient Emperor. His sentence: DEATH!"


    ...What?


    ...What?!


    ...WHAT?!

 Chapter 119 - Dead Soul Desert

    light penetrated the sky of the Xiantu Continent and violently entered deep into a sea of  sand.red sand was disintegrated by the beam of ,  the area to reveal a white platform radiating faint silver .spatial platform located in the Dead Soul Desert!


    light slowly faded away, it revealed a little over a dozen figures.Zaizen was the only one that didn¡¯t lean over or show some intense reaction.small capsule  you.much to him.


    Bai Lufeng and Tao¡¯s cultivation base were at the Origin Core Realm, so their reaction wasn¡¯t nearly as intense as others.catch their breaths and circulate their qi-essence to alleviate some of the disorientating side-effects.


    Heyo!¡±rambunctious voice called out, a figure arrived on the platform with a jolly laughter.round figure filled to the brim with fat appeared in everyone¡¯s vision.martial art , but despite his characteristics, his face was exceptionally handsome.


    You, , , and ! The figure  his hand, a trace of true-essence surged outwards to wrap around the form of everyone except Yan Zaizen¡¯s group of three.away.


    Presba.


    The man released his jolly laughter once more and took off, vanishing into the horizon in an instant.single step, and this was just the bare minimum.conceptual law, and other factors like armament, they could, in a  step, travel 100¡¯s of li.


    Zaizen gazed at the man¡¯s direction, and then his surroundings.red sand.odd area where several hundred thousands of li  nothing but a sea of  sand that sometimes exceeded mountains in height.


    red sand had a  property.soul  from one¡¯s  form.soul crystals were naturally produced.soul , he could feel faint traces of his  seeping into the sand as if returning to its origin.weird sand.¡±it and  experiencing  was two very different things.


    chose this spot for its unique properties.It seems   locations which can help with enlightenment. Yan Zaizen recalled a few things Wu Yuanxu informed him of.he mentioned the extraordinariness of the Anima Syndicate, Yan Zaizen wished that Wu Yuanxu had traveled with him also.he  wished  was still alive.


    pondering, glancing to and  in curiosity.Bai Lufeng,  felt a little uncomfortable in this sea of  sand.


    The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Medallion, he recalled the characteristics of this .had the cultivation at the Advanced Nascent Soul, they couldn¡¯t   it.Yuanxu tested him back then.soul cultivation method was the Spirit Matrix Method, therefore, his  energy had a unique quality to it which could activate the medallion¡¯s features.


    Zaizen sent a trace of his  energy into it.


    realized something, and sent out his initial-Origin Core qi-sense outwards.Zaizen,  was his qi-sense.


    e knew about the  within the Anima Syndicate Medallion and its  of the entire continent,   seen it before.they had a prominent landmark on the ,  could figure out their location and venture towards the syndicate.


    Zaizen softly nodded.Bai Lufeng and Tao followed along.they flew across the desert,  saw a myriad of  and bewitching things.red sand, this location would   up, suppress your  and thoughts, and seal  within while slowly devouring your  energy.


    ethereal  with semi-transparent bodies flying about.They would fly towards anyone  see and attempt to phase through their bodies,  a bit of their  flame with them, and  were immune to  damage.insidious, it could  your memories or even instincts.


    was a sandstorm of  sand, and  seemed like a blood storm.It  one a chilling feeling,  was essentially a fast-moving storm of death.


    truly  its dangers.¡±Zaizen realized why a True-Essence expert came to  the ones who arrived with them.desert, Yan Zaizen finally took out his Heretical Lightning Skyship, having Tao pilot while he  all the things from the safety of his skyship.


    speed that could rival a True Essence expert, they  through the  with incredible , passing  ships, small tents, and even tantalizing oases of death.


    Essence Realm could  their lives in a second!¡±Essence Realm as the peak of cultivation, it was only the  the  .Essence , one must step towards the Heavenly !


    Zaizen¡¯s eyes were filled to the brim with anticipation and excitement.

 Chapter 120 - The Heavenly Path

    ¡°This continent contains those who¡¯ve stepped into the Heavenly Path, I believe I should explain thoroughly to you.¡± Pinaka¡¯s soft voice resounded, her voice a little hesitant. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up with shock. For a while, Pinaka was reluctant to enlighten him about the Heavenly Path. Considering that he was only at the late-Qi Unification Realm, it truly made sense that he should focus on the path in front of him and not beyond.


    However, he has always held a deep-seated curiosity towards the next step in cultivation.


    ¡°I¡¯m only telling you this so you, someone with a tyrannical dao, won¡¯t do anything that¡¯ll get you killed. If you do, then I¡¯ll have to find another...that¡¯ll be troublesome.¡± Yan Zaizen nodded, obviously not taking her seriously. He was just silently waiting for her to explain.


    ¡°There are many forms of cultivation. Cultivation of heavenly laws, alchemy, armament creation, daos, arts, bloodline, the soul, the body, and finally, qi. Out of all these forms of cultivation, the qi interconnects them all in some form or way! The qi can allow the soul to live longer, allow the body to stay youthful longer, excavate and enhance one¡¯s bloodline, execute arts, comprehend and utilize heavenly laws, and works in conjunction with the dao!¡±


    ¡°This is not a coincidence. Even if you cultivate the soul purely, your body will eventually die. If you cultivated just the body, your soul will soon decay. You can¡¯t use soul energy or vital energy to execute heavenly law or excavate the bloodline! Therefore, the qi path is supreme!¡±


    ¡°The Qi Path has nine Essence Realm, three Heavenly Realms, but that¡¯s not it, there¡¯s another realm but I¡¯m unsure of its name or characteristics. The nine Realms are: Qi Foundation, Qi Revolving, Essence Formation, Dantian Refinement, Pathway Expansion, Qi Unification, Origin Core, True Essence, and Crimson Star! Each one of these realms has the goal of enhancing your qi in quality, quantity, or increasing your foundation that houses your qi.¡±


    ¡°By using essence underneath the heavens, one could progress in their cultivation, excavate their bloodline, and evolve their bodies! After one reaches the peak of the True Essence Realm, they can forgo the Crimson Star Realm and directly venture towards the Heavenly Path.¡±


    ¡°The Heavenly Path is divided into three realms: Heavenly Genesis Realm, Heavenly Creation Realm, and Heavenly Ascension Realm! If one had to describe the three in simple words, Heavenly Genesis - Create your Heavenly Foundation! Heavenly Creation - Create Your Own Heavens! Heavenly Ascension - EXCEED THE HEAVENS!¡± Her voice at the end overflowed with reverence, respect, and excitement.


    To create your own heavens?! To exceed the heavens?!


    He¡¯s heard the term of cultivating to rival the heavens, to exceed the heavens, but you can become the heavens?! Wait...then¡­


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes constricted in realization. Pinaka once said that this era was the Rebirth Era, and the era before it was the Chaos Era. Could it be¡­


    As if she read his mind, ¡°Yes! The Chaos Era was ruled by a Heavenly Creation Expert! It was directly ended with his death and the replacement of another Heavenly Creation Expert! In this world, there are only 33 heavens above our skies and earths, ruled by 33 Heavenly Creation Experts. Within their own heavens, they are gods! They could draw power from the core energy of the heavens. They could even change the rules of their heavens at will! However, even gods can be slain!¡±


    ¡°The greater the expert, the more prosperous the heavens they held sovereignty over.¡± Pinaka¡¯s tyrannical eyes were filled with reverence to the max, and she couldn¡¯t help but daydream of days passed.


    ¡°Wait...so...your previous owner?!¡± Yan Zaizen was always curious about this, could it be...Pinaka¡¯s owner was a Heavenly Creation Expert? Could he have created his own heaven?!


    ¡°NO! My master may have been profoundly powerful with his own dao, but he was only at the peak middle-stages of the Heavenly Genesis Realm. However, don¡¯t underestimate such a level of strength. Those at that level could directly control dozens of realms! They were by no means something you can criticise!¡±


    A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Yan Zaizen held no criticism. He was filled with shock and awe. If so, then Pinaka¡¯s master must¡¯ve been exceptionally powerful.


    ¡°Wait...you said middle-stages...what does that mean?¡± This was the first time he heard the plural form of middle-stages, typically it was mid-stage. Did the Heavenly Path have different levels than the Essence Path?


    ¡°In the Heavenly Genesis Realm, one develops their Heavenly Foundation, commonly referred to as their Heavenly Shrine! Using Heavenly Law Liquid and various heavenly materials, one can construct their Heavenly Shrine, and you would try to continuously build your Heavenly Shrine floor by floor for a total of Nine Floors. One to three is initial-stages, four to six is middle-stages, and seven to nine is late-stages of the Heavenly Genesis Realm.¡±


    ¡°However, there¡¯s a requirement! One must possess a dao! Even if you¡¯re at the peak-True Essence Realm, you¡¯ll have less than a 1% chance of surpassing heavenly tribulation to succeed in forming your own dao! Because of this the majority, the VAST majority, of Heavenly Genesis Realm cultivators have bestowed daos.¡±


    ¡°However, if the person whose dao you¡¯ve taken perishes, and their dao vanishes, then you can choose to abandon their dao and your shrine, face Heavenly Tribulation without your shrine to retain it as your own dao, or take the dao of another. There are no other paths. You can not develop your own heaven, even your own foundation, without a dao!¡±


    ¡°You also can¡¯t reign over one of the 33 Heavens without your own dao! Furthermore, you can¡¯t construct your heavenly shrine without the appropriate comprehension into the heavens, so conceptual laws become exceptionally important. To even take a step into the Heavenly Genesis Realm, you need to reach the manifestation-level of your concept, to reach the middle-stages, you need to reach the domain-level, and to reach the late-stages, you need to reach the sovereign-level!¡± Recalling this information, Pianka became emotional.


    Her previous master had reached the sovereign-level of his conceptual law, but couldn¡¯t construct his seventh-floor heavenly shrine. If he could¡¯ve...then¡­


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up in shock. Manifestation-level? Then one can take a step towards the heavens! Manifest your concept, build your own Heavenly Foundation, and touch upon the heavens!


    Wait.


    ¡°How does the Heavenly Shrine help your cultivation?¡± This was an important question, typically each realm had a different variation in terms of power in the Essence Path, and it made sense in every regard. However, how does the Heavenly Path differentiate power?


    ¡°Hmph!¡± She snorted, obviously dissatisfied at Yan Zaizen¡¯s ignorance, ¡°You should be able to make an educated guess! However, I¡¯ll tell you to avoid hurting your brain. Your Heavenly Shrine is constructed from heavenly materials and liquids. Your true-essence undergoes an evolution in quality and power with each additional floor. You can also directly draw power from the heavens within your floors as if it was your own, and since each floor requires vastly greater resources to construct, then the power difference between each floor becomes as great as the sky and the earth!¡±


    Taking all of this information into himself, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at the path of cultivation. To use the heavens to construct your own heavenly foundation, making its power your own, and reaching to a point where you can exceed the 33 heavens.


    It was incredible.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Tao¡¯s voice broke Yan Zaizen out of his daydream. Looking ahead, he spotted a tall, dim grey door standing straight upright beneath a mountain of red sand. It stood upright and exuded a dull aura that seemed to consume one¡¯s soul when looked at directly. The door was oddly placed, it seemed like the mountain of red sand was the roof and walls, and all you needed to do was enter the door to enter a residence.


    ¡°Hell¡¯s Soul Gate!¡± Yan Zaizen exclaimed. He was here, the Anima Syndicate¡¯s Main Headquarters! People who focus on cultivating their souls to the peak were here!

 Chapter 121 - Bodily Death

    Arriving at the tall, dull gray door, Yan Zaizen stored his skyship. The surrounding area was filled with red sand, but this door stood tall amidst the storms. This was Hell¡¯s Soul Gate, something mentioned in both the Anima Syndicate¡¯s Medallion and Spirit Matrix Method. Despite its appearance of a door, it was a profound grand-tier soul-based formation which can send out a Pneuma Disruption that could kill True Essence Realm experts.


    Not only that, it could convert normal essence into soul-attributed energy, which was beyond special. In the Fallen Stars Continent, there was no such thing as that! However, there were formations that converted basic essence into attributed essence, just not pure energy like this one.


    Taking out the Anima Syndicate¡¯s Medallion, he sent his soul energy into it and placed it upon the door. The dull gray color started to slowly turn a brighter shade of gray, but after a while, it reverted back to its dull gray appearance.


    ¡°?¡± Bai Lufeng was confused. Wasn¡¯t that the key to the door?


    However, Yan Zaizen and Tao simply waited.


    Several minutes later, the gray door started to become incorporeal. It was as if it was turning into a ghost, and the insides were becoming faintly clear. Besides darkness, they could see an old man with bright eyes, grey hair, and wrinkly face. He seemed to be in his 80¡¯s in terms of mortal years, but his back was straight, and his eyes carried intelligence and vibrance.


    It gave one an odd feeling of contrast. The old man¡¯s eyes looked over the three, and he spoke in a very weak yet ancient voice, ¡°these two are?¡± The old man spoke directly to Yan Zaizen, as if knowing he was the one who held the medallion and the rest were randoms. In truth, how could he not have a method to discern one¡¯s soul cultivation base?


    If so, with a single glance, one could spot Tao and Bai Lufeng¡¯s Advanced Nascent Souls. In the qi cultivation world, they may be exceptional giving their qi cultivation base, but in the soul cultivation world, they were trash. If one compared them based on soul alone, It was like comparing a Qi Unification Cultivator to a True Essence Cultivator. The difference...it did not need a description.


    ¡°They are my companions.¡± Yan Zaizen responded calmly, his eyes filled with intrigue as he inspected the old man. However, he received no information. Unlike others who may be able to perceive the soul strength, he didn¡¯t have such a method.


    ¡°Mhm. Come.¡± Turning around, he slowly walked into the darkness. Without hesitation, Yan Zaizen¡¯s group of three followed. They walked like mortals for nearly an hour before the darkness was abolished by white sunstones. The brilliance of this light was such an extraordinary shift that it blinded them temporarily.


    ¡°You two, follow her,¡± The old man instructed. ¡°Followers aren¡¯t allowed further.¡±


    After regaining his sight, he saw a cute young girl about twelve or thirteen years of age, her eyes were brilliant and one could tell she had a strong soul. Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t show any disagreement at his instructions. They weren¡¯t here for Tao or Bai Lufeng, but his official induction into the Anima Syndicate. Tao and Bai Lufeng agreed without any fuss, following the girl as she took them through a basic white door.


    ¡°Follow me.¡± The old man proceeded through a corridor. Yan Zaizen glanced around, seeing that the current area they were in was a circular shape, and at the end of this was twelve white doors and three tall and long corridors. They had white sunstones emanating light at the top of the corridor, so there was no distinctive darkness as they walked through.


    ¡°Your name?¡± The old man asked calmly.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen.¡±


    ¡°You can call me Old Tai.¡± He responded with his own name, it seemed he was polite.


    ¡°Mhm, I shall.¡±


    They travel for several hours by foot like mortals. Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but wonder why they don¡¯t simply dash forward, these several hours could¡¯ve been reduced to seconds. However, it wasn¡¯t proper to do so. Since this old man didn¡¯t seem to be antagonizing or purposefully wasting time with malicious intentions, there was no need to break some rule he didn¡¯t know.


    After these hours, they arrived at another circular room, but this one had two silver platforms on the left and right. Besides that, there was an empty high-height podium. Old Tai brought him to the front of the podium, ¡°Wait.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    After that, he went around until he situated himself at the high podium, looking down at Yan Zaizen. It seems this Old Tai was someone with a great status here.


    ¡°Present your medallion.¡±


    Yan Zaizen sent his medallion towards Old Tai with a trace of his soul energy, it floated into his hands, and he inspected it for a second. After a while, he looked at Yan Zaizen with curiosity. ¡°This is a lesser medallion. Where did you obtain this?¡±


    Lesser medallion?! What did that mean?


    ¡°I obtained it in the Fallen Stars Continent, in a city named Xuanwu City, from a person named Wu Yuanxu.¡± He explained everything simply, there¡¯s not point in going into too detail.


    ¡°I see. Wu Yuanxu¡­¡± As if trying to recall something, he constantly tapped the podium. ¡°Ah! Wu Yuanxu. Earth-Rank, 4th Crest Member. Last recorded soul sultivation at the Advanced Nascent Soul. Current status: bodily death.¡± He listed off some information, but when he reached the last bit, his expression twitched. He wanted to say something about the ranking. The Anima Syndicate Medallion he had indicated three rankings: Anima Initiate, Anima Lieutenant, and Anima Commander.


    However, before he could ask Pinaka¡¯s voice resounded in his mind.


    ¡°Bodily Death?!¡± It sounded shocked, and Yan Zaizen was just as shocked.


    Bodily Death? That meant he was dead...right?


    Wait.


    ¡°Bodily Death means he has a soul remnant or second soul! With his soul cultivation, it¡¯s impossible to produce a soul remnant, so he must¡¯ve segregated his soul at birth and linked the two, therefore his memories, instincts, and thoughts would all correspond to this second soul. However, without a body, one could only stay in a state of suspended animation.¡± Pinaka explained, her voice filled with incredulity.


    One must know, the segregation of one¡¯s soul was exceptionally difficult to do, and it was essentially impossible as an adult. Only a newborn, with a nascent soul without any memories, instincts, or substantial thoughts created could do that, and that was extreme! The chance to survive was about 10%, but that did not mean it was okay! Afterwards, the segregation of the soul could cause countless problems!


    However...if it succeeded¡­


    Hearing Pinaka¡¯s explanation, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes widened with shock. Could this mean...Wu Yuanxu was alive?!


    Old Tai¡¯s eyes narrowed as he looked at Yan Zaizen, there was like a shroud preventing an in-depth inspection of his soul form. Only thing he could obtain from this youthful man was that his soul cultivation base reached the Aurora Soul Realm, but he couldn¡¯t determine its exact stage. Also, his lifeforce was far too vibrant to determine his age. If he went off vibrant lifeforce, then he had just been born. It was a little frustrating, like looking in a fog.


    ¡°Wait, where¡¯s Wu Yuanxu¡¯s second soul?!¡± Yan Zaizen asked, his voice erratic and filled with excitement. Old Tai was a little shocked, but he regained his calm immediately.


    ¡°Currently in our Anima Pond.¡±


    ¡°How can I revive him?!¡± Yan Zaizen nearly shouted out his lungs with this, his hand grabbing the podium. Wu Yuanxu died because of him, if he could save him, then he wanted to, no, needed to! It has been weighing on his heart for far too long.


    ¡°You must either pay 100,000 contribution points or have a status of an Sky-Rank, 9th Crest Member to request it.¡± Old Tai explained patiently.


    What? How much is 100,000 contribution points? How high of a status was a Sky-Rank, 9th Crest Member?


    Seeing Yan Zaizen¡¯s confusion, Old Tai explained, ¡°Contribution Points is obtained by doing select missions by the syndicate, turning in materials, pills, or elixirs beneficial to soul development, earning a stipend depending on your status, or turning in unique cultivation methods, arts, and formations relating to the soul.¡±


    ¡°There are Three Ranks: Earth, Sky, and Heaven, with Crests from 1 to 9. Each additional crest can be obtained by turning in contribution points, this will allow you to possess more access to the Anima Syndicate¡¯s storage of knowledge in regards to soul cultivation, arts, or materials.¡± After this explanation, Old Tai waited for Yan Zaizen to digest what was said.


    It took him several dozen seconds before his eyes brightened in comprehension, he understood now. Having never personally experienced a contribution points system or this type of ranking, using only a few dozen seconds was already extraordinary. ¡°Will my soul cultivation base help my status?¡± He asked, curious if cultivation level mattered, especially since stipends were given to members because of it.


    Old Tai was surprised, not many would ask this question right off the bat. This child may seem to be a little slow, but he asked the most important question. Typically, people would start taking out items to see if they were worth anything in exchange, or ask if there were any missions available.


    ¡°Of course. One''s cultivation base determine your minimum rank and crest status. Initial Nascent Soul: Earth-Rank, 1st Crest. Advanced Nascent Soul: Earth-Rank, 4th Crest. Perfect Nascent Soul: Earth-Rank, 9th Crest. The Sky-Rank and Heaven-Rank are similar, corresponding with the Aurora Soul Realm and Astral Soul Realm respectively.¡± Old Tai felt happy to get all that out of the way.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up in happiness! Currently, his soul cultivation base was at the half-step Perfect Aurora Soul Realm, but it lacked the requisite energy to make that final step. During this time, he¡¯s been focused on his qi cultivation base, but if all he needed was to breakthrough, then that was as simple as eating!


    ¡°I need a cultivation room!¡± He shouted.


    He was going to save Wu Yuanxu!!!

 Chapter 123 - Dao completion!

    It took Old Tai several seconds before his mind recollected its calm, staring at Yan Zaizen with reverence and admiration. Since this person''s age couldn''t be measured due to his vibrant lifeforce, it''s likely he cultivated life laws, but with the indication of his soul strength, he must be thousands of years old and experienced innumerable events in his lifetime, properly understanding who he was to the core of his soul!


    These achievements deserved respect, admiration, and reverence.


    "Understood. However, it''ll take three years to do so." Old Tai respectfully said.


    "Three years?" Yan Zaizen''s brows furrowed, wondering if this Old Tai was lying to him or not. However, seeing his suspicions, Old Tai immediately added, "We need to reconstruct his body based on his soul flame, then the procedure and acclimation period will require secluded areas. Until all this is done, he can''t be considered as truly revived."


    "I see." It made sense, reviving a soul should require time, not to mention constructing their original body off just their soul flame! He didn''t even think that was possible, but he actually met someone who was trying to do just that in the Serene Moon Cove! There was a Perfect Aurora Soul cultivator who was hiding within to recover his energy and rebuild his body and soul by using others.


    His attempts at taking Yan Zaizen''s soul energy left him devoured by the swirling black hole. Yan Zaizen, at the time, didn''t think too deeply about it. Simply assuming there was something in the cave that made him fall asleep, his understanding of the world simply wasn''t sufficient.


    Ezekiel also tried to do something similar with a slight difference. He attempted to take over a body so he''ll have a better chance at rebuilding his own, but his fate was the same.


    "So that''s it? He''ll be revived?" Yan Zaizen inquired cautiously, his heart thumping with hope.


    Old Tai nodded in confirmation, "His soul is too weak, if it was stronger, perhaps there would be a chance of failure, but at his current level, it''s pretty much guaranteed. It''s not like he''s really dead to begin with."


    A surge of relief overwhelmed Yan Zaizen''s body. Old Tai didn''t realize how much those words meant to Yan Zaizen. They triggered something deep within his soul form.


    Silently, his dao reached completion.


    The white motes of light that fluttered around without direction or control gathered at a single point, Yan Zaizen''s chest! They converged together rapidly like surging rivers meeting at a single point, formulating a spherical white orb. In one second, this orb was completely formed and perfect without any loose motes of white light.


    However, the motes of white light were no longer white! It was dark amber! Reminiscent of his eyes before he met Han Genji! It was as signifying his origin, untainted by the Immortal Herculean Method, Unyielding Flame of Life, or Aurora Soul Cultivation!


    His experiences in the past seemed to be relieved at this moment.


    Outside Xuanwu City, his Dao of Imperial Ferocity was formed!


    Within the Deep Mines, the Daos of Unyielding Confidence and Somber Calmness!


    His events with Diyi, when he gave her a choice. At that moment, his Dao of Cold Decisiveness was brought to the surface, even towards himself! If he was given the chance of 500 years of slavery or death, HE WOULD ALWAYS CHOOSE LIFE! Because with life, there''s hope. With death, it''s over.


    After he''d finished his revenge, his Dao of Original Warmth that was once lost resurfaced, although only by a tiny amount, it was sufficient for him to maintain a hint of his original self forever! The naive child was there, and it''ll always be!


    And now, the Dao of Relentless Pursuit! The willingness to throw away your own personal benefit or endure extreme torment for the things you desire! Benefits to his cultivation by holding off his ascension, spending 3 billion without any hesitation, and all the times he refused to give up! To return home, to escape the Deep Mines, to get revenge, and now! To revive Wu Yuanxu!


    All of these separate daos merged together into one perfect whole. The dark amber orb hovered at the center of his chest, radiating faint traces of light that seemed to be indicative of its qualitative change.


    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    This was his Dao!


    The Dao of Sovereign Ascension!


    All of this happened in merely an instant, but he could feel himself reach a level higher than ever before.


    "Your Mortal Dao is completed!" Pinaka''s excited voice resounded within his soul form. As Yan Zaizen''s dao reached completion, it also changed her fundamentally. Her originally white robe was now dark-amber, and her eyes had traces of silver-blue. As she''s been absorbing Yan Zaizen''s Aurora-based soul energy, her eyes were no longer dominated by his dao color. Her hair became deep black, as black as Yan Zaizen''s soul form''s eyes.


    "What?!" She was confused by the changes to her hair. Normally, it should match her robe, but not anymore. Was it because of Yan Zaizen''s odd soul form? Regardless, this was a much-welcomed change than simply white. That was bland and seemed empty, but now her soul form had a uniqueness to it. With his dao at completion, his control over its aura should be perfect from henceforth.


    "Mortal Dao?" Yan Zaizen inquired. Seeing the changes, he was a little shocked by its speed of development. He expected the heavens to rage and roar, attacking with ferocity, or some epic requirement to reach, but it just completed. Despite its disappointing development, he was satisfied.


    "Yes. A Mortal Dao is a completed dao without a True Origin. The True Origin is essentially a unique characteristic, this characteristic is something that''s yours and only yours. No two are alike. It is with you at birth and death, but to obtain it, even I don''t know the requirements. However, if you do obtain it, it becomes a Grand Dao!" She was a little excited, but she has personally never met anyone with a Grand Dao. Those who could possess them were likely beyond the 33 heavens.


    "Hm. I see." Yan Zaizen took note, but he didn''t feel anything like a True Origin. Regardless, he was excited! He laughed loudly, he felt like all good things were converging on his body at this moment. The revival of Wu Yuanxu, the ascension to the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm, and his dao reaching completion! A trifecta of extraordinary developments.


    "Thank you, Old Tai!" He sincerely gave his thanks, even if Old Tai was simply following the rules of the Anima Syndicate, it was still worth to have someone to give thanks to.


    Old Tai looked a little panicked, waving his hand in disbelief and refusal, "No need. No need for thanks. I''m simply doing my job." He looked a little embarrassed. To have a Perfect Aurora Soul Realm master give him thanks felt awkward. "You can stay here if you wish to cultivate. We have many different resources, arts, and information that you can peruse with your new status."


    After some thought, he added, "Would you like to become an Anima Lieutenant?"


    "Anima Lieutenant?"


    "Yes, there''s three titles. Anima Initiate, which indicates you''re a normal member who can, with the correct status, have access to all things. However, an Anima Lieutenant can issue missions, have some control over Anima Syndicate''s decisions, the ability to mobilize the organization''s forces to a certain extent, free access to some arts, and much more. You can also use the Anima Syndicate and represent it personally, so it''ll be your backing in the Xiantu Realm." Old Tai explained thoroughly. Essentially, it was like becoming an official member of the Anima Syndicate, completely unlike before.


    "Will I be able to join another force?"


    "Of course. However, becoming a Commander would be impossible if you do."


    "Can I develop my own force?"


    "Of course. If you do, you can still become a Commander." There was a large difference between being a part of a force and controlling one. There wouldn''t be any conflict of interest in that regards, the person could represent both forces easily.


    "Pay?"


    "You''ll receive a stipend of 1 low-grade soul crystal a month, essentially, 10 million drops of essence liquid."


    "DEAL!"

 Chapter 122 - Perfect Aurora Soul!

    ¡°Wait, making your ascension now will cause you to lose out on a little bit when you break through to the Origin Core Realm.¡± Pinaka warned, but obviously she didn¡¯t do it in an urgent way, as if unwilling to stop Yan Zaizen from reviving Wu Yuanxu. As an existence that resided in his soul form, so close to his soul flame, and interconnected with his dao, how could she not know how heavy Wu Yuanxu¡¯s death affected him?


    Not only that, it was the only thing, the blight on his life, that prevented his dao from reaching completion! He was someone with tyrannical ferocity, unyielding confidence, ice-cold decisiveness, somber calmness, and warmth! At the time, he only developed his tyrannical ferocity, but he watched someone he considered his friend die in front of him, unable to stop it from happening.


    It was like a King of a Nation watching his friend be beheaded against his wishes. How painful would that hurt the king? How could they still have the face of a King?!


    ¡°I will ascend now.¡± He coldly informed Pinaka, not giving no quarter for any form of convincing. Pinaka didn¡¯t do so, remaining quiet as a result. Even if he lost a little bit of an enhancement if he did so now, it wasn¡¯t too important. However, if he could complete his dao, it would be enormous! At the moment, his dao had the strength of a bestowed dao, this was why Hei in Sky Night Royal City didn¡¯t feel any great difference from his Palace Master.


    At that moment, they were on the same level.


    However, if he could complete his dao, develop it into a grand dao! His own dao! The difference was as great as the sky and the earth.


    Old Tai brows perked up in suspicion, however, he didn¡¯t say anything due to not knowing exactly who this person was. ¡°Here.¡± He sent a medallion towards Yan Zaizen. With a quick scan, he felt like his previous question was answered. He was considered an Anima Initiate. It seems it didn¡¯t indicate status but was a title given to them by the organization which comes with responsibilities and organization-based authority.


    ¡°Refine that with your spiritual sense, then you can go to one of the white doors in the main hall. In there, you¡¯ll be able to request a cultivation room.¡± Old Tai informed.


    ¡°What about soul resources? I thought I could exchange for resources with essence?¡± The reason Yan Zaizen asked was that normal essence was essentially useless for the soul. It required soul essence, but soul-attributed essence wasn¡¯t born from essence of the heavens, but it was essence of hell. Hell was the source of reincarnation, the rekindling of the souls, and such. It could be considered the soul hub of the 33 heavens and beyond.


    ¡°Yes. You can. Go to the left corridor. At the end, you¡¯ll arrive at the exchange. If you wish to change your status, you¡¯ll have to come here. Currently, you have the status of Sky-Rank, 1st Crest.¡± This was because he wasn¡¯t able to determine Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul cultivation, so gave him the default. If he wishes to change it, just needed to display his cultivation base to him, and it¡¯d be as simple as that.


    Nodding in understanding, Yan Zaizen turned to dash off but suddenly stopped, asking, ¡°Is it against the rules to speed through the corridor?¡± He didn¡¯t wish to break some rule of the Anima Syndicate. However, what he heard caused him to have a slightly ugly expression.


    ¡°No.¡±


    THEN WHY DID YOU WALK!?!?!


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even have the mind to fuss, his body directly vanished into the corridor, in a second, he was already at the circular room. Looking at the left corridor, he dashed forwards, arriving at a similar room with two silver spatial platforms, and an elderly woman behind a high podium. If anything, this place was symmetric and minimalistic in design. He also didn¡¯t see any other individual here, but then again, unless they arrived just now, it¡¯s likely they were within one of the twelve doors or in their respective forces.


    ¡°Hm? What do you need?¡± The elderly woman spoke in a monotone voice filled with ancientness.


    ¡°I need soul essence.¡± He requested.


    ¡°Mhm. Low-grade soul crystals are worth ten million essence each. Mid-grade soul crystals are worth 1 billion essence each.¡± Seeing that Yan Zaizen was in the Aurora Soul Realm, she completely disregarded liquid soul essence, and directly listed the price for soul crystals. They were similar to crystal essence, but they were comprised of soul energy of various quantities and purities. The higher the grade, the higher those characteristics.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need about 3 Mid-grade soul crystals!¡± Pinaka informed. As a True Spirit with experience, how could she not be familiar with soul requirements?


    ¡°I want 3 mid-grade soul crystals!¡± He immediately went into the Meteor Ring and moved the appropriate wealth, bringing it out without any hesitation in a spatial ring and offering it up.


    The old woman was a little shocked by the wealthy and vibrant young man. Whoever this young man was, he must¡¯ve had an exceptional status to be able to afford this by himself. No one has bought a mid-grade soul crystal in three centuries. However, as it wasn¡¯t like essence crystals which could directly ascend your cultivation, it wasn¡¯t worth much. Most of the time it¡¯ll be used in rare breakthroughs and recovery during missions. Despite this, the price was still far higher than normal because they are used to nourish and cultivate Spirit Forms and True Spirits.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± The transaction was quick and swift, and Yan Zaizen vanished as quickly as he arrived.


    Arriving at the white door that Tao and Bai Lufeng entered, Yan Zaizen knocked, causing the cute young girl from before to open it almost instantly. ¡°I need a cultivation room.¡± He straightforwardly asked, not willing to waste time. She simply nodded, gesturing him to enter. She brought him inside but the entire room was like a blank white space. After he entered, she left, closing the door leaving only a single door in a room filled with blank whiteness.


    ¡°This¡­¡± He was truly bewildered, it was like this room stretched infinitely. Besides this white door that seemed to be standing on nothing, this entire room seemed like its own dimension.


    ¡°Wow! A sub-dimensional space. It¡¯s a little small in comparison to your ring, however.¡± Pinaka commented, her voice filled with wonder.


    What?!


    This was a sub-dimensional space? What a great cultivation grounds! Literally, for the soul, it required enlightenment into oneself, and typically this is done by experience and constant self-reflection and development. It¡¯s why all dedicated soul cultivators had bright eyes revealing wisdom. It¡¯s because they did!


    There may be those powerful cultivators may just brute-force their souls to a specific level, but those who take step by step advances with experiences and self-reflection into themselves had higher levels of self-awareness! For example, when Yan Zaizen understood what he wanted in a woman, it ignited his soul to reach the Perfect Aurora Soul.


    There are very few people in this world who truly knew what they wanted from a spouse, but Yan Zaizen did. It was this very reason why he didn¡¯t make a move on Ming Qi in Sky Night Royal City.


    ¡°Alright, let¡¯s begin!¡± He sat down. The three soul crystals about the size of a palm fluctuated with a profound aura, they were placed around him in a triangle, and he calmed his mental state. With his dao, how could this be hard? Incomplete or not, a dao is only developed by those with a strong will!


    His aurora projected itself outwards, radiating a silver-blue light that turned this world of white into an aurora! The beauty of it was as if sitting in the Aurora Borealis itself like it was a solid thing constantly fluctuating its beautiful colors and shine. However, Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t focus on that as the soul essence within the crystals were being siphoned off rapidly.


    ¡°Holy shit!¡± Pinaka¡¯s eyes widened with absolute disbelief. Typically, absorbing soul essence required more time than normal essence, but Yan Zaizen was absorbing it so fast as if he was drinking water. As she looked at his soul form, she saw his black eyes swirling violently, and the soul energy was being rapidly absorbed by them.


    Normally, those black eyes were stationary, but now they looked like versions of the swirling black hole on his glabella. Looking inside the Meteor Ring, she could see the manifestation of the swirling black hole above the Aurora Borealis of his, it was stationary.


    ¡°What?¡± She became confused. The glabella was still swirling, his deep black eyes were now swirling, but the black hole manifested by his soul form was...stationary? How did that make sense? What the hell was the manifestation in the ring then? What the hell was the black hole on his glabella?


    However, before she could think further, the Aurora Borealis manifested beneath the large black hole standard expanding at a rapid rate, condensing with an even greater silver-blue resplendent luminescence. The black hole once again started to swirl.


    ¡°WHAT THE HELL?!¡± His eyes were, for the very first time, widened as an egg. It¡¯s only been like one minute, how could it advance so quickly? She exited the Meteor Ring and saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul form. His swirling black eyes were stationary once more, while the aurora condensed in his soul form was absolutely perfect!


    Yan Zaizen opened his eyes to see that the three mid-grade soul crystals no longer existed. His eyes, which should¡¯ve been filled with happiness, was filled with so much confusion. Should...that have happened? He consumed the soul crystals in less than a minute! All of its essence was devoured like a quick meal, and he could feel his soul form experiencing an odd characteristic.


    Now that he thinks about it, this was the first time in his life that he used soul essence for cultivation...


    ¡°You¡¯ve ascended to the Perfect Aurora Soul...how do you feel? Pinaka asked, her voice obviously cautious. Yan Zaizen¡¯s changes were too intense and happened too fast that she couldn¡¯t study it properly. She also personally knew that Yan Zaizen had no idea of his unique traits either, so there was no need to ask that.


    Clenching his fist, a silver-blue light that was brighter than ever before flickered. It seemed this soul energy was truly perfect. ¡°I feel...okay! No! Better than okay!¡± He felt like his soul was galvanized with a peerless force. If he wanted, he was sure, he could kill Yao Wuhen within a single exchange!


    ¡°Wu Yuanxu! I¡¯ll bring you back!¡± He declared, exiting the white door. His movement was filled with a pep and he dashed back to see Old Tai. Old Tai was shocked, considering Yan Zaizen was gone for like a minute. If that.


    ¡°Is there something you want to ask?¡± Old Tai patiently asked once more.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Yan Zaizen took a deep breath and then exhaled. His soul cultivation base erupted with an intense momentum that caused the very headquarters to tremble slightly in response. A perfect silver-blue aurora manifested itself within the room, causing Old Tai¡¯s eyes to turn into a needlepoint.


    ¡°PERFECT AURORA SOUL?!¡± He was shocked to the point his heart stopped beating for a few seconds. If it wasn¡¯t for his strong cultivation base, it¡¯s likely he would have fainted dead from the surprise. A Perfect Aurora Soul wasn¡¯t to be underestimated, even in the Anima Syndicate, it was rare! If you had to put it into comparison, for every one hundred mid-True Essence Realm cultivators, there was one Perfect Aurora Soul Cultivator!


    Even he, who lived thousands of years, only had an Advanced Aurora Soul!


    POW!!


    Yan Zaizen slammed his hand on the podium, his eyes filled with silver-blue light.


    ¡°Revive Wu Yuanxu!¡± Yan Zaizen demanded!

 Chapter 124 - Two Years? No. Sixty Years!

    Tao, Bai Lufeng, and Yan Zaizen were currently situated in a residential area within the Anima Syndicate Headquarters. Surprisingly, the organization actually had rooms like this for their Lieutenants and Commanders. With his upgrade in title-rank, he was capable of utilizing it with Tao and Bai Lufeng. He was also capable of inducting them as Anima Initiates, allowing them some access in the organization during their stay.


    ¡°So, we¡¯ll be staying here for three years?¡± Bai Lufeng asked, his eyes flickering with an indiscernible emotion. However, Yan Zaizen could understand his thoughts. He saw the same type of emotion fluttering through Tao¡¯s eyes as well. It was reluctance! Having arrived at the Xiantu Continent, they wanted to explore the outside world.


    This emotion may be temporary, but it made sense. The Dead Soul Desert alone was fascinating, who knew what other miraculous areas this continent had? As an individual with the lowest time alive, he didn¡¯t have their intense desire to travel at first light.


    He had many years to live, after all.


    He could afford to take it slow. Not to mention, he truly wanted to peruse the archives of the Anima Syndicate! If he could gain experience, knowledge or train in his arts wouldn¡¯t his cultivation in general benefit? As the most inexperienced, he was also the weakest in terms of progression in arts. Disregarding his profound soul and body cultivation base, his arts were still at its lowest mastery.


    ¡°How about this: Both of you travel the Xiantu Continent, gather information, establish connections, and go sightseeing. I¡¯ll join you after Wu Yuanxu is revived.¡± Bai Lufeng¡¯s eyes shone with excitement. Tao, however, had a complex gaze. In truth, he wished to travel the myriad realms with Yan Zaizen.


    Just as he was about to shake his head, Yan Zaizen interrupted, ¡°I know you¡¯re reluctant to stay, also reluctant to go, but I need you to gather detailed information about the Xiantu Realm that couldn¡¯t be obtained normally. That way, I avoid offending those I shouldn¡¯t offend. Also, I said the myriad realms. Not just a single continent.¡±


    Yan Zaizen remembered his promise clearly, and he also held some reluctance within his heart about the situation. However, he understood his priorities. His increase in art mastery and experience was a must! He also had other plans as well, plans where Tao could not follow him.


    Tao¡¯s eyes flickered with refusal but after several days of convincing, he finally agreed. Bai Lufeng, however, required no convincing. He was ready to explore the outside world, meet the varied women of the continent, drink grand wine, and see the sights!


    After handing them the Heretical Lightning Skyship, wealth with resources and his well-wishes, he saw them off. They had his spiritual sense infused with his Mortal Dao on them, so even if they met an initial-True Essence expert, they should be safe.


    As for this Mortal Dao of his, he couldn¡¯t help but be a little surprised as he learned more about it. The Mortal Daos could be divided into three tiers: lower-tier, middle-tier, and upper-tier. Depending on the type of dao, the fusion of daos, and quality of said daos, it could be classified as one of those tiers.


    His Dao of Sovereign Ascension was an upper-tier Mortal Dao!


    After merging six daos together, which was an exceedingly high amount to begin with, it could be considered as the highest form of Mortal Dao possible. It seems that if he had returned home, it¡¯s likely his dao would¡¯ve formulated right then and there as the Dao of Imperial Ferocity. This would¡¯ve been considered a peak lower-tier dao.


    Both fortunately and unfortunately, his experiences left him with a dao of the highest tier. With this, he felt it was a little worth it to experience all those things. At least, emotionally, he didn¡¯t lack experience.


    ¡°Let¡¯s begin!¡±


    ----------


    Within chaotic space, Yan Zaizen sat stably in the lotus position, reading a book with rapt attention. Floating in chaotic space were dozens of other books and scrolls. They rotated around him as if within some special domain protecting them from the ripping force of chaotic space. His hands held two low-grade essence crystals to recover his qi as needed. With his Herculean Physique, he could drain and convert this essence into qi-essence within minutes. Luckily, with his low cultivation base, one crystal was enough to fill him several times over.


    His amber-gold eyes now contained an intelligent gleam within, something he clearly lacked before. Even his aura was much more reserved.


    It¡¯s been two years, no, sixty years for him, since Tao and Bai Lufeng¡¯s departure. Within chaotic space, he experienced sixty years in a mere two of the outside world. By harnessing his conceptual law of space, he could stay within chaotic space¡¯s odd time flow for extended periods.


    Over the course of these sixty years, he¡¯s read a myriad of cultivation notes from his predecessors in regards to the soul, to cultivation arts in general, and practiced them diligently. His knowledge of the myriad realms was greatly supplemented by records within the Anima Syndicate. Even his cultivation advancement was extraordinary.


    The most notable change had to do with his laws. The Spatial Form of Infinite Stability had reached the Initial Manifestation-level, breaking a barrier that was exceptionally difficult. His extended stay in chaotic space enabled him to perceive incredible insights. It wasn¡¯t the only one. By refining the inky black wood and white flame, Yan Zaizen allowed his physique to contain the highest form of the conceptual law.


    Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    Both his Unyielding Flame of Life and Siphoning Shadow of Death advanced to the manifestation-level. The Archery of Pure Destruction had only reached the minor-success of the force-level, displaying the slowest advancement speed, but considering the circumstances, it made sense.


    He even felt as if his stay in this odd flow of time helped him glean insight into a new law. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t develop any form of an enlightened concept from it.


    At the moment, he could manifest a stable space where things within weren¡¯t affected by the rippling force of chaotic space. Therefore, he didn¡¯t need to shroud objects in his qi-essence but simply project his manifested barrier.


    The Pneuma Disruption, Anima Shield, and Source Sonar Arts, the three staple arts for the Anima Syndicate, reached the major-success stage. As the three arts primarily used by all members in the Anima Syndicate, it was also the one with the most cultivation notes. Studying them helped reach a higher mastery level with exceptional speed.


    He learned several new soul arts, including Soul Search Art, Compressed Telekinetic Manifestation Art, Spirit Perception Art, and many more which ranged from low-grade to superior-grade in quality. They allowed his comprehension towards soul energy and overall usage to dramatically change. He never realized how untrained he was in soul energy until he learned these various arts.


    The Violet Way of Spatial Shifting was something he restarted cultivating. As he comprehended spatial shifting within the continental spatial platform tunnel, he was capable of taking this seriously. Unfortunately, he didn¡¯t exceed minor-success in any of the arts detailed within, but it was still exceptional to reach his current mastery.


    This was how his sixty years went, comprehending soul arts, spatial laws, spatial arts, reading various forms of cultivation experiences of his predecessors, and trying to discover his origin source. Unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t even touched his origin source yet in these sixty years. He was incapable of locating it. However, he didn¡¯t give up qi cultivation due to this, continuing to invest time into locating his origin source.


    ¡°Hm?¡± His eyes lit up as he discovered something. With a wave of his hand, all the books entered his Meteor Ring, and he took a step forward. As if slicing into a painting, he exited out of chaotic space and into his residential room within the Anima Syndicate Headquarters.


    Outside, Old Tai patiently waited as he knocked every minute or so. He was rather patient in his attempts. Old Tai had been a mentor to him thus far, helping him expand his knowledge and intelligence regarding the world.


    Opening the door, he could see Old Tai¡¯s brilliant eyes were even more dazzling than before. He chuckled at his child-like interest, ¡°You seem rather excited.¡±


    Old Tai dashed in, slithering his withered body into the room like a snake. Yan Zaizen softly chuckled, closing the door behind him. This Old Tai¡¯s true nature may seem wise and old, but he had some odd characteristics. For one, he disliked using his cultivation base to travel to any place he could walk to. Another was his child-like invasiveness whenever he finds something interesting. It was like, he had to tell no matter what!


    ¡°There¡¯s big news. Very big news.¡± Old Tai¡¯s word dripped with anticipation, he waited several seconds as if to see if Yan Zaizen would ask ¡®what news?¡¯


    ¡°What news?¡± Yan Zaizen asked.


    ¡°The Asura Phantom Palace sub-realm has been opened by the Xiantu Emperor!¡±


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered with an intense interest. After spending time enhancing his knowledge and experience of the myriad realms, he would take some time off to read information about ancient powers, the Chaos Era, and the current Rebirth Era. The Asura Phantom Palace was a second-level heavenly-tier force during the Chaos Era! The reason why he knew this so specifically had to do with their cultivation in the soul, not just in soul cultivation, but the very heavenly law of the soul!


    How could the Anima Syndicate not have detailed knowledge about such an ancient force? Not to mention, the remnants of its sub-realm was discovered centuries ago, but the Xiantu Emperor closed it off for further inspection, as if refusing to allow some remnant soul to be reborn by accident. It seems after several hundred years, the Xiantu Emperor had finally deemed it safe!


    As for the Xiantu Emperor, he was a second-floor Heavenly Genesis Cultivator! Therefore, the entire Xiantu Realm itself was only a second-level heavenly-tier force! Yet, the Asura Phantom Palace wasn¡¯t in control of a realm, but a sub-realm. During the Chaos Era, only the middle-tier Heavenly Genesis Cultivators could own a realm. Those at the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s level had sub-realms for their respective forces.


    However, this era was obviously different.


    ¡°You going?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired, but Old Tai decisively shook his head in response.


    ¡°I can¡¯t. I¡¯m too old, I¡¯ll never be able to contest with everyone else.¡± Despite his words coming off casually, it was the truth. Old Tai had a profound Advanced Soul Realm Cultivation base, but his qi-cultivation base was only at the half-step True Essence. His body had reached a point where it couldn¡¯t take that step any longer, and thus, he¡¯ll likely die unless he obtained some heaven-defying pill.


    ¡°However! You can go!¡± Old Tai¡¯s eyes lit up with remarkable brilliance.

 Chapter 125 - First Mission: Sub-Realm Exploration!

    The Asura Phantom Palace during the Chaos Era wasn¡¯t an impressive force. The highest cultivation base within could only rival a second-level Heavenly Genesis cultivator, and this, in comparison to all, was an insignificant cultivation which could only control a sub-realm - a realm within a realm. Despite this, they were considered exceptional enough to keep vivid records of within the Anima Syndicate.


    This was because of one reason: The Soul!


    The Heavenly Law of Soul rivaled life, death, yin, yang, space, and time. For a force, any force, to be known for their comprehension into a heavenly law at the world-tier makes them anything but ordinary. An example would be the Solitary Sword Sect¡¯s comprehension into a Mortal Law of the Sword. With just this, they were considered a top-tier force within the Fallen Stars Continent.


    Yan Zaizen was currently outfitted in a tight-fitted, silver-blue martial attire that accentuated his muscular physique. Above it was a thin black robe that gave him a phenomenal appearance. This attire and robe weren¡¯t normal clothes, but low-grade sky-rank armaments that he directly received from the Anima Syndicate.


    As an Anima Lieutenant, his status within the Anima Syndicate was remarkable. Not only did he receive a monthly stipend, he received sky-rank attire befitting of his soul cultivation, access to key records within the syndicate, special resources and arts.


    ¡°So, this could be considered my first mission, huh.¡± Standing atop a miniature spatial platform, Yan Zaizen said casually. After hearing the news of the Asura Phantom Palace, how could he not be moved enough to take a venture? Not to mention, his mission wasn¡¯t to actively take the lead. His mission was essentially being hired as a radar for the various dangers that may occur within the Asura Phantom Palace with his exceptional spiritual sense.


    The Asura Phantom Palace may have been eradicated during the Chaos Era, but that didn¡¯t mean its sub-realm wasn¡¯t filled with dangers and treasures. Because its palace was discovered to be intact, it could hold heaven-defying pills, elixirs, cultivation arts, armaments, methods, heavenly materials to build one¡¯s Heavenly Shrine, and more! This was enticing to many cultivators, and a variety of forces were going to be venturing inside in hopes to obtain even a fraction of the Asura Phantom Palace¡¯s remnant wealth.


    However, how could people willingly search a second-level heavenly-tier force without a guarantee? The Xiantu Emperor himself informed all that the palace held countless unclaimed treasures! However, whether they¡¯ll be able to obtain it, that¡¯ll be solely based on their own capabilities.


    It seemed the Asura Phantom Palace was abandoned, but many of its formations, gardens, halls, and more was left completely untouched. With formations still likely to be active, it made the location quite dangerous. This was a great opportunity for others, but if you looked at sub-realms as a whole, this wasn¡¯t uncommon.


    During the Chaos Era, many powers locked their sub-realms before departing in all-out war. If they were eradicated, it''s unlikely their enemies could discover it by any means. However, on the battlefield, they would be eradicated to every last man, woman, and child.


    ¡°You must be cautious.¡± Old Tai warned, his eyes filled with traces of worry and excitement. The things possibly held in the Asura Phantom Palace may be able to help him progress to the True Essence Realm! This meant twenty thousand years of additional life! Yan Zaizen chuckled softly.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m just there to act as a radar.¡± Despite saying that, his eyes flickered with an imperceptible greed. He was essentially being hired as a guide via the Anima Syndicate to discover threats with his spiritual sense by an imperial-tier force. Not only did this come with an immediate payment of fifteen billion drops of essence, but he¡¯ll receive a percentage of all things obtained. From an observing point of view, this was an exceptionally easy job. Especially since your job is to locate and avoid danger.


    However, the things he wants for himself, how could he allow others to simply take it?


    A flash of resplendent silver light exploded from beneath him, his body was shrouded in a small silver-formation like a protective egg. Instantly, he vanished into the spatial void.


    SHISH!


    Old Tai¡¯s eyes couldn¡¯t help but be filled with hope. Yan Zaizen may look youthful, but he had a Perfect Aurora Soul Cultivation base. Even at the most weakest, this could be considered a mid-True Essence Realm equivalent! In the Xiantu Continent, this may be far more common than in other continents, but that didn¡¯t mean it was irrelevant. He believed, with Yan Zaizen¡¯s cultivation base, he¡¯ll be able to gain much from this exploration of the Asura Phantom Palace.


    ----------


    The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.Standing outside of the Asura Phantom Palace¡¯s spatial entrance, several thousand individuals were spread out amongst various groups. Each and every character here had a cultivation base at least within the late-Origin Core Realm! In the Xiantu Realm, there were many grand-tier and imperial-tier forces. After hearing the public news that the Xiantu Emperor will be opening the Asura Phantom Palace for all to explore, for all to gain their own opportunities, how could they not rush here?


    It was not only them, but even those outside of the Xiantu Realm decided to try their chances at claiming from treasure.


    Some were here for hopes of breaking through into the True Essence Realm. Some were here to even prepare in formulating their Heavenly Shrine! It wasn¡¯t just humanoid races but divine beasts as well were among the people here.


    Yan Zaizen, in a flash of silver light, appeared several hundred li away from this gathered ground. His eyes scanned his surroundings, and he was immediately shocked by what he saw. He could see giants! Not just humanoid ones, but divine beasts that were the size of several hundred meters in height or length. A gigantic bird with four wings sat peacefully among a group of other beasts, it would move its wings sometimes as if motioning in conversation. It was very human-like.


    He could see many differently dressed cultivators, some in unified outfits or armors, others dressed in their unique garments. There was even a group of twelve cultivators, all of which had an aura that could casually rival half-step True Essence experts in intensity. Each of them donned heavy, black armor that released wisps of a deathly aura. It came off the armor like smoke from a fire. Many experts stayed a certain distance away from them but didn¡¯t seem too concerned.


    What shocked him greater than before were the humanoid-figures that looked like a mixture of beast and man. There was a man covered in gray-hair, had long, sharp canine teeth, and a splendid physique that could rival his own. It looked like he was a mixture of a wolf and man. His expression, however, was filled with a soft gaze as he chuckled in his group in merry conversation.


    It truly was a sharp contrast to what he believed a wolf-man would look like.


    ¡°So many experts¡­¡± He remarked, noticing hundreds of auras with deep true-essence or vital energy that seemed to produce faint reverberations in the surrounding space with every breath. He couldn¡¯t tell their exact cultivation base, but he could be sure that some rivaled mid, late, and even peak-True Essence experts.


    Recalling his hired assignment, he scanned the surroundings. Apparently, he was hired by an imperial-tier Xiantu Continent¡¯s force named White Crane Sect. From Old Tai¡¯s description, it was fairly similar to the Water Veiled Sect in terms of its members. It primarily accepted females as its primary cultivators. He was surprised at being requested by such a sect, but it seems a Perfect Aurora Soul Realm cultivation base was too rare to put an emphasis on gender, or perhaps they didn''t consider him a threat.


    ¡°Oh?¡± It seemed he wasn¡¯t the only one who was apart of the Anima Syndicate here; the Xi¨¡o City Lord was also within the crowd of experts. He stood there without the normal pride in his eyes, but instead, his gaze contained heightened vigilance. As a grand-tier alchemist, it made sense that he would be brought along by a force. They could bring one incredible insight into specific materials, possesses an array of pills or elixirs that may help at a critical moment, and could conjure pills at a moment¡¯s notice if required.


    He didn¡¯t only just recognize the Xi¨¡o City Lord, but within what seemed to be a gathering of elite experts of Presba, Yao Wuhen stood beautifully to the side. She usually carried herself with profound elegance and pride, but she was rather cautious and humble at the moment.


    ¡°Seems like this exploration attempt has garnered the attention of all within the Fallen Stars Continent, Mystic Wave Continent, and even the Xiantu Continent. Perhaps...even those outside of it.¡± He softly muttered to himself, realizing for the very first time the gravity of the situation. These people were gathered by the thousands, and each held a profound cultivation base which would allow them to rule countless people! Yet, here they were, willing to venture into the unknown for benefits.


    This was the first time he¡¯d ever experienced such a thing. For some odd reason, he felt that he should¡¯ve started with smaller explorations. Unfortunately, with his rapid cultivation enhancement, he couldn¡¯t receive experience from such things when he could casually decimate all things with a swipe of his finger. Now, however, his first time venturing into a sub-realm had a high chance of being dangerous and lethal. A competition filled with peak experts with a myriad of methods at their disposal.


    He felt somewhat relieved that his primary job was to act as a guide. At least, he wouldn¡¯t overestimate himself.


    Eyes flickering, he found the elegantly dressed group of White Crane Sect members. With a step, he slowly approached.

 Chapter 126 - Myriad of Forces Gathered

    ¡°...¡± Yao Wuhen¡¯s eyes slowly took a measure of each and every individual present. Despite being at the initial-True Essence Realm, she didn¡¯t feel too secure. The emanating pressure from some of these people was so subtly intense that it felt suffocating. There were even a few experts from afar who would shot glances at her, or some more brazen ones simply stared at her with hot gazes. It truly felt uncomfortable.


    She subtly edged closer to her group; her aura repressed to not draw any further attention.


    ¡°Oh? Is this an advance?¡± A beady-eyed, middle-aged with black spots doting his face chuckled at Yao Wuhen¡¯s actions. If one were at Sky Night Royal City during the fall of the Li Clan Patriarch, they would remember this particular man. He had floated in the skies speculating the battle but took no action. Similar to Yao Wuhen, it seemed he was complicit in the attack.


    Yao Wuhen coldly snorted, but she didn¡¯t take her step back. As someone who recently ascended to the True Essence Realm, how could she be accustomed to meeting so many powerful experts? There were even giants that could rival small hills in the background, and their every action caused the ground to tremble slightly. It truly was a little overwhelming.


    ¡°Fu Jing, who would ever make an advance towards you?¡± An elderly woman coldly retorted. This was Xin Xiaoyu! Earlier, she was in the bidding war for the True Essence Sublimation Pill. Unfortunately, she lost.


    Fu Jing didn¡¯t say anything, obviously wanting to avoid arguing with this woman. Witnessing this, Xin Xiaoyu coldly smirked. If people saw these two, they would think they were enemies, but they weren¡¯t.


    Fu Jing had a cultivation base at the initial-True Essence Realm, and Xin Miaoyu only had a half-step True Essence cultivation base. If they were enemies, it would be too easy to rectify. By their difference in age-like appearance, one wouldn¡¯t expect that they grew up together.


    Not only that, they were married for three thousand years!


    However, due to cultivation differences, one looked rather middle-aged while the other was wrinkly like an elderly woman. In truth, this Fu Jing was only here because of Xin Xiaoyu. They were hoping to gain something heaven-defying pill or elixir which could help Xin Xiaoyu increase your cultivation base or longevity. Yao Wuhen, Fu Jing, and Xin Xiaoyu were a part of the Xin Clan¡¯s exploration team.


    At the center of their group was a handsome young man with a converged aura, his eyes sparkling with each glance about. Dressed in a green robe, the symbol of ¡®Xin¡¯ was etched on its back. Despite his youthful appearance, he was the Xin Clan¡¯s Patriarch! His cultivation profound, not only in qi, but body and soul. Regarded as a genius when younger, he had the highest potential within the entirety of the Fallen Stars Continent to reach the late-True Essence Realm or higher.


    Within another group originating from Presba, there were three individuals at the head. They were surrounded by dozens of experts ranging from the late-Origin Core to half-step True Essence Realm. Each of those experts donned peak earth-rank armor, their eyes beneath their helmets were fiercely trained and honed with battle intent.


    The Royal Elite Army!


    Besides them were the Imperial Commander - Dong Sei, Imperial Prosecutor - Dong Lin and Ancient Emperor - Dong Long.


    ¡°This exploration will be harder than I originally thought.¡± Dong Sei, the Imperial Prosecutor, said with a heavy frown. There were experts at the mid, late, and even peak-True Essence Realm amongst them, and they would all be fighting for resources and opportunities. With a single wrong step, they could very well leave their lives within this sub-realm.


    However, the risk was worth it!


    Dong Long had a calm expression, his gaze roaming about. ¡°We have an ally here. We shouldn¡¯t fear any particular force.¡± His words indicated many things. Despite this, Dong Sei didn¡¯t lose his frown but deepened it instead. Many forces have come to an agreement to ally themselves with others in an attempt to combat the stronger forces, but that only did so much. If their group had peak strength, they could obtain more opportunities.


    However, while following the tail of another, it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll be able to obtain the highest benefits possible from this trip. That being said, it was still much safer. This was why the Ancient Emperor of their country had the courage to appear. The many imperial forces in the Xiantu Realm didn¡¯t send their greatest elites in fear of dying. Most only sent a few to garner benefits in this exploration, no matter how small.


    Arriving next to the White Crane Sect, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered. There were seven beautiful women with attires seemingly comprised of crane feathers. Their eyes shone with a unique pride that seemed overwhelming, for a split second, Yan Zaizen actually felt inferior. His dark-amber dao orb trembled slightly in response to this thought, but then his eyes lit up with a unyielding confidence in himself.


    ¡°A bestowed dao!¡± He silently thought, his eyes making a quick scan of their respective auras. They each had similar prideful appearances, obviously indicative of like-minded individuals. How could it be so consistent without a bestowed dao shared among them?


    ¡°The Dao of Unyielding Pride. Only a lower-tier Mortal Dao.¡± Pinaka remarked with traces of disdain flashing within her silver-blue eyes. In comparison, Yan Zaizen had the Dao of Sovereign Ascension - a peak upper-tier Mortal Dao. How could they compare?


    The one at the lead was a refined woman, her body lithe, possessing bountiful peaks that drew ones gave towards that proudly displayed deep valley between, and she had a white crown with a blood-red stone inlaid at its center. It wasn¡¯t particularly bedazzling to the eyes, but it was a sharp contrast in comparison to the other women.


    Gu¨¤n Cui, the leader of the seven, calmly glanced at Yan Zaizen. Noticing his extraordinary physical features, his exquisite physique that paired well with his outfit and a youthfully brilliant pair of eyes, she was a little astonished. Her eyes flickered with suspicion watching him approach.


    Yan Zaizen arrived before them, his expression containing a trace of a smile filled with confidence, ¡°Greetings! I¡¯m the one you hired, Yan Zaizen.¡± Gu¨¤n Cui eyes flashed with fleeting shock, giving Yan Zaizen another glance. She expected an elderly expert, not some young boy. One must remember, soul cultivation relied heavily on one¡¯s life experiences and comprehensions towards self-enlightenment. Typically, to reach a high-level in soul cultivation required constant years of self-reflection and personal progression.


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    Anyone who could reach a high realm should, theoretically, be old with wisdom suffusing their every gaze. However, this boy contained faint traces of developing intelligent, youthful vibrancy, and a confident demeanor. He held none of the normally expected wizened light or traveled posture. Her brows furrowed. She was skeptical.


    ¡°Do you have proof?¡± She asked calmly.


    Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t surprised by her question. Taking out his Anima Syndicate¡¯s token, he sent his soul energy inside which projected the faint character that read: ¡°Anima.¡± Gu¨¤n Cui nodded, no longer doubting Yan Zaizen. From his soul energy fluctuation, she could see his cultivation was in the Aurora Soul Realm. She had hired someone experienced in spiritual sense arts, not someone who was old, so she couldn¡¯t complain as long as he could do his job.


    It¡¯s not like he was the only one hired.


    Yan Zaizen intended to have a conversation, but none of them were too keen on holding conversations with him. It seemed they didn¡¯t put much importance on his existence, but he hadn¡¯t taken offense. Their bestowed dao was of unyielding pride. Unless they truly believed someone deserved their respect, they¡¯ll definitely be arrogant to the heavens.


    He didn''t take offense. He was here to do a job after all, not pursue females.


    Several hours later, more experts started to arrive. The number of several thousand quickly exceed ten thousand, but the majority were in the Origin Core Realm as support. As for their group, they had two more arrivals. The first, Ma Xiuren, was a cute young girl with a profound gleam in her eyes. Yan Zaizen was a little shocked, seeing a girl that looked about seven or eight years old arriving alone, but when he caught a glimpse of her cultivation he was aghast.


    She was at the peak-Origin Core Realm in terms of qi, her body cultivation vital aura had faint traces of vastly exceeding that, and his soul perception could see a glimpse of her having condensed an aurora. What shocked him even more was her lifeforce signature! She was nearly three thousand years old! Despite that, she was outfitted in a light flower-dress and looked like a mortal child. However, the White Crane Members, even with their dao, didn¡¯t show the slightest bit of disrespect at her appearance.


    The second was a man called Tang Li. He was middle-aged, ordinary-looking with a slightly chubby appearance, but on his hands were black gloves with intricate white inscriptions. Looking at them caused Yan Zaizen¡¯s mind to spin. He even gave off a faint medicinal scent that was commonly exuded by alchemists. His cultivation was at the initial-True Essence Realm, which was already extraordinary alone.


    It seemed this force was well-prepared. A radar, an alchemist, and the little girl. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t actually sure what the little girl was. Whenever he tried to talk to her, she¡¯d simply smile cutely at him in silence displaying a set of white teeth. It gave him a chill.


    As for Tang Li, he directly avoided Yan Zaizen, talking directly with the White Crane members flirtatiously. Shockingly, these girls filled with pride didn¡¯t immediately send him off, but subtly accepted his advances.


    This shocked him deeply, but after some thought, he realized the circumstances. This man must be an exceptional alchemist, but his advances could not be casually dismissed. With each of their cultivations being at the initial-True Essence Realm, and the leader being at the mid-True Essence Realm, it''s highly likely they¡¯ll require alchemists of his caliber for further progression.


    Who would willingly offend someone who could help them gain further power, status, and longevity? It would be a point of pride to be with a man who could offer such.


    BOOM!!!


    An explosive sound resounded in the surroundings, causing all forms of conversations to cease. A middle-aged man, dressed in a soft golden robe, shimmered into existence like a shadow. His appearance was as if a celestial shifted from the immortal realm to the mortal world. His appearance was extraordinarily handsome, filled with elegance and sovereignty with a gaze holding a deep-rooted confidence that attracted many. Yan Zaizen¡¯s pupils constricted slightly at this arrival.


    Xiantu Emperor!


    The Xiantu Emperor held a faint smile as he looked down from above, his long-flowing blonde hair and azure eyes revealed an unfathomable gleam. He waved his hand, sending talismans by the thousands outwards. They were sent like comets to each individual. As if expecting this, everyone reached out their hands to grab the golden pearl-shaped talisman before them.


    ¡°An escape talisman.¡± Yan Zaizen recalled when he first came across one of these. In the Basilisk Forest, he saw a formation inscriptionist shatter a pearl-like object, causing his body to be sent away with blinding speed. This talisman was likely prepared for people to use in case their life was in jeopardy. It makes sense; it¡¯s not like the Xiantu Emperor wanted his realm to suffer a huge blow to its strength.


    Xiantu Emperor didn¡¯t say a single word, turning around, and placing his palms together. Slowly, spatial reverberations were fluctuating all-around, causing everyone to look onwards with various emotions. Some had greed, some had hope, reverence, jealousy, or even unyielding ferocity. However, if all of these people were to have one thing in common, it would be their desire to pursue a greater power!


    Spreading his palms apart slowly, a slit in space a mile long was segregated vertically. Within this spatial slit was another realm. It looked like a world of perpetual night with a crimson moon that hung in the sky like a sun.


    ¡°Thirty years.¡± A voice filled with grace and authority resounded from the Xiantu Emperor. The eyes of many flickered, but they didn¡¯t say anything. The first person rushed towards the slit, his cultivation base slightly revealed itself. Peak-True Essence Realm! As he entered the slit, others started to follow in his path, and before long, many were dashing into the slit at rapid speeds.


    It was like multi-colored meteors of various sizes were descending onto a new world.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up at all these events. ¡°I wonder what awaits.¡±


    The White Crane Sect¡¯s group shot towards the slit like the rest. He followed quietly along with his heart pounding in anticipation.

 Chapter 127 - Asura Phantom Realm

    ¡°AHHHH!!!¡±


    The moment Yan Zaizen passed through the Asura Phantom Realm¡¯s spatial entrance, he heard a hellish shriek of horror. Alarmed, he shifted his gaze to where it originated. Nearby was a man outfitted in white, heavy armor with black-strips clutching his head in intense pain. He had a late-Origin Core qi cultivation base but his current aura felt like it was being washed in erratic chaos.


    ¡°Wh-AHHH! Hel-AHHH!¡± The man screamed, trying to move his hand away from his head to clutch at his allies, but whenever he tried, he¡¯d release a loud scream of horrific pain. It wasn¡¯t just him, but there were others who were similarly affected, their allies watching cautiously on the side. Some were transmitting their qi-essence or true-essence to support them, but others were speculating silently, obviously not wanting to take action without understanding the situation.


    Only a few dozen people were affected, which made it seem like an isolated incident. Despite this, over ten thousand experts of various races and cultivations halted their steps to watch cautiously.


    ¡°This¡­¡± Startled, he couldn¡¯t help but feel some fear in his heart. Taking a deep breath, he inspected this new realm.


    The realm looked like the representation of dusk filled with barren land. However, instead of silver moonlight, the red moon released crimson moonlight. The moon itself looked like a dim sun dipped in blood. It emanated a soul-constricting luminescence that seemed to give one a sensation of deep oppression. Its size was dozens of times larger than a normal moon, as if one could simply fly a few hundred li upwards and reach its surface.


    Tang Li¡¯s eyes flickered at the commotion, his gaze turning towards the blood moon that hung perpetually in the sky like a god. ¡°The Moon of Asura. It seems the rumor is true,¡± he commented slowly, but there was no fear in his expression.


    Furrowing his brows, Yan Zaizen recalled the records regarding the Asura Phantom Realm. Supposedly, the Moon of Asura had a suppressive and corroding effect on the soul, and only those with sufficient soul strength could stay safely within its radiance. If they didn¡¯t meet this requirement, the blood-color moonlight would slowly erode their soul.


    As for why the vast majority of the group of ten thousand weren¡¯t affected, their soul cultivation had already reached the Perfect Nascent Soul or higher. As for those who were, they likely had soul cultivation bases that were inferior in comparison.


    After everyone had discovered the oddity of the moonlight via various means, they started working together to shield their allies soul forms from erosion. However, if they didn¡¯t have a soul protective armament or talisman, it¡¯s likely their journey stops here.


    ¡°Be sure to protect your soul,¡± Gu¨¤n Cui warned, her eyes looking about at the barren lands of the Asura Phantom Realm. Nodding subconsciously, Yan Zaizen looked at the area. The sheer size of the area was shocking. From records, a sub-realm had a similar surface area to an entire continental planet. Essentially, this realm size could be compared to the entirety of the Fallen Stars Continent, including the water that contained countless islands.


    This was an immense size. Presba alone covered hundreds of thousands of li, let alone the entirety of the planet. If one estimated it, the size could reach billions of li in diameter!


    Despite this vast size to explore, not a single group segregated from the whole. They seemed to be inspecting the area or developing various plans based on their deductions. He could feel several senses scan pass him and reach outwards in every direction. Various individuals were meditating with closed eyes or utilizing various forms of armaments to bolster their perception.


    ¡°Can you locate the Asura Phantom Palace?¡± Gu¨¤n Cui inquired, looking towards Yan Zaizen with calm eyes.


    ¡°I see, they¡¯re trying to locate the palace.¡± He silently thought, his eyes looking to and fro from various areas. Considering the sheer size, it¡¯ll be smart to deduce a direction to follow. If they traveled in a single direction without any logical lead, they may end up wasting all of their time.


    ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up. His spiritual sense started to spread outwards in the four directions like a torrential wave of inspection. Quite a few who were in meditation were immediately broken out of it, their eyes glistening with shock. When Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul entered the Aurora Soul Realm, his spiritual sense could at most reach fifty kilometers in distance. However, as he continued to progress in his cultivation and understanding of spiritual sense, his maximum range reached twenty-five thousand li of distance.


    In comparison, the sheer size of the Asura Phantom Realm made it look insignificant. However, that was using pure spiritual sense.


    SOURCE SONAR ART!


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    Utilizing the superior-grade soul art, which had reached major-success, he could extend his range to reach hundreds of times greater than normal. Fifty million li of distance was immediately revealed with a sweeping sonar. As he searched, his eyes shone with a brilliant silver-blue light.


    ¡°Oh?!¡± Looking upwards, he was shocked. The Asura Phantom Palace wasn¡¯t located within the barren lands of Asura Phantom Realm, but it was located on the surface of the crimson-blood moon that hung brilliantly in the sky. He was just about to mention this when his eyes flickered. An almost imperceptible surge of illusory energy emanated from the crimson-blood moon.


    ¡°An Illusion?!¡± Taking a closer look, there was nothing wrong, as he could vividly perceive an elegant palace situated on its wide-surface. Even after verifying it for several minutes, it seemed the sensation he felt was purely his imagination.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Pinaka asked. As she was situated in Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul and linked by dao, she could feel his doubt and confusion. Having the Dao of Sovereign Ascension didn¡¯t mean you followed your first instincts with absolute confidence. It¡¯s when you have absolute confidence in your endeavor; you follow that instinct.


    ¡°The Moon of Asura seems to house the Asura Phantom Palace, but I could¡¯ve sworn a trace of illusory energy fluctuated for a brief moment. However, I can¡¯t find it.¡± He remarked, his brows furrowed even deeper. ¡°Perhaps¡­¡±


    Gu¨¤n Cui looked at Yan Zaizen with faint traces of impatience, the others were already formulating plans on their next course of action and seemed to have already discovered the palace¡¯s location. Was this boy truly useful? If not, then what good was he here?


    Tang Li¡¯s eyes were closed, his spiritual perception surged outwards in all directions. Within his palm was a deep-blue orb the size of a palm. It radiated soft ripples of soul fluctuations, obviously an armament meant to enhance spiritual sense. It seemed he wasn¡¯t the type to willingly follow another without making sure. After a brief moment, ¡°The Asura Phantom Palace is in the Moon of Asura. Tch, how intriguing.¡± He had a smile on his face as if he thought how tricky the Asura Phantom Palace was.


    Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s eyes lit up, looking at the Moon of Asura. If that¡¯s the case, reaching that will take time. However, she felt slightly frustrated at Yan Zaizen¡¯s uselessness. Tang Li, who wasn¡¯t even there to be a sensory guide, had discovered the location before him. In that case, what reason did she need him?


    Yan Zaizen, however, stared at the Moon of Asura. His gaze looked to be in a state of contemplation.


    ¡°OH!¡± Immediately, he looked shocked and excited. Gazing around, he could feel something as if it was constantly moving but always near. Despite his reaction, there were already a few groups who took to the skies, surging towards the blood moon with incredible speeds like blazing comets. Before long, they were like dots in the sky. Gu¨¤n Cui was just about to follow, but Yan Zaizen¡¯s reaction caused her to cease.


    Tang Li, however, felt a little dissatisfied, but as he wasn¡¯t the leader, so he remained silent.


    ¡°It¡¯s not above,¡± turning his gaze downwards, ¡°It¡¯s below!¡± Just as he said that several individuals of profound cultivation bases shot into the ground like moles burrowing into the earth. While the White Crane Sect and Tang Li were shocked by this action, Ma Xiuren¡¯s eyes flashed with a mysterious light, and she clenched her tiny little fist.


    BOOM!


    She slammed it heavily into the ground, causing the earth itself to quake intensely. Her tiny fist contained a monstrous physical force, easily creating an empty tunnel that stretched for dozens of li downwards. Not offering any explanation, she jumped into the massive hole, and another resounding boom echoed seconds later.


    She wasn¡¯t the only one, others were shrouding their bodies in qi, vital energy, or soul energy and tunneled into the earth. Some even had specially created tools for burrowing and their speed of doing so was exceptional. Gu¨¤n Cui and Tang Li revealed decisive gazes, jumping into the hole and following close behind Ma Xiuren. The other members of the White Crane Sect followed.


    With shining eyes, Yan Zaizen felt shocked by the monstrous strength of this little girl. However, he didn¡¯t wait long, dropping down without hesitation.


    ¡°AHHHHHHHHHH!!!¡± Several heart-wrenching screams resounded outwards in horror. Turning back, he could see the Moon of Asura glow bright red, its radiance was filled with a soul-shaking aura. Several bodies of varying sizes dropped from the skies, no longer exuding any form of life or traces of a soul. Yan Zaizen¡¯s body shivered slightly, looking at the blood-red moon that seemed to have reaped their lives thoroughly.


    ¡°One wrong choice...your life could end.¡±

 Chapter 128 - First Obstacle

    BOOM!


    100 li.


    BOOM!


    200 li.


    BOOM!


    300 li.


    Gu¨¤n Cui, Tang Li, Yan Zaizen and the White Crane Members followed deep into the earth with Ma Xiuren in the lead. With each smash of her tiny fist, a vigorous physical force would dig a deeper hole like a needle. Yan Zaizen could feel many different auras ahead and behind them, using various methods in an attempt to reach the core of the earth.


    He wasn¡¯t exactly sure how the others discovered the location of the Asura Phantom Palace, but he found it due to the illusory laws the Moon of Asura emitted. With that clue, he started reaching about and found out that the Moon of Asura has a very faint, almost indiscernible, link into the ground. This was a common confusion tactic listed in the Anima Syndicate¡¯s records.


    By projecting an illusory image linked to the true location, it¡¯ll feel as vivid and real as real could be. That¡¯s because when you scan the illusion, you¡¯ll be perceiving the actual location. Luckily, Yan Zaizen¡¯s spiritual sense was strong enough to notice the faint fluctuations of illusory laws. Not only that, he read about it so he had a reference to consider.


    They burrowed in the ground for several days. Their depth exceeded four hundred thousand li.


    ¡°We¡¯re here!¡± Tang Li said, his eyes flickering. Exactly as he said this, another smash of Ma Xiuren¡¯s dainty fist caused the earth to collapse. A hole that seemed like one reminiscent of a hole in the sky was revealed. They exited this hole which revealed a place as if it was an entirely different world.


    There was an incredibly wide, cylindrical tower, but it was incredibly short, about 100 meters tall. Surrounding that tower was a moat of inky black liquid that seethed with bubbles. If one saw the bubbles, they would realize some of them would occasionally pop revealing traces of a dark-greenish miasma.


    The diameter of the tower was exceptional, about tens of li, but despite this, there was only a single door at its east. The moat of inky black liquid surrounded the tower, but it was rather small, only 20 meters needed to be taken to cross it.


    The tens of thousands of experts looked onwards with vigilance in their eyes, but some had brilliantly bright gazes filled with excitement. Indeed, this was only the entrance to the Asura Phantom Palace! Despite it not being incredibly grand as the one seen at the Moon of Asura, it was only because the palace itself was buried further beneath the earth.


    Despite knowing this, not a single individual burrowed deeper, staying several li in the sky.


    Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s delicate and prideful brows were furrowed into contemplation, her eyes revealed an intelligent yet cautious light. ¡°Mister Zai, what can you sense?¡± During the travel downwards, she realized this Yan Zaizen contained some ability and shouldn¡¯t be underestimated. The fates of those who took a step into the sky first were examples of his capabilities.


    She decided to trust him, for now.


    Yan Zaizen, however, didn¡¯t send his spiritual sense outwards. He felt a profound sensation of intense danger from the inky black moat as if it radiated traces of death. However, it was uniquely different than his own concept of death. Just as he was contemplating his course of action, several horrific shrieks of pain resounded once more.


    ¡°Oh god!¡± Someone frenzied cried. This voice caught the thousands of experts gazes, spotting a giant that was several hundred meters in height. His skin was inky black and his breaths released traces of dark-green smoke. Yan Zaizen¡¯s scalp went numb as he saw this, realizing this giant originally had healthy bronze skin.


    What caused his scalp to truly tinge with fear were his eyes. They were completely white, without a semblance of consciousness, as if his soul was robbed from him and his body was thoroughly tainted by some unknown force. The giant wasn¡¯t the only case, beasts and humanoids alike started to experience similar situations.


    Someone from afar cried out, ¡°Don¡¯t use your spiritual sense!¡±


    Just as Yan Zaizen was about to speak to Pinaka, a soft voice revealed itself from behind him.


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    ¡°Help...me¡­!¡±


    ¡°!!¡±


    Everyone turned violently around to see one of the White Crane Sect members with a brilliant white light emitting from her eyes. Her left hand was completely black - very similar to the others affected. She seemed to be using her extraordinary true-essence to fight against the decaying effects of whatever''s affecting her. Despite her struggles, one could see the blackness of her hand slowly extend to her wrist and approaching her forearm.


    It seems those with a higher cultivation base was affected slower, in that case, there are probably many individuals who were affected! Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s eyes revealed a trace of shock, but then decisiveness. She removed a slender white sword from her spatial ring.


    SWISH!!


    The sword¡¯s movement was swift and true, immediately slicing off the woman¡¯s infected hand. The moment the hand was cut off, as if it lacked the resistance to persist, it exploded into dark-green miasma like the bubbles in the moat. Many scenes similar to this were enacted. Since many didn¡¯t know how to deal with the situation, they could only take the quickest and crudest solution: REMOVAL!


    After the hand was cut off, one could see the woman¡¯s expression visibly soften in relaxation. Tang Li produced a pill and elixir without any hesitation, without considering personal space, he directly stuffed the woman¡¯s mouth with the pill and splashed her amputated hand with an elixir.


    Shizz!


    A slight sizzle emitted from her bloody stump. In several seconds, the woman¡¯s hand was visibly healing and growing back. Within a minute, her hand was fully recovered with the softness of a baby child. Unfortunately, it wasn''t tempered with true-essence, so it was considerably weaker. However, looking at her new hand, there was a happy gleam in her eyes as she looked at Tang Li with thanks.


    Tang Li¡¯s expression was solemn and so was the rest of the group.


    ¡°It seems the moat can infect your spiritual sense with a unique soul poison. Spreading from your soul, it can corrode it and your body, ridding you of your lifeforce. However, removing the infected area physically prevents spread.¡± Tang Li deduced.


    Gu¨¤n Cui added, ¡°It¡¯s a mixture of soul, death, and poison laws. To think the Asura Phantom Palace is so cruel.¡± The scenes around was shocking, and no one used their spiritual sense to survey the small moat. As for those who were completely infected, they had low cultivation bases or simply weren¡¯t adept at handling poison, and thus were dead. Their bodies slowly diffused into a dark-green miasma and thoroughly vanished.


    Yan Zaizen was watching all of these events but felt shocked by Tang Li¡¯s actions of regrowing a hand in a minute. He understood the importance of having an alchemist in your group. Despite this, they¡¯ve now hit their first obstacle - the inky black moat. If one can¡¯t scan it with spiritual sense, then how dangerous would it be to cross it?


    No one took the initiative. Instead, they landed on the ground and spread out in their respective groups. As if learning their lesson, no one carelessly took action, only slowly considering plans or making calculations. Due to the circumstances of the moat, he couldn¡¯t use his spiritual sense to survey the lands and thus was left on the sidelines.


    Tang Li and Gu¨¤n Cui were discussing various plans of actions. From times to time, the White Crane Sect members would chime in with their ideas. As for Ma Xiuren, she stayed quiet like a mute, her eyes looking around like a lost little girl curious about the outside world.


    Like the breeze of a wind, three days passed by so suddenly. Yan Zaizen discovered several things during these three days. One, the realm¡¯s space was isolated, and he couldn¡¯t enter chaotic space.


    Two, he couldn''t penetrate through the spatial void, but it was exceptionally stable and it exceeded what his qi cultivation base could penetrate. If he was at the Origin Core Realm, perhaps, but as he was, it was an impossibility.


    Three, there was only one door into the palace - the short tower.


    Four, qi sense wasn¡¯t affected by the moat, only spiritual sense. Despite this, qi-sense couldn¡¯t penetrate into the moat for clues or into the tower. From these things, he realized he had no practical way of entering besides crossing the moat.


    ¡°To be stopped at the door, truly frustrating.¡± Yan Zaizen muttered, his gaze filled with discontent.

 Chapter 129 - Corpse Puppet

    ¡°You think it¡¯s that simple?¡± Yan Zaizen questioned Pinaka, his voice filled with disbelief. Earlier, Pinaka suggested that the moat only affected those who come into contact with. If that was the case, one could, theoretically, walk up to the door and simply open it.


    ¡°You all are overthinking the situation. Your assumption of the moat is pointlessly cautious. If there¡¯s no solution and no one willing to take the chance, then wouldn¡¯t you be stuck here forever?¡± Her words were true. If there wasn¡¯t a problem to begin with, their assumptions and deductions would be irrelevant and a waste of time. However, could it truly be so simple?


    ¡°I see. In that case¡­¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered with intelligence. Recalling the Li Clan Patriarch¡¯s corpse, he¡¯d already refined it thoroughly to become a puppet of his. It didn¡¯t contain a trace of lifeforce or a soul, so the moat wouldn¡¯t be able to infect it normally. Despite that, its strength couldn¡¯t be fully maintained, nor could its comprehension into the laws as that originated from the soul.


    If he could use the puppet to test Pinaka¡¯s theory, if he lost it, it wouldn¡¯t be much of an issue, but if he didn¡¯t, then it¡¯ll be fine. Normally, one would think that there should be others with puppets, but in truth, they weren¡¯t practical. For one, the stronger the puppet, the greater your spiritual sense requirement must be to control it. Not only that, the puppet is similar to a formation, if destroyed the backlash would be intense.


    There were other issues as well, such as the inability to bring out its previous owner¡¯s full strength, access their bloodline, cultivate them to be stronger, or anything really besides a body that could induce a backlash.


    Corpse puppetry was essentially a lost art, and many would instead use a True Essence Realm¡¯s corpse for elixirs, pills, or armament creation. In the past, only incredibly strong cultivators who¡¯ve had accomplishments in the soul would control puppets. Normally, they would control metallic puppets called golems who bolstered incredibly strong physical defense and contained Spirit Forms.


    Thinking up to here, he informed the group of his intentions, ¡°I¡¯ll be sending my puppet to confirm a theory of mine.¡± Their eyes flickered with interest but didn¡¯t say anything in refusal. Not a single cultivator amongst the thousands had a golem nor used a corpse puppet due to its issues.


    With a motion of his hand, a pale white faceless corpse emerged into the surroundings. Those who were keeping a lookout for anything out of the ordinary were immediately drawn to its existence. Their eyes glistened with intrigue, but similar to his group, they didn¡¯t say anything but stayed in observation.


    Not too far away from their current location, the Xi¨¡o City Lord was looking about cautiously. Noticing the oddity that attracted others attention, his eyes turned to see a handsome youth standing beside a faceless humanoid. For some reason, when he looked at the youth, his heart couldn¡¯t help but feel a little irritated. A bloom of hatred was slowly forming, but he didn¡¯t recognize why.


    Yao Wuhen and her group were far away, but they seemed to have noticed something and looked towards Yan Zaizen¡¯s direction.


    ¡°Go!¡± Ignoring the nearby gazes honed on him, he sent the Li Patriarch¡¯s puppet towards the moat. Its body radiated with a dim true-essence containing traces of fire. At the moment, the Li Patriarch¡¯s corpse puppet only possessed sufficient strength to rival a half-step True Essence expert, but it was still sufficient.


    With a zooming dash, the puppet traversed several li of distance, causing everyone¡¯s eyes to be drawn to the rapidly moving form. It reached the moat in seconds, and then, without stopping, barreled through that twenty feet of distance. As it skipped past the inky black moat, the moat showed no reaction. However, the door glistened with a faint crimson light.


    ¡°This?!¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked. As he controlled this puppet with his spiritual sense tied to soul energy, he felt an indescribable feeling pass through his soul form. A bright crimson light shot out from the door, penetrating the corpse puppet. Like an electrical line, it traced back to Yan Zaizen from his connection with the corpse puppet and burrowed sharply between his brows.


    Everyone here, no matter how powerful, couldn¡¯t perceive what had just happened. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes went blank for several seconds but later resumed its vibrant lifeforce. His brows furrowed in deep contemplation.


    The light seemed to wish to control his soul, to dominate and transform it into something else, but the moment it entered his brow, the swirling black hole in his soul form¡¯s glabella gobbled it up instantly. Pinaka, however, saw it all.


    ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± She felt a little surprised but also expected it. One must remember that she originated from the Chaos Era. The chance that there was a soul attack at the gates of the Asura Phantom Palace was about 99% probability from her experience, but she knew it was irrelevant due to Yan Zaizen¡¯s innate soul protection. What she didn¡¯t expect, however, was Yan Zaizen gaining some benefits due to the attack.


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    Yan Zaizen was shocked as well. From this attack, he gained knowledge. It was strange. The light transmitted information directly into mind before attempting to reach his soul. It held a faint intent to transform his soul. This transmitted knowledge would be beneficial to him afterward. However, due to his innate-soul protection from the black hole, only the information was transmitted. It contained soul arts, a soul method for cultivation, and comprehension into a unique Astral-grade language.


    This was a language produced by someone who possessed an Astral Soul!


    The method was named the Phantom Monarch Method. One would cultivate their soul form into a phantom, which could exit the body, possess other bodies, consume and transform other souls into lesser phantoms. They could even evolve into a phantasm!


    ¡°It wanted to turn me into a phantom?!¡± He was shocked, his back dripping in cold sweat at the thought, silently cursing Pinaka for her inappropriate reasoning. Sure, she was right, the moat was an irrelevant piece, but the door had a trap! Anyone who attempted to enter the door would be struck by a beam of crimson light that¡¯d infect and transform their soul into a freaking phantom!


    The corpse puppet remained standing beside the door, completely inactive and awaiting orders.


    ¡°Go!¡± A powerful, tyrannical voice shouted out as a cultivation base equivalent to the late-True Essence Realm erupted. A dashing middle-aged man dressed in a black and white robe flew towards the door with blinding speed His group followed behind as if under some pre-decided course of action. This event caused everyone¡¯s eyes to flare up in realization, and they took action immediately lest they be late.


    If the corpse puppet was fine, then the moat was safe! They just needed to open the door!


    Some people stayed behind, not willing to be the first to enter. In truth, their actions could be considered intelligent and would¡¯ve kept them alive if Yan Zaizen hadn¡¯t devoured the crimson light. Initially, it was supposed to infect someone and return, but since it was thoroughly consumed, there were no defenses left on the door.


    Blasting past the corpse puppet, the late-True Essence expert launched a palm containing a ferocious might. A manifestation of a large dark silver palm slammed heavily into the entrance. Almost immediately, it exploded, revealing a set of wide stairs that led down below. The man had no hesitation as his body soared downwards into the depths. In an instant, he disappeared into the stairs darkness. His allies followed behind decisively, gritting their teeth and praying.


    Soon, the entire stairs were flooded with experts of all sizes. Some flew at maximum speed, others flew modestly behind in caution, and a few waited.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go!¡± Gu¨¤n Cui thunderously ordered. Her mid-True Essence cultivation base erupting in an elegant cyan light, a single step from her took her into the entrance and then into the stairs. The rest followed behind with zero hesitations. As for Yan Zaizen, he felt odd but kept up. As he approached the entrance, he grabbed the corpse puppet and restored it into the Meteor Ring.


    Tang Li spoke, ¡°The Asura Phantom Palace has seven floors! Be cautious, it¡¯s likely we¡¯ll have to deal with remnant defensive formations at each floor.¡±


    The Asura Phantom Palace was known to have seven floors, each with a corresponding theme. Each floor has their own halls, locations, and various other areas. The deeper one goes, the higher the benefits will likely be. However, one would still have to reach that floor! Luckily, it¡¯s been nearly 50,000 years since the Asura Phantom Palace has perished, and many of the formations were likely eroded by time and lack of maintenance.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they arrived at the first floor. The room was wide and circular, very reminiscent of the Anima Syndicate¡¯s Main Floor. However, it didn¡¯t lead to any corridors. Instead, there was a vast empty space and a singular door that stood at the end of the entrance. The room could fit the giants that were hundreds of meters. The entrance to exit covered about several li of distance, but to them, this was a single step.


    But nobody took a step forward.


    The reason was simple.


    A single metallic humanoid figure stood there, patiently, with closed eyes and two long swords in its hands. Not only that, it had several faces, similar to an asura. The metal was deep red like the color of fresh blood, and it gave off a strange yet odd feeling to all those who saw it.


    It, alone, stood between the entrance and door to the other side.

 Chapter 130 - Asura Golem

    ¡°A golem based off an Asura?!¡± Pinaka¡¯s startled voice resounded.


    ¡°What? A golem?¡± Looking at the dual-sword wielding, deep-red golem who stood there as if sleeping, he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked in his heart. A golem was similar to a puppet, but it was more of an armament than an object. A golem required a spirit form and special formations. This spirit form could be bestowed conceptual laws, can wield other armaments, and be set down to act as a long-term guardian!


    Many forces, even today, had golems who defended special areas of their forces. Seeing one, he knew why no one took any further action. This was likely the second obstacle presented by the Asura Phantom Palace.


    ¡°An Asura Golem¡­¡± Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s tone was dense with vigilance. There were nearly ten thousand experts here, in their realm, they stood at a high peak, but before this man-sized golem, they were unwilling to take a single action.


    ¡°That door likely leads to the first floor halls.¡± Tang Li commented. The others'' eyes flickered with even more vigilance, looking at the others. If Tang Li could make this assumption, so could nearly everyone else. Even if they could overcome the golem, the real battle will happen in the corridor. At that time, everyone will be fighting for benefits.


    However, this presented with a strange question, who will try to proceed first? The group that does will likely be severely injured in the battle even if they win, and their ability to gain benefits in the first hall will be immediately shattered. However, if they send only a weak group to combat the golem, it¡¯s likely they¡¯ll all lose their lives as a result.


    Returning them to square one.


    ¡°The first floor of the Asura Phantom Palace was known for cultivating their outer disciples. If by normal estimates, it¡¯s likely those disciples were at the Qi Unification Realm at minimum.¡± Tang Li once more commented, his mind spiraling with various thoughts. The first floor held outer disciples, the second floor held inner disciples, the third floor held outer elders, the fourth floor held inner elders, the fifth floor held core disciples and core elders, sixth was the upper-echelons quarters, while seventh belonged to the Palace Master himself.


    This only considered residences. On each floor, there were rumored to be gardens hosting all sorts of herbs, training grounds and libraries for arts and cultivation, an alchemic hall for pills and elixir gathering, and even a forging center filled with materials. Similar to the Anima Syndicate, the Asura Phantom Palace had status and titles, therefore, each floor contained those with a higher strength.


    As for outer, inner, or core, they weren¡¯t the exact statuses or titles, but they were close enough.


    ¡°Go!¡± Shockingly, someone gave an order. Seven individuals in brown unified martial attire, bursting with half-step True Essence cultivation bases exploded forwards in a manifestation formation. Immediately, they formed into a giant brown warrior wielding a grand buster blade. A sharp light filled with a mountainous aura erupted from the blade.


    SWISH!


    Decisively, the giant warrior slashed downwards. The sheer pressured felt like it could crush the heart alone.


    BING!


    The Asura Golem¡¯s eyes lit up with a crimson light. It moved slowly, its two blades cutting the very space, leaving lasting lacerations visible to all. It was like space itself was sliced in this motion. Without an ounce of fear, it took a step forward. Like a ghost, it shimmered out of existence leaving a ghostly afterimage. The giant sword that felt like a living mountain slammed heavily into the ground, missing its target. The ground itself violently quaked as if a mountain was dropped upon it.


    ¡°What?!¡±


    Everyone¡¯s eyes widened in shock, but before anyone could locate the Asura Golem, the giant manifested from powerful qi-essence lurched to a stop.


    ¡°Wait! Retreat!¡± The powerful voice that screamed out earlier shouted once more. His voice filled with urgency as he felt a profound sensation of crisis. He had an average-appearance but a deep-brown outfit with symbols that signified his respective force.


    His warning was far too late. Several blood-red lines revealed itself on the giant.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    BOOM!


    The formation collapsed instantly, but before the others could react to the backlash, a sword appeared from the spatial void, slicing violently at them with unprecedented speed. The first to go didn¡¯t even have time to spew out a blood from the backlash of the formation shattering, his entire body was instantly turned into mincemeat by the Asura Golem¡¯s blade. If one looked closely, it was like he was turned into spaghetti covered in tomato sauce and meat.


    However, the Asura Golem didn¡¯t cease after dispatching of the single expert. In a blink, the rest suffered the same fate. They weren¡¯t even given the right to react to the death of their companions.


    ¡°...¡±


    An odd silence permeated the air.


    ¡°SHIT! RU-!¡± Someone tried to exclaim, but a blade pierced into his torso. A surge of crimson light erupted from his pores as if he had a sun beneath his skin. He expanded like a balloon as the light intensified. Before long, he exploded like a bomb comprised of flesh and bones. Some of it landed on the nearby experts. Witnessing this, everyone¡¯s scalp tinged with a profound sensation of danger.


    ¡°It can use spatial void shifting! It can also evade both qi and spiritual sense!¡± Yan Zaizen deduced with a startled gaze. Without hesitation, he stepped back towards the stairs. He wasn¡¯t the only one. The others quickly followed, some even before him, their pupils constricted, and their minds trembling with a profound sensation of crisis.


    The Asura Golem¡¯s rampage didn¡¯t stop at that. It continued to swing its blade viciously, aiming for the weakest and slowest of the group as if on purpose. Those at the Origin Core Realm held no hope of survival. The Asura Golem would shift to their side from the spatial void and with a single swipe of its blade, they¡¯d turn into mincemeat, but for those stronger, they¡¯d be pierced through silently and explode as if a bomb detonated inside their bodies.


    Several seconds passed.


    That¡¯s all the time passed since everyone decided to retreat. However, over a hundred individuals from various forces were slain within that very brief period of time. Many tried crushing their talismans by the Xiantu Emperor when they were targeted, but doing so at that time was simply too slow. Luckily, as long as they retreated to the stairs, the Asura Golem didn¡¯t strike. As if it was outside its range of action.


    Tang Li¡¯s brows were drenched in cold sweat. He could¡¯ve sworn that the Asura Golem only needed to glance at him to kill him. ¡°What the hell?! How strong is that thing?!¡± He shouted out, his voice suffused with intense panic.


    Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s eyes were filled with fear, looking at the surrounding individuals to see many, even those stronger than her, filled with the same intense fear.


    ¡°It should be at the peak-True Essence Realm! Not to mention, it has been bestowed a concept of space and sword. Also, this entire room is like a formation amplifying its strengths. In here, I¡¯d imagine it could rival a newly ascended first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert!¡± Pinaka informed Yan Zaizen. Law of Space? Law of Sword? It seemed to be true; a golem could be bestowed various conceptual laws.


    ¡°Wow...this is only the first floor yet its guardian is exceptional!¡± Yan Zaizen muttered in disbelief. It seems the Asura Phantom Palace wasn¡¯t considered a second-level heavenly-tier force for nothing.


    ¡°You¡¯re wrong,¡± Pinaka stated, ¡°this Asura Golem is likely its most powerful defense. Typically, the strongest form of defense would be left at the first level of breach. This is to dissuade others from pursuing further or touching a single bit of their treasures.¡±


    Oh?


    If that¡¯s the case, it made sense. As long as they could overcome this guardian, wouldn¡¯t they have free reign over the rest of the treasures? Despite this, many didn¡¯t take action. They slowly deliberated, and the peak forces discussed amongst each other. It seems they also realized what Pinaka did.


    With nearly ten thousand experts in the stairs, everyone simply patiently waited. Some cultivation in meditation, others studied their arts or looked at references, while most discussed means and methods to combat the Asura Golem.


    Days turned to weeks.


    Weeks turned to months.


    Finally, after eight months, a valiant looking young man dressed in light-blue armor stepped upwards in front of everyone. Despite his youthful appearance, his cultivation was at a staggering late-True Essence Realm!


    ¡°Some of you may know me, but for those who don¡¯t. My name¡¯s Wu Kun! We¡¯ve come up with a plan to overcome this Asura Golem! However, we¡¯ll need everyone support in this endeavor. For those who are willing, please stay, but for those who aren¡¯t, please leave!¡± He gestured towards the exit, his actions and words were very domineering. Many felt discontented by those words.


    Who made him king?


    ¡°Why should we leave?!¡± A half-step True Essence expert stepped out, looking discontented by being forced to help someone else in some godforsaken plan they knew nothing about.


    Wu Kun simply smiled, his eyes suffused with an arrogant gleam, ¡°Simple. We¡¯ll be passing this floor with certainly, but for those who wish to take advantage of our hard work, they don¡¯t deserve a piece. Let me see, do you not wish to help?¡±


    ¡°How will you pass the golem?!¡± The expert questioned, many murmured behind him in agreement with his question. They should at least know what they¡¯d have to do before risking their lives. For all they knew, this person wanted to use their very lives to achieve that goal. Who would be willing to do such a thing?


    Wu Kun chuckled lightly, ¡°Simple! We¡¯ll-¡± His voice thundered with pride, as if the world was in his hands.


    ¡°Wait!¡± Someone shouted, ¡°Where¡¯s the golem?!¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    All gazes were instantly drawn to the room guarded by the Asura Golem. Within this room was a vast empty space with a large door at the other end, but no golem.


    ...Where¡¯s the golem?

 Chapter 131 - Dao Dominating Spirit!

    Zaizen and the others  themselves safety at the stairs entrance.


    This was a problem that Yan Zaizen and the others were ruminating upon, but not a  person could safety think of a way without suffering great losses.


    Pinaka  silent, not responding.lustrous eyes filled with imaginative musings.such as her, it could easily ensnare one¡¯s heart with a glance.pondering passed, Pinaka¡¯s gaze suffused with the visual representation of an intelligent concept being born.


    Zaizen was bewildered.Pinaka not directly communicating, when this single thought exclamation was reached, Yan Zaizen felt  like a  ripple surging outwards as if  contained a strange law or concept.


    It¡¯s something   from someone  met once. Pinaka directly dismissed his question, her eyes filled with potent excitement.be a way for you to defeat this golem.


    new master!


    Zaizen processed her words.simple.basic orders.could become the  controller, theoretically, they  turn that robotic item into their own and   follow  orders.it was like hacking into a program and changing its source code so  functions how you wish.


    it may be impossible, but for !You, a wielder of an upper-tier Mortal Dao, should be able to .you need to do is establish a dao-link with , forcefully. Pinaka explained.


    dao-link?dao be integrated into spirit forms?!Dao, however, was not something they  had a  record of, let alone ways to  it.


    Dao, one must overcome Heavenly Tribulation.Xiantu Realm, which goes well beyond  in number, less than ten has  developed their own dao.


    dao-link, but doing so has its own complications.dao.dao bestowment, you could suffer a devastating psychological and soul injury.dao  a delicate matter.able to do it to a Golem¡¯s Spirit Form without any compatibility issues.


    because, similar to me, Spirit Forms and True Spirits  artificial existences created outside of the hell & heavenly cycle.We can accept your dao, your internal heaven, much easier when  lack one.changes us. She paused emotionally for a brief moment after saying this, ¡°if someone else had an original dao, they could attempt to do so as well.¡±


    dao?daos.dao could  on to another.It is also   in terms of its effects  has on others.


    Zaizen thoughts were turning.dao  be considered his personal heaven,  is that why it  affect all forms of his cultivation?drawing power from his own internal heaven?Similar to how essence  be cultivated into qi, was the dao  when bestowed to others?They take , as long as their compatible with ,  can convert  into their own but maintain their core personality?


    Heavenly Genesis was to build a  Shrine which allows you to refine your true-essence, body, and soul with the heavens.prowess in body, soul, and mind.dao is needed to take control over a heaven?could it be that the ?


    brought him back to when he saw his transparent flame-like dao, a herculean avatar that could cover the  with its palm, and the black hole that made the  look like an ant to a skyscraper.be...exceeded the Heavenly Path?!


    He didn¡¯t   at first, but  felt like  touched upon the truth in  statement.


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    He drew his mind back to focus.


    Dao, this would be difficult without coming directly in contact with the Spirit Form.dao into it. Pinaka instructed, her tone turned slightly solemn.truly  an absolute guarantee it¡¯ll work, but this was a method.


    pulled him into her sea of consciousness when they  met, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t doubt her capabilities.


    Zaizen asked.


    not.dao to link with my core existence, but this soul form may instinctively fight against .You¡¯ll have to forcefully establish a link.you fail, your very dao and soul could suffer injury.you aren¡¯t sure-¡±


    sure.¡±Zaizen interrupted.Dao of Sovereign Ascension!Dao of Relentless Pursuit, Unyielding Confidence, and Cold Decisiveness was intermixed into this dao as a part of a grand whole;


    Pinaka nodded.Zaizen¡¯s soul form, she got into a lotus position, a  prayer mat materialized beneath her.Slowly, she started  a chant of profound language that Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t comprehend.


    Zaizen and a  Asura shrouded by a crimson glow appeared within Pinaka¡¯s sea of consciousness.


    Zaizen¡¯s expression turned solemn as he looked at the Asura Golem¡¯s Spirit Form.Zaizen¡¯s soul form.


    ethereal fists.kill you, then .¡±manifesting in its hands.


    intelligence.At least, they lacked hardcore , functioning on basic instructions and instincts.cultivate independently, have a  .


    wrong!¡±Pinaka¡¯s urgent voice rumbled everywhere without any particular point of origin.Zaizen!


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s face turned incomparably grave, he could feel a potent killing intent from the Asura Golem¡¯s .


    It¡¯s not a  Form!It¡¯s an Asura !it, establish your dao-link! Her voice rumbled once more.hear .It was as if the voice was isolated from .


    Asura Spirit?SPIRIT!?!


    Asura  was a  form, but it was created from an actual ¡¯s soul and converted into an armament .make them a part of an armament.Spirit Forms, but didn¡¯t have the ability to  to a True .to suffer heavenly  without a dao  them.


    Xi¨¡o City Lord extracted the soul of an actual mountain to produce his .he, a peak grand-tier alchemist, not  such an extraordinary ?Zaizen previous feeling an intense sense of deadly crisis wasn¡¯t   being a  , but   was a unique  !It contained the Mortal Law of Mountains to the manifestation-level!


    Zaizen¡¯s dark-amber orb that contained his Mortal Dao ejected from his soul form, as if formulating a profound connection to his heavenly laws, it split into a bow and arrow.a readied stance, his eyes flashed with an intense light.


    ---------


    Zaizen had finally woken from his state.Meteor Ring.Meteor Ring, the Asura Golem stood there with eyes filled with  brutality as if it was a king who had slaughtered countless to arise to its throne.


    Pinaka¡¯s soul form materialized within the .bright.


    Pinaka¡¯s appraising gaze.

 Chapter 132 - Not Fast Enough

    ¡°It¡¯s gone!!!¡± A late-Origin Core Cultivator exclaimed in disbelief, but his tone was filled with fear and alarm. His cultivation base wildly erupted in caution. Others followed suit, and soon the stairwell was filled with multi-colored auras flaring about here and there. Many forms of senses, both qi and spiritual, was spread into the surroundings without care of impoliteness.


    These actions were especially prevalent in the weaker cultivators. Earlier, the Asura Golem specifically targeted them and started slaying them like it was cutting wheat. How could they not be cautious? However, many had already forgotten the Asura Golem couldn¡¯t be sensed in their fear.


    Wu Kun¡¯s eyes shined light that coruscated into the area. After a second, his mind started to tinge with a thought. Looking about, he couldn¡¯t find any evidence of its existence.


    ¡°An illusion?!¡± This was his first thought. The Asura Golem was an illusion produced by a discrete killing formation. However, due to some unknown circumstances, the formation must¡¯ve ceased. It could be due to lack of energy due to lack of maintenance or someone broke it silently. In that case, it¡¯s likely there was someone who was operating the formation either way.


    Could it be¡­?


    He wasn¡¯t the only one to think up this situation after a thorough scan of the surroundings. Considering the Asura Phantom Palace illusory farce on the Moon of Asura, it was highly likely. If this is true¡­


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    Several explosions suddenly took place as people erupted with their full cultivation bases, executing their most exquisite burst-movement art. It only took a second before dozens of figures reached the door that was once guarded by the Asura Golem. With a combined effort of these individuals of varying sizes and races, their energies smashed heavily into it.


    BOOM!!


    The door splintered into countless pieces as it exploded violently. Several groups responded with mad dashes filled with various emotions from vigorous hope, deep greed, to sheer madness!


    ¡°Go!¡± Gu¨¤n Cui once again commanded, her momentum surging with an elegant yet intense aura. With a step, she followed the masses into the door. Ma Xiuren¡¯s small form gently stepped forward and her body flickered like a vanishing shadow. Tang Li and the others followed. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were bright, but he stayed silent, following along without hesitation.


    After entering the door, there were twelve different vast square-shaped corridors. At this point, there were already people who¡¯ve scanned the corridors with their senses, after gaining a faint trace of direction, they explosively shot into it.


    Gu¨¤n Cui stopped at the first floor¡¯s main room. ¡°We¡¯re looking for intense soul fluctuations, find them!¡± With a soul transmission, she commanded Yan Zaizen. As the group¡¯s guide, this was his purpose. Yan Zaizen stopped beside her, his eyes flashed with silver-blue light for a split second.


    He pointed towards the seventh corridor from the left. Without hesitation, Gu¨¤n Cui dashed towards the 7th corridor. The rest followed closely behind, executing their respective movement arts. There were several groups and independent cultivators traveling this route, but none of them fought. However, if one looked at their eyes, they contained heightened vigilance and shifting gazes filled with readiness.


    ¡°Caution!¡± Gu¨¤n Cui warned, her eyes were similar to the others. Perhaps now it was peaceful, but the moment they met anything worthwhile, fighting will escalate quickly. They dashed past several doors that seemed to be the location of residences or other locations. Yan Zaizen continued to dash forward and many of the stronger groups did so as well.


    A door that seemed similar to the rest appeared. Its size about ten meters and constructed from a special whitewood. ¡°There!¡± Yan Zaizen pointed.


    Gu¨¤n Cui nodded slightly, not saying anything else. Her sky-rank sword was wielded in her hand. The others followed suit, besides Tang Li and Ma Xiuren, the rest wielded similar swords.


    ¡°Sword cultivators?¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked, but after awhile, he felt it was appropriate. They were bestowed the Dao of Unyielding Pride, and it was similar to the Dao of Unyielding Confidence. The sword was perfectly attuned for these two daos, allowing one to develop unique conceptual laws based on them.


    A group of five cultivators dressed in green-red robes with shaved heads like monks was already at the door. The leader, a wizened old man with large, brown prayer beads tied around his neck, was at the forefront. His eyes revealed madness, and his cultivation base was leaking indicating he was at the mid-True Essence Realm. Not only that, the rest of the group also had initial-True Essence Realm cultivation bases.


    However, Gu¨¤n Cui didn¡¯t halt. Her sword flashed with a resplendent white sword light infused with an unyielding pride in her stroke. The true-essence within caused the surroundings to feel sliced into pieces as it proceeded forward. The monk, however, had his eyes flicker with a trace of viciousness. From his hand, he threw out a prayer bead from beneath his long sleeves.


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    This bead enlarged almost instantly by several hundred meters, colliding fiercely with the incoming light. It nullified her the sword slash with relative ease. Witnessing this, Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s eyes flickered. She looked towards Yan Zaizen swiftly, ¡°Again!¡±


    As if understanding, Yan Zaizen nodded. His eyes flashed with silver-blue light, he then pointed further into the corridor. Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s didn¡¯t even look at the monk, directly executing her movement art and bypassing the enlarged bead and door. Ma Xiuren and Tang Li¡¯s expressions were indifferent, not even gazing at the monks. They directly followed behind.


    The monks allowed them free passage, not taking action but remaining vigilant. The leader couldn¡¯t help but feel slight approval at Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s decisiveness. She realized that if they fought to the death, it¡¯ll be unlikely either would gain anything in the aftermath. Afterwards, she decisively chose elsewhere. After all, this was just the first floor, why risk your life for it?


    Unfortunately for Gu¨¤n Cui, the corridor she chose was picked by extraordinary groups due to her very requirement. They were also far faster, arriving at the doors Yan Zaizen would choose that possessed soul fluctuations. Some were even looted already. With the movement speed of powerful cultivators, a single second was enough to sweep a hundred li clean.


    It wasn¡¯t long before they exited and found a silver platform that radiated spatial fluctuations as if it was used to tunnel into the spatial void. However, the silver platform was shattered and destroyed. Many cultivators looked at the silver platform and their eyes glistened with intelligence and hatred. Entering the platform and decisively destroying it afterwards was risky, but it could reduce the competition. At least, it¡¯ll delay others for a short period of time.


    However, how could everyone not have prepared for this?


    ¡°We need to be faster.¡± Gu¨¤n Cui flatly stated. Yan Zaizen understood this. When the Asura Golem was discovered to be gone, several groups went ahead, and since they were looking for something specific on the first floor, how could it not be valuable and wanted by others? They weren¡¯t even the fastest group to enter, being relatively in the middle. They lost their opportunity at benefits because of this.


    She withdrew a silver orb that radiated spatial energy. Throwing it at the silver platform, the orb exploded and produced a silver tunnel at impact.


    ¡°Go!¡± she dashed into the newly produced tunnel. They all followed her, arriving at the next floor. When they arrived, they were shocked. The room was quite similar, but instead of a golem at the middle of the floor between entrance and exit, there was a curtain of white liquid raining down in a thin line. It acted as a separation line.


    However, not a single person who arrived on time entered this thin white curtain. When Yan Zaizen saw this, he was reminded of the formation in the Water Veil Sect. Gu¨¤n Cui looked towards Yan Zaizen, ¡°Your thoughts?¡± Obviously, as a member of the Anima Syndicate and a guide, he was supposed to scout out and deduce the danger levels of various obstacles.


    This was likely the second floor¡¯s obstacle, considering a door similar to the first floor was there, but it was several times larger than the other. This likely indicated its higher requirement to do so. He was cautious, not carelessly spreading his spiritual sense, considering what happened with the inky black moat. His eyes emanated a silver-blue aurora-like light. By focusing his spiritual sense into his optical perception, he could enhance his identification capabilities.


    ¡°This is a soul-based water called Asura¡¯s milk. Despite its name, it doesn¡¯t originate from Asura¡¯s, but if your soul cultivation isn¡¯t sufficient to defend against it, it¡¯ll wash your soul flame clean. It can, however, be used to strengthen one¡¯s spiritual sense, similar to how normal milk can help strengthen bones. However, that¡¯s if you could withstand its effects. ¡± Pinaka stepped forward to explain.


    Yan Zaizen explained this information to the group. Tang Li¡¯s eyes flickered with intense greed. As an alchemist, Asura¡¯s milk was exceptionally rare. It could be used as a substitute for many different soul-based materials. It was also a vital ingredient for an ancient formula that¡¯s been discarded called the Spiritual Hell Elixir. It was literally its core component, and all the rest still existed in the Xiantu Realm. If he could harvest it...


    While Gu¨¤n Cui was deciding on her next course of action, more people started tunneling into the second floor¡¯s room through the spatial platforms.


    ¡°It¡¯s you?!¡± A voice shouted in surprise. Yan Zaizen¡¯s group turned around with interest, their auras may seem inactive, but they were ready to explode at a moment¡¯s notice if a fight was started. Yan Zaizen also turned but when he saw the person, he couldn¡¯t help but feel curious.

 Chapter 133 - Your Crime!

    ¡°...¡± The group that just arrived were the Presba Imperial Family¡¯s force. Dong Lin, the Imperial Prosecutor of Presba, were the one who previously shouted. When they arrived, they swept their gaze around at the surrounding cultivators. Typically, due to the cluster of thousands of cultivators with a variety of different sizes, spreading one¡¯s sense outwards without a peak cultivation base was detrimental. Therefore, they never once saw Yan Zaizen directly.


    However, now that they were one of the first few to arrive on the second floor¡¯s gate area, how could they not spot him in this mediocre amount of people?


    In Presba, Yan Zaizen had vanished mysteriously. Due to his chaotic immersion art, he could shift through chaotic space without leaving a single spatial trail. However, after he took off to the Dead Soul Desert, the Imperial Family put out an order of arrest. They even issued a bounty for information that could attract even grand-tier powers to search.


    Despite all this effort, they found nigh a hair nor nail of Yan Zaizen anywhere. Considering his outstanding appearance, it¡¯ll be unlikely there¡¯d be zero information about him. That was...unless he got off planet. They considered it, but if so, they couldn¡¯t do much. So, they decided to team up with the Wu Clan, a first-level heavenly-tier force in the Xiantu Continent.


    Their goal? To gain backers during this venture AND find Yan Zaizen with Wu Clan¡¯s support.


    As for Yan Zaizen, he was heavily ignorant of the outside world. For two years on the outside, but sixty years to him, he spent a majority of his time in cultivation or studies. Not to mention, how was he supposed to know he was a wanted man? He did no crime.


    At least no crime that wasn¡¯t standard in the cultivation world for those with power.


    ¡°You!¡± Dong Sei, the Imperial Commander, thundered murderously. If one saw his eyes, they¡¯d see madness and deep-seated hatred within. For others, they may not recognize Yan Zaizen, but how could he not? For the past two years, this man had been his life goal.


    His cultivation base at the initial-True Essence Realm exploded outwards. However, he didn¡¯t rashly take action but only threateningly erupted with his aura. As for Yan Zaizen, he felt amused at all this. He felt like Tang Li or Ma Xiuren had done something, and he was more than willing to act as a bystander to enjoy the show.


    As for Dong Sei¡¯s aura? Pfft.


    Laughable.


    If it was Yan Zaizen before he left Presba, then perhaps he¡¯ll take this man seriously, but at the moment? One must know that, despite his qi cultivation not progressing, his soul cultivation reached the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm and his Mortal Dao reached completion! The amplification effect of his dao was dozens of times stronger than lower-tier daos and lower-tier daos were a few times stronger than his previous nascent dao!


    How could he be moved by an initial-True Essence expert¡¯s aura? It was like a bunny bearing its fangs at a T-Rex, it was cute.


    The Ancient Emperor¡¯s eyes flickered, realizing that Yan Zaizen was surrounded by a group of powerful cultivators that easily out-matched their current group. Therefore, he didn¡¯t flare up like the others but quietly kept his thoughts inward.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen.¡± Dong Lin flatly said, his eyes smiling but the rest of his expression felt off.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked by being directly called. Not only him, the rest of his group as well. It¡¯s not like Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t know who these people were. As a citizen of Presba, he was educated thoroughly about the Imperial Family¡¯s crest and faces of its upper-echelon. They were celebrities in Presba, who didn¡¯t know?


    ¡°Are you ready to atone for your crime?¡± Dong Lin was incredibly calm, causing Dong Sei to slowly recede his thunderous aura and its tyrannical ferocity. He understood that acting was not beneficial to them at this moment, so he stayed his hand.


    ¡°Crime?¡± Startled, Yan Zaizen questioned with genuine confusion. Considering that they seemed angered by his existence, could he have killed someone important? However, thinking about it, he never met anyone of importance. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t directly kill anyone in his time within the capital. Well, directly at least. The Blood Fiend Sect members were killed by his protective spiritual sense.


    ¡°I wonder, what crime did I do?¡± He inquired curiously, his tone slightly playful. In truth, he didn¡¯t care about any crime they could pin on him. He¡¯ll just have them pardon that crime today, that is, if he did it. If they disagreed? Well, considering the circumstances and as a protective measure for his clan, he¡¯ll directly exterminate.


    It may sound immature, but you can¡¯t falsely accuse anyone of a crime if you¡¯re dead. Just like your body when its merges back to the soil, all accusations will fade to dust in death.


    Dong Lin furrowed his brows, scanning Yan Zaizen¡¯s group with his gaze. His eyes lit up as he recalled the White Crane Sect¡¯s information and mantra. With a devious glint in his eye, ¡°Your crime of forcefully assaulting and tainting Princess Qin against her will.¡± His words were calm, but he looked at the reactions of the White Crane Sect members.


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    Shock.


    Disgust.


    Hatred!


    Their expressions flickered with various emotions. However, none of them were positive. As True Essence Cultivators, how could they not know who the Ancient Emperor of Presba was? They memorized all recognizable forces in Presba. You never know when you¡¯ll need to engage with them or become enemies with them. Understanding who¡¯s who is important in the cultivation world.


    For them, they wouldn¡¯t throw out this accusation without irrefutable proof, nor would they publicize this fact amongst experts without even further proof. Not to mention, the first reaction they had was rather violent, backing their belief in this so-called crime.


    Almost instinctively, the White Crane Sect members wielded their blades, flashing with traces of sword law infused true-essence. Their prideful eyes turned fiercely sharp. However, none of them took action, obviously awaiting Yan Zaizen¡¯s reaction or response.


    Unfortunately for them, Yan Zaizen only tugged at his lips and furrowed his brows in contemplation. It was a rather indeterminate expression. ¡°What proof do you have?¡± Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t the type of person to shout ¡®I¡¯m innocent, I¡¯m innocent!¡¯ He didn¡¯t have anything to prove, nor did he feel the need to deal with such troubles. If he went at their pace, it''s likely he could dig a hole so deep he didn¡¯t know the truth anymore.


    Therefore, he rather advance the narrative at his own pace.


    Dong Lin didn¡¯t hesitate, withdrawing a translucent orb from his spatial ring. After an infusion of soul energy, a scene projected itself for all those to see. It was a point-of-view perspective. From his guess, it was likely Princess Qin¡¯s. He knew of this orb - a Soul Recollection Orb. As the soul flame contained in-depth memory and instincts of the person, this Soul Recollection Orb could vividly copy specific memories within and display them.


    Typically, they¡¯re used to pass on battle records from certain perspectives or cultivation lessons. The juniors of the clan could view them for theoretical battle experience. It was mainly due to the fact that hundreds of exchanges could happen in seconds at the top-level. It¡¯ll be difficult for juniors to see these battle live, so they would slow it down using this item.


    Soon, ¡®Yan Zaizen¡¯ appeared with his vibrant amber-gold eyes and handsome appearance. Violently, he struck Princess Qin, restricted her body with qi-essence, and proceeded to violently take her with a malicious smile. His voice, body type, and even vibrant eyes were the same as his. The only difference was that his expression during the actual crime was violent and evil that seemed to take pleasure in Princess Qin¡¯s pain.


    Princess Qin yelled constantly for mercy, begging to stop, and even asking for reasons and justifications. However, ¡®Yan Zaizen¡¯ only laughed maliciously in her face, only doing so harder, or striking her whenever she seemed to annoy him or weren¡¯t loud enough with her screams. This lasted for a few minutes. Then ¡®Yan Zaizen¡¯ departed after reaching a personal climax.


    Many in the surroundings felt odd and intense emotions rise up in their hearts watching this scene, and some looked towards Yan Zaizen with extreme disgust. A Soul Recollection Orb couldn¡¯t be faked unless one possessed a profound soul cultivation. It¡¯s unlikely that Princess Qin, someone who was just mercilessly taken, had a soul cultivation base that could do so.


    Even Yan Zaizen himself would have a difficulty doing so.


    ¡°This is YOUR CRIME!¡± Dong Lin shouted.


    However, Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows in thought. Witnessing this violent scene, the White Crane Sect members were completely holding back their emotions and desires due to Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s gesturing. Despite this, her eyes were also filled with intense anger. The White Crane Sect was a female-only sect and many of their cultivators were exceptionally beautiful and wanted by many. They had to constantly fight against those who take action against their girls.


    It became custom that they would destroy any force behind the person who did so and tortured the person¡¯s soul for one hundred years before death. Only then did people start thinking nine times before taking action. As women in a world where a murder was legitimate if you were stronger, how could it be easy? The same could be said for men, who must protect their women!


    ¡°Well, one indisputable fact determines the person in that image wasn¡¯t me¡­¡± Yan Zaizen said slowly.


    ¡°?¡± Many of them were shocked, wondering how he¡¯ll attempt to clear himself of this crime, but a vast majority who witnessed this scene had already deemed him guilty.


    Spreading out fingers to indicate the number of minutes that passed during the recollection, Yan Zaizen said with a confident tone, ¡°Well, I would¡¯ve...lasted longer than that.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±

 Chapter 134 - Tyrannical Proof!

    In truth, Yan Zaizen had the most irrefutable proof of innocence. He was still a virgin. Unfortunately, to inspect this, he had to completely open all the secrets in his body and soul to verify this. This meant revealing his Herculean Physique, the Regalia refinement, his cultivation and laws, and even his soul form would have to be vulnerable for this inspection.


    One''s primal yin and yang were deeply connected to both the soul and body. This was why dual cultivation was exceptional and having many wives was a common thing for powerful male cultivators. It may not help the Essence Path, but body and soul cultivation would benefit greatly.


    Normally, this wouldn''t be necessary. How many people were still virgins at his level of cultivation? However, he was just too young.


    Even factoring in chaotic space-time flow, he was only eighty-three. This was remarkably young for those in the True Essence Realm that could live for twenty-five thousand years on average.


    With those requirements to verify his innocence, he couldn''t agree. He had far too many secrets, nor did he feel the need to reveal them all for some girl he''d never met.


    Dong Lin smiled, "Is that all you have to say?"


    Yan Zaizen shook his head in helplessness. "That''s not me," was his only response as he shrugged his shoulders. What more could he say?


    Dong Sei loudly chuckled, his beefy body and large armor clanking together with every chuckle. His eyes were as frosty as an icy-hell, "You are truly the lowest form of man."


    Earlier, Dong Sei or Dong Long didn''t say anything as Dong Lin provided public proof of the crime. The reason for this was to incite public hatred and rid Yan Zaizen of his allies in the White Crane Sect. Without them, he was nothing more than a late-Qi Unification Cultivator with an Advanced Aurora Soul Cultivation.


    From Yao Wuhen, they gained information about Yan Zaizen. His cultivation at the time, his background, and who he was. They knew he had an exceptional talent in soul cultivation, defeated Yao Wuhen, and had a powerful destructive-based archery. In real time, only two years have passed, that''s not enough for his cultivation to progress. Dong Sei or Dong Lin alone could defeat Yao Wuhen even easier than Yan Zaizen did.


    What did they have to fear?


    "The Soul Recollection Orb can''t be fooled easily, even your aura is the same," Gu¨¤n Cui coldly stated. In truth, she was holding back because there was a slight possibility of it being false. As for needing him to navigate as a guide, they much rather not associate with someone of such filth. Thus, that was not in her considerations.


    Not to mention, Yan Zaizen hasn''t helped them at all. Even the corpse test yielded, from an outside perspective, nothing important but revealing the lack of traps. They would''ve figured that out sooner or later.


    For those with good cultivations, they could easily obtain a woman or man for their bed in a willing manner. What need would there be to forcefully take another? Just as Dong Sei said, only the lowest of the low would do so.


    Yan Zaizen could feel the fluctuations of true-essence emanating from the women surrounding him. It was obvious they wished to take action.


    "Well, at least they have some restraint." He inwardly thought. Thinking about it, he was truly trying to find out a way to clear his name without revealing all of his secrets. However, nothing came up.


    "Tch! How pathetic!" Pinaka viciously exclaimed. "Use your brain! Why do you need to prove anything?!" Her voice was filled with deep discontent and frustration.


    Wait.


    That''s right.


    Why did he need to prove anything?


    Originally, he was going to use force to clear his name anyways. The only reason why he was trying to think of other ways stemmed from his instinctual desire to protect his reputation. If news of this were to spread with this much evidence from the soul projection, he''ll be known as that type of person forever.


    He chuckled loudly at his momentary idiocy; there was a much better way to prove his innocence. The surrounding gazes locked onto him with interest and disgust. He raised his hands up and slammed them together.


    Clap!


    Clap!


    Clap!


    "Bravo to you for this farce. Unfortunately, I have the most indisputable proof of innocence right here." He spoke his words deliberately, everyone was interested in what he had to say, hoping he wasn''t joking this time around. Would he pull out a Soul Recollection Orb to verify his innocence? Allow himself to be soul searched to prove it? Swear a heavenly oath? Swear a soul oath? If he does and it works out, would they believe him?


    "It''s simple really¡­" his gaze turned towards the three leaders of Presba''s Imperial Family, "because I said I am."Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    Dong Sei felt enraged, not only him but everyone else. Such tyrannical words, such domineering attitude, and such confidence! Where did this come from? Gu¨¤n Cui glanced at Yan Zaizen and seemed to have made a decision. She retracted her aura, and so did the rest. They simply took a step backwards signifying their support of Yan Zaizen was no more.


    Tang Li''s eyes flickered, but he did the same.


    Ma Xiuren only stared at Yan Zaizen. Her dainty little fist clenched, but she didn''t take action or retreat.


    Witnessing this, Dong Long was the first to take action. One must know, Princess Qin was his daughter! His youngest, most favored daughter! The killing intent that he suppressed so deeply before erupted like a volcano at its peak, and his aura caused the surrounding people to exclaim with interest and even praise. There were even a few weaker cultivators gesturing and shouting out condemnations for Yan Zaizen''s words.


    Even if they''ve done things like this in the past, it always felt good seeing other people suffer, especially for the true low-life cultivators in the audience.


    However, Yan Zaizen remained calm, continuing to speak, "If I wanted to take this...Princess Qin...what reason do I have to hide it? What reason do I even have to care to declare my innocence?" Hearing this, people from afar felt odd. Sure, this logic was true but only if a cultivator vastly exceeded the other party in strength.


    "With a single word, you''d have given Princess Qin to me with joyful glee! Haha!" This was the straw that broke the camel''s back. Dong Long, Dong Sei, and Dong Lin simultaneously shot towards Yan Zaizen. The full force of their cultivation base emanated a seemingly invincible pressure! That aura rolled towards Yan Zaizen like a violent storm intending to rip him to shreds. Everyone immediately distanced themselves from Yan Zaizen.


    Dong Long wielded an emerald spear with faint spiritual fluctuations. A sky-rank armament! It pierced forward, projecting a nearly peerless penetrating force that transformed into an insidiously vicious emerald-green dragon''s head!


    Dong Sei punched forward with thunderous momentum. His vital energy and true-essence merged together perfectly to manifest a large dark-silver fist that contained vast power filled with the law of metal. It smashed heavily towards Yan Zaizen.


    Dong Lin removed a small folding fan from his spatial ring. Unfolding it, he swung it gracefully. A tall twister barreled forward that reached several hundred meters in height. It was infused with powerful wind-infused true-essence that rotated with the desire to ruin the world in every rotation.


    All three attacks shot towards Yan Zaizen in unison, striking with the intention to thoroughly kill him in body and soul!


    As for Yan Zaizen, he only shook his head slightly and stood where he was. He closed his eyes, and to those who were watching, it felt like he was giving up his life. As for the truth, the vital energies within Yan Zaizen''s body was being rallied to action.


    SWINHHG!


    "Herculean Avatar Art!"


    His eyes opened as the attacks were no more than an inch away from his body.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!


    Several violent explosions resounded that devastated a vast area. Luckily, everyone had high cultivation bases, unless the attack was directly aimed at them, they could easily repel the remnant energy.


    Tang Li was in disbelief, "he''s dead?" It felt surreal. In truth, with how Yan Zaizen was talking, he expected more.


    Gu¨¤n Cui squinted her eyes, looking at the field wreathed in destructive true-essence. She had the faint feeling the situation wouldn''t end with simply that.


    Indeed.


    As several seconds passed, the smoke cleared. Yan Zaizen, with his vibrant amber-gold eyes that shone through all, revealed himself brilliantly amidst the cloud of true-essence. As he slowly walked out, it looked as if the attacks never landed. His clothes didn''t even seem ruffled. As for him, he had slight differences but the distinctions were overly attracting.


    Situated at his glabella was a black and white diamond that seemed to be swirling in constant motion against each other. There was a short, vertical golden-line just below both of his eyes as if they were tears. The normally black hair had faint traces of gold highlights. His hands were covered in faint golden inscriptions that seemed exceptionally profound, the same could be said for his arms, legs, torso, and feet if it wasn''t thoroughly covered by clothing.


    The Herculean Avatar Art was vastly different from normal manifestation arts that would project an image. Instead, It would make your body be used as the avatar of a Herculean! As your physique was truly brought to its maximum, one''s physical attributes would be vastly increased as a result.


    If being a true Herculean could be considered a law, then this art used vital energy to erupt with that law! As for the concept? It was the regalia that was refined!


    Clap!


    Clap!


    Clap!


    Yan Zaizen clapped some more, his eyes suffused with tyrannical ferocity and unyielding confidence! "I''ll say it again: with a single word, you''d have given Princess Qin to me with joyful glee!" After finishing those words, he took several short steps forward, his gaze looking at the Dong group with hints of disdain.


    "Now, do you understand me? Well, if not, you will." Yan Zaizen took one more step forward and his figure vanished like a ghost in the night. This wasn''t spatial laws, but sheer imperceptible speed!


    "!!!"


    Dong Long felt a sensation of intense deadly crisis, he immediately retreated, but alas! He was too slow. Appearing before him as if he teleported, Yan Zaizen reached out his palm, violently grabbing towards his throat.


    URGH!!


    The sound that the throat makes being grabbed resounded from Dong Long and before anyone could even blink, Yan Zaizen already had the mid-True Essence Dong Long at his mercy. His powerful vital energy suppressed Dong Long''s cultivation base with relative ease. In his hands, Dong Long was like a child trying to struggle against the grip of a god.


    As he fiercely struggled in defiance, the Siphoning Shadow of Death concept was draining Dong Long of his true-essence thoroughly. As it did, Yan Zaizen''s vital energies seemed to be spiking with powerful lifeforce fluctuations.


    "What?!" Witnessing this, Dong Sei and Dong Lin''s eyes nearly popped out of their heads. The other spectators were inwardly shocked, their gazes filled with disbelief. To many, if not the vast majority, they couldn''t even see Yan Zaizen''s shadow as he moved. It was like a blur in mist!


    Yan Zaizen smiled softly at all the exclamations and shocked gazes, turning towards Dong Lin with a profound gleam in his eyes, "Let me ask you this, if I wanted to take this...Princess Qin, why would I need to deny it?" His hand slightly clenched causing Dong Long to squeak like a rubber ducky in pain.


    "Do I even need to? Haha."


    Indeed.


    The most definitive proof was the simplest: If I have to power to destroy all you are, all you can be, and all you will ever be, what reason do I have to sneak behind your back? If I did it openly, what could you even do?!

 Chapter 135 - Harvesting

    ¡°...¡±


    The silence that permeated the air was heart-twisting. The truth of the cultivation world was being revealed here. Why did powerful cultivators murder on the streets without care? Why did they eradicate entire families, clans, or forces to root any potential threat? With the power to exceed, you could do so openly and everyone would simply take it as par for the course.


    ¡°It was their own weakness!¡±


    ¡°This one person condemned the entire clan to death!¡±


    ¡°Her beauty was simply too great, calamity was bound to happen!¡±


    Whatever reason it may be, the fact of the matter was: The strongest could do whatever the hell they wanted, and the other party would be blamed for their weakness, idiocy, or having things people coveted! This was strength.


    It was the might to always be right.


    This was the world of cultivation!


    ¡°Now, should I kill him or do you think I¡¯m innocent?¡± Yan Zaizen smilingly said. Those words were spoken as if he was asking him if he wanted to eat here or there in total casualness. As if the choice itself was irrelevant. Dong Lin¡¯s expression was beyond ugly. Dong Sei had an even uglier one.


    In truth, Dong Lin wasn¡¯t an idiot nor was Dong Sei. They knew that the moment Yan Zaizen displayed his incredible prowess, he had no reason to fear them thus no reason to lie. From just this display, his body cultivation easily rivaled a peak-True Essence Cultivator! He could kill them all easily if he wanted and everyone would only say they brought it upon themselves for falsely accusing someone or overestimating themselves.


    After all, each difference in stage for the True Essence Realm was like the difference between the sky and the earth. Yan Zaizen¡¯s body cultivation could rival those at the peak-True Essence Realm, to those at the initial or mid-stages, it was like a Qi Unification expert versus an Origin Core expert.


    Ma Xiuren¡¯s eyes shined brilliantly at Yan Zaizen¡¯s domineering display, while Tang Li¡¯s expression was solemn. Gu¨¤n Cui and her group also had a solemn expression. They all realized the truth of the circumstance. The crowd did as well. However, many had extra vigilance in their eyes. To think that a seemingly middle-tier group actually had such an ace hidden! What if they engaged in life or death battle for benefits against them, wouldn¡¯t they just die?


    They were too cunning!


    ¡°We understand! You¡¯re innocent.¡± Dong Lin calmly exclaimed. There was no reason to continue fighting at this point unless they had a death wish.


    ¡°Good! Good that you understand. Now, give me everything you have. Your spatial possessions, your clothes, your shoes, and your armaments. Then, if they satisfy me, I¡¯ll consider sparing his life. Oh, also yours.¡± Yan Zaizen said with a warm smile. He wasn¡¯t a pushover. He hated being schemed against, but even worse, he hated being accused of something he didn¡¯t do!


    If he was weak, wouldn¡¯t he be dead? Wouldn¡¯t they be extracting his spatial possessions, taking his clothes, his shoes, and his armaments from his corpse? So, he¡¯ll do the same.


    ¡°!¡± Everyone was shocked. So ruthless. However, they truly brought this upon themselves. It was already lucky Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t directly kill them and take their things afterwards. He pretty much was giving them a way out, and many cultivators, a vast majority actually, would directly kill these people and eliminate their entire force when they returned.


    However, despite their ugly expressions, they gave up their possessions. This humiliation may be great but it¡¯s already lucky this was all that was asked for. If you could give them any positive points, they were decisive. Without their Ancient Emperor its likely they would suffer war and extermination when they returned, and if they all died here, their families and clan will definitely be wantonly raided by others. It¡¯ll be lucky if Princess Qin isn¡¯t taken as a slave.


    ¡°I like your decisiveness.¡± After gathering everything, he placed them into the Meteor Ring. Various rebounds occurred, with everyone amongst their group spurting various mouthfuls of blood. It seems they had tracking formations or other things interconnected to them within their possessions.


    SWOOSH!


    Yan Zaizen tossed Dong Long like a sack of potatoes. Turning towards Tang Li and Gu¨¤n Cui, his eyes flickered with a trace of disappointment. If he was weak, they would¡¯ve left him for dead, abandoning him with their actions. Despite their supposed team-up.You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.


    However, what could Yan Zaizen expect? He didn¡¯t blame them, because he would¡¯ve done the same thing! He didn¡¯t know them outside of their names, why would he clean up their own mess? Especially if he felt disgusted at their actions.


    He disliked being a hypocrite, so he tries hard to actively put himself in other people¡¯s shoes. ¡°I¡¯ll consider my job as your guide terminated by your actions. Am I correct?¡± Yan Zaizen asked Gu¨¤n Cui.


    Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t have any fear in her eyes only unyielding pride, ¡°That¡¯s correct.¡± Her words were neutral in tone but decisive. Nodding in understanding, Yan Zaizen landed near the Asura¡¯s Milk, his eyes flashing with traces of silver-blue light.


    Hm?


    Turning to the side, he saw a cute little girl in a flower dress staring at him. It was Ma Xiuren! She was fairly close in proximity. Her gaze was honed on Yan Zaizen and she was smiling brightly at him. With that, he understood and nodded. ¡°Fine, I guess it¡¯ll be just you and me.¡± Earlier, Ma Xiuren didn¡¯t physically retreat, not to mention, she didn¡¯t seem to have any ill-intentions.


    Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s expression was a little frustrated, but she didn¡¯t speak. Both of these characters were oddities with profound strength, and their decisions were theirs to make. As for Tang Li, his eyes flickered but he didn¡¯t step up.


    ¡°What¡¯s the base requirement for someone to pass this Asura¡¯s Milk curtain?¡± Yan Zaizen asked Pinaka.


    ¡°At least the Advanced Aurora Soul Realm or mid-True Essence Realm. However, with your cultivation, you should be able to harvest it.¡± Pinaka said, her voice once again containing excitement.


    ¡°Could this help you recover?¡± Hearing her excited tone, he felt this must be important to her.


    ¡°Yes. Harvest as much as you can! Quickly, before others try!¡± She urged.


    Nodding, his body glowed with a trace of dense silver-blue aurora light. This was the first time he revealed his soul energy cultivation base fully.


    ¡°What?!¡± Gu¨¤n Cui was stunned to a blank state. This person not only had a peak-True Essence rivaling body cultivation, but he also had a Perfect Aurora Soul Realm cultivation base?! This¡­


    The surrounding cultivators reeled in shock, their eyes displaying deeper fear than ever before. If a body cultivation that could rival the peak of the True Essence Realm was frightening, then combining that with a Perfect Aurora Soul Realm cultivation base made him an absolute monster. Fortunately, his qi cultivation was severely lacking or else this person would be a demon at cultivation.


    If they knew Yan Zaizen was under one hundred years of age, their expressions would be far worse.


    Silver-blue soul energy flowed from his palms, directly manifesting a ten-meter hollow ball. Pushing it into the milk curtain, the ball started to slowly fill with pure white liquid.


    ¡°What! He¡¯s taking the white liquid!¡± One of the cultivator¡¯s exclaimed. The moment he said this, several individuals immediately executed their movement arts and landed near the curtain. They formulated a orb of true-essence similar to Yan Zaizen and attempted to harvest it in the same way.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± A shriek filled with horrific pain resounded. It drew everyone¡¯s gazes as they looked at the shrieker, his cultivation at the initial-True Essence Realm, but his body started to be drenched in pure whiteness. It was remarkably similar to the inky, black moat¡¯s infection.


    He attempted to fight back against the white liquid as it shuttled its way through his body, but it didn¡¯t seem physical. It was at that moment that everyone realized the white liquid was ethereal in nature without physical form.


    Clutching his chest, his body was viciously fighting back against the liquid¡¯s attempt to wash his soul clean, but alas, his rashness led to his immediate erasing of vital components in his soul form. With a soft thud, he slammed powerlessly to the ground. Surprisingly, he wasn¡¯t physically dead. His body still exuded a vibrant lifeforce and it couldn¡¯t be considered dead.


    Unfortunately, his soul flame was washed clean by the Asura¡¯s Milk, maliciously wiping out his memories, instincts, and consciousness. If he wakes up, he¡¯ll be like a newborn baby without any sense of self.


    ¡°This¡­¡± After that, no one else took action, immediately retracting their harvesting orbs of true-essence. Many were smart, waiting to see if others could do so before they attempted themselves. Others were lucky, their speed was simply far too slow so they couldn¡¯t take action. This saved their very consciousness.


    As for Yan Zaizen, he didn¡¯t even consider anyone else. After his orb was filled, he waved his hand to send the soul energy ball filled with Asura¡¯s Milk into his Meteor Ring. Afterwards, he immediately created another of the same size.


    After a while, others realized that Yan Zaizen was harvesting using soul energy and not true-essence. It was likely this very reason why it worked. Unfortunately, the person who tried to harvest next only had a Advanced Aurora Soul. Despite being able to resist its effects, it couldn¡¯t be harvested with such a little cultivation.


    That person suffered the same fate - his soul washed clean.


    Before long, nine thousand experts filled the room once more. Their eyes looked towards Yan Zaizen with curiosity, but didn¡¯t take action. From his soul energy fluctuation, his cultivation could rival late-True Essence cultivators. There was little reason to offend someone like that for white liquid that many didn¡¯t truly comprehend.


    Before long, Wu Kun, the one who originally wanted everyone to work together in an attempt to deal with the Asura Golem, arrived with his allies. As a high-ranking member of the Wu Clan in the Xiantu Empire, a first-level heavenly-tier force, he had a unique arrogance about him.


    Unlike others, he didn¡¯t have any fear to have a conversation with Yan Zaizen openly despite his soul cultivation. ¡°How are you capable of harvesting this white liquid?¡± He inquired.


    Yan Zaizen turned towards him with a slight smile, gazing at the Imperial Family members of Presba who were making their way towards the Wu Clan without proper clothes. His eyes gleamed with an intelligence, and he realized it was likely they were allied. He had some faint impressions of this Wu Kun individual.


    ¡°If you have a cultivation of the mid-True Essence Realm or Advanced Aurora Soul Realm, you can penetrate the curtain. However, if you wish to harvest it, you¡¯ll need a Perfect Aurora Soul cultivation base.¡± He said truthfully. It wasn¡¯t like he cared if others knew. If they had the capabilities to harvest the curtain, then go for it.


    From what Pinaka said, the Asura¡¯s Milk could fill an entire ocean. Despite filling several dozen ten-meter balls, the curtain showed no sign of disruption. It truly felt endless. Even if he spent several years harvesting, its unlikely he could take it all at the speed he was going. In truth, he had to do so carefully and focus all his energy into one ball as to not suffer any backlash of the Asura¡¯s Milk like the others. Therefore, his speed was rather slow.


    ¡°I see,¡± Wu Kun nodded in understanding. After looking at the curtain of white liquid for a bit, his eyes flashed with even further understanding. It seemed he realized this was Asura¡¯s Milk from what Yan Zaizen said.


    As for everyone else, their eyes flashed with intelligence and wariness. They originally didn¡¯t know the requirements to pass the curtain, but now they realized. As most of the cultivators were currently in the room, they understood the limitation. Unless a group could gain a mid-True Essence expert to protect them, it¡¯ll be unlikely for them to bypass this room.


    Their journey would end here.

 Chapter 136 - Still Too Young

    As Yan Zaizen was harvesting in peace, Wu Kun finally got interested in why the Presba¡¯s Imperial forces were half-naked without anything to call their own. Considering he allied with them, robbing them so directly was an affront to his name. His first intentions were to get back face for himself when he saw them.


    ¡°...¡±


    Then, he heard what happened.


    The notion of revenge fluttered away like a blue jay in spring.


    ¡°Understood. Men, give them some of your spare clothes.¡± Was all he instructed, then he looked towards Yan Zaizen with a deeply concealed glint within his gaze. Yan Zaizen had two profound cultivation bases, one at the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm and peak-True Essence body cultivation. As this was only the entryway into the second floor, he had zero intentions of offending someone like this.


    He also thought it was absurd. If Yan Zaizen truly took Princess Qin forcefully because of her beauty, it would be far too simple to take her as his wife. With his prowess, he would only need to say a word, and Dong Long would easily agree. Hell, even Princess Qin herself would do so. With a husband of such strength, it¡¯ll be like becoming the Empress of a continent. Even the Xiantu Empire would give him face!


    As for performing the deed for revenge? What reason did he have to do it in the shadows? He could simply do so openly, take her as a slave, and wipe out her entire force. From his knowledge, Dong Long was the strongest cultivator amongst Presba¡¯s Imperial Family. Killing him was as simple as a breath for Yan Zaizen. What issues could he have?


    After a while, many individuals were using special tools, a combined soul energy construction of multiple individuals, or a profound soul cultivation to harvest the Asura¡¯s Milk. Unfortunately, a few people had their souls washed in failure, but most were cautious enough to be definitively sure they could harvest a single drop before taking action.


    Others were trying to figure out the requirements for them to take their group through the curtain. A group of three initial-True Essence Realm and several Origin Core cultivators pulled their strength together to penetrate the curtain. Regrettably, even combined, their strength couldn¡¯t rival the mid-True Essence Realm. Their souls were directly cleansed in their attempt.


    As for their possessions, Yan Zaizen was the first to take action. His soul energy constructing a thick robe, it traveled at high-speed to snag all objects in their possessions. As for the True Essence experts, he snatched their bodies as well. With their soul flames wiped, they were essentially dead. He was always one to obtain a profit. A True Essence corpse was incredibly valuable.


    Many who watched had some discontent, but they didn¡¯t take action due to Yan Zaizen¡¯s prowess. He, of course, actively avoided those who still had experts to pick up their bodies. He wasn¡¯t so ruthless as to take their bodies from their friends and families. As for those who didn¡¯t have anyone? They were directly taken with zero hesitation.


    After three days, many experts had already passed to the second floor, but Yan Zaizen was still harvesting the Asura¡¯s Milk. Regardless of what¡¯s on the second floor, the Asura¡¯s Milk had a far greater worth than anything that¡¯d be there. As for his original group, they had long since departed. With their total strength, bypassing the curtain was an easy feat. However, harvesting the milk was impossible.


    Only after a month, did Yan Zaizen finally exit, entering the second floor. If he stayed here for too long, its likely everything in the entire palace would be taken by others. He couldn¡¯t have that.


    Just like he assumed, when he arrived at the main hall, this time with ten corridors, his spiritual sense revealed nothing but ransacked areas. There was even evidence of fierce battles taking place. It seemed there was something of exceptional value within these doors. At least, enough to fight fiercely for.


    Ma Xiuren stayed silently by Yan Zaizen¡¯s side throughout. Due to the fact she decided to accompany Yan Zaizen, she had missed her chance to fight for the second floor¡¯s treasures. Her eyes flickered as she carefully scanned the area, but she didn¡¯t feel the slightest hint of regret.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Yan Zaizen urged. With that, they both traversed the halls towards a destroyed spatial platform. Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t help but feel that this layout was rather reminiscent of the Anima Syndicate¡¯s. The Anima Syndicate had three corridors, several doors, and at the end of each corridor, two miniaturized spatial platforms. It may not be the exact same but it was quite similar.


    Ma Xiuren withdrew a silver-orb. It was exactly the same one as Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s. It seems the situation of destroying a spatial platform was quite common in exploration campaigns and many prepared for it. Despite the initial travelers obviously destroying it during their departure, nine thousand cultivators still was capable of entering the second floor. Not to mention, there was no one on this floor except for them.


    This indicated that everyone made it to the third floor. At least, those who were alive.


    A spatial tunnel was produced by the silver-orb. With a leap, they both entered.


    What awaited them was similar to the first and second floor. A vast room with a single door at the further end. However, there was no one here. Whatever guarded the third floor was likely dealt with during the month they idled in harvesting.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Yan Zaizen felt a little discontent. However, he felt that Pinaka¡¯s previous words towards difficultly was correct. The first floor had the highest difficulty out of all the floors. This could be seen by the Golem¡¯s strength capable of rivaling a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert in its domain, yet the Asura¡¯s Milk could be bypassed with a mid-True Essence strength. The third floor likely had similar defenses, but it was obviously not enough to stop all those who could reach here.


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    Similar to the second floor, the third floor was ransacked. The battle here was far more intense than before. He could see burnt limbs scattered about without a torso, blood sprayed all over the floors and walls painted in its crimson color, and even areas within the corridors suffering severe damage. The greater the benefits, the greater the fighting.


    ¡°I wonder how many died¡­¡± These were top-tier experts. In their respective continents, they could be rulers of billions, conquer as kings and queens for tens of thousands of years, but their lives were reaped here. It caused him to well up with melancholy.


    The world of cultivation may be defined by strength, but many in their pursuit of strength die. Their stories vanishing in the sands of time, their lives no longer affecting those around them and their fight against the heavens ending with their last bemoaned breath.


    Would he suffer a similar fate one day? A fate where his breath ceased and his dao vanished?


    Ma Xiuren looked at Yan Zaizen curiously, noticing his intense reactions. She reached out and gently held Yan Zaizen¡¯s hand with her small dainty one.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Feeling someone¡¯s hand intermingled with his own, Yan Zaizen was startled. His gaze turned to see a little girl with bright eyes and a soft smile. Despite this little girl having the age close to three thousand, that smile calmed down his mind. Taking a deep breath, he recollected his mental state.


    ¡°As cultivators, we fight against the heavens. We fight against our fellow man. We fight against time itself. Our only reason for existence is to fight. Fight for a better life, to protect our loved ones, and to experience contentment without fear. If the day comes that I die, then I¡¯ll die. Until then, I¡¯ll fight.¡± He silently muttered to himself, a dark-amber luster illuminating his gaze.


    ¡°...¡± Pinaka stayed silent during this. For this, this specific realization, Yan Zaizen needed to find the path himself. As cultivators, no one¡¯s immortal, and the fighting never stopped. As she said before, we fight for us! But that also meant we die for us! Her former master had profound cultivation that could contend against the heavens and a dao of his own, and yet...he still perished beneath another¡¯s blade.


    Ma Xiuren¡¯s hand clenched a little tighter, her gaze also occupied with a blazing luminance.


    As they reached the fourth floor, they discovered the situation wasn¡¯t much different. However, the fights here was beyond what words could describe. The most simple and direct way to do so: It was savage to the extreme. The corridors numbered six, yet each one was filled with pools of multicolored blood, pieces of bones and even brain matter. There were remnant true-essence and vital energy scattered about that caused the surroundings to feel turbulent and heavy.


    Yan Zaizen could even see feathers that seemed to originate from that large four-winged bird scattered about drenched in silver blood. There was even a giant¡¯s head...however only half of it remained. It was severely affected by the Mortal Law of Decay. The smell it emitted was horrendously putrid. The gaze in its singular eye was filled with an unwillingness to concede before being sharply removed.


    As his first Realm Exploration Campaign, he was surprised by all this. As he continued to approach the next spatial platform, Yan Zaizen saw a broken blade.


    ¡°This is¡­¡± His memory flashed as he remembered Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s sky-rank sword.


    This was it.


    He could sense her remnant true-essence lingering on the broken pieces. Ma Xiuren looked at the broken blade and didn¡¯t show any shift of expression. Even towards the violence from the corridor, her bright eyes contained a trace of pureness that seemed untainted. Perhaps she had gotten used to such events. Perhaps she ignored them. However, Yan Zaizen felt a little relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯m truly too young.¡± He silently muttered in admittance. In his lifetime, he has killed. He has slaughtered people, but typically he¡¯s always been in the superior position. Never had he faced struggles or seen someone die fighting with all their might and will. Regardless of his Dao, he was never in a situation where he had to fight with his life truly on the line.


    He looked towards the pathway that leads to the next spatial platform. A scene flashed across his eyes. He held the body of a person, his eyes filled with crimson tears, and his mouth frothing with emotion. A stomach-curdling scream was released at the heavens. No, it seemed to go beyond that.


    In a split second, his vision returned as if the scene had never occurred. There was a remnant of surrealism at it all. As if the scene was truly real but also wasn''t.


    Before, when his cultivation base was weaker, he experienced something similar.


    Looking at his right hand, he felt a surrealness wash over him. ¡°That...didn¡¯t look like me, but why...did it feel like me.¡± He was more attuned towards the slight changes than before, and he wasn¡¯t so naive to believe it happened twice without reason. Almost instinctively, he caressed his glabella. This action caused him to freeze. Shaking his head, he realized the mysteries about him was far too great.


    His cultivation base has already reached a high-realm, yet he still discovered nothing about what the black hole means or how it became a part of his soul.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Those questions will be answered in the future, but he felt that day was far away. With that, they entered the fifth floor.

 Chapter 137 - Sweeping The Fifth Floor

    The number of cultivators at the fifth-floor entrance was shockingly only six thousand in number. Witnessing the low number remaining, Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression was a little solemn. For four thousand experts to have died trying to make it this far, it truly was brutal.


    When the experts saw Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren appear, their eyes flickered with a vigilant gaze. Many could be seen having already prepared their cultivation bases, yet there was no battle. During the venture, there were likely many who made enemies or fought to a tie for treasures. There were areas cordoned off by formations set by various experts. Within these areas were cultivators recovering from their wounds with all sorts of elixirs and pills.


    It seemed some groups teamed up together that weren¡¯t originally doing so. The stressful situation for the weaker teams must¡¯ve been rather harsh. How could they not decide to team up? Shockingly, Gu¨¤n Cui was still alive. She laid in the lotus position within a formation that manifested a grand pure white crane. However, one of her members were no longer with them. As for the rest, they seemed to be severely injured.


    Near them were Wu Kun, Yao Wuhen¡¯s group, the Imperial Family of Presba, and a few other groups together in close proximity. Obviously, it seemed they had teamed up for survival. The Xi¨¡o City Lord was with another group farther away, their overall cultivation bases and number didn¡¯t lose out to Wu Kun¡¯s band of cultivators.


    ¡°Alliances...I guess with benefits and their lives on the line, the most logical course of action is to share.¡± Yan Zaizen muttered, his eyes fluttering about.


    Yao Wuhen was only at the initial-True Essence Realm, so making it thus far was an accomplishment. However, she had a very disgruntled appearance. Her usual mature and elegant charm was washed with pain and exhaustion. When she felt someone¡¯s gaze upon herself and the sudden shift in atmospheric presence, her eyes opened to see Yan Zaizen standing next to a little girl in a flower dress.


    ¡°Him!¡± During the Imperial Family accusation event, she was still trying to make her way there. When they passed the second floor, they saw him, but because they were in a hurry, she didn¡¯t approach. Now, however, her eyes were brilliant. These last two floors had intense battles and close calls. If it wasn¡¯t for her earlier preparations, she would have lost her life.


    The enemies created weren¡¯t small.


    Taking out a mirror, she checked her appearance. With a slight usage of true-essence, she cleaned herself up. When Xin Xiaoyu and Fu Jing saw this, they were curious at her actions. However, when she upped and left the formation to walk towards Yan Zaizen, their eyes revealed a sparkle of realization.


    Wu Kun also noticed Yan Zaizen¡¯s arrival. It¡¯s been one month since the second floor; it seems Yan Zaizen finished his harvesting of the Asura¡¯s Milk. However, he didn¡¯t approach Yan Zaizen but simply gazed at him for a brief period. Afterward, his eyes closed in meditative recovery. As one of the strongest experts in his group, he had to fight at the forefront for any benefits. The strain on him was massive.


    ¡°Mister Zai,¡± Yao Wuhen called out, her voice filled with a calm elegance. Witnessing Yao Wuhen¡¯s approach, Yan Zaizen felt a little odd in his heart. A major reason had to be her very existence here. If she died, he¡¯d have to move his clan elsewhere. That would be a little troublesome.


    ¡°Yao Wuhen,¡± despite his thoughts, he responded with a warm smile on his face. What he didn¡¯t know, was that nearby, the moment she walked out of the formation alone, a woman from another group with a cultivation base at the peak mid-True Essence Realm revealed a pair of murderously sharp eyes. If it wasn¡¯t for Yao Wuhen calling out Yan Zaizen¡¯s name, it''s possible she would¡¯ve already attacked.


    Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t stop walking towards Yan Zaizen, directly arriving in close proximity to him amongst everyone¡¯s curious gaze. At this distance, he could smell her womanly scent in his nose. As a young man, he felt an odd sensation swell in his heart. Ma Xiuren looked at Yao Wuhen for a brief moment and turned towards the location of the woman revealing a ludicrous amount of killing intent. She remained silent as always.


    ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± Yao Wuhen asked, her voice was softer than a marshmallow, but it could still be heard by all the experts in the surroundings.


    Furrowing his brows, Yan Zaizen gave her a curious gaze. ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Can you protect me?¡± As she asked this, she brushed her hair gently to the side. Her gaze was soft and filled with vulnerability. Yan Zaizen was startled to blankness. Was she attempting to use her feminine guiles of beauty to bewitch him? To him, there was no reason for her to do such a thing; if something threatened her life, it would also threaten the lives of his uncle, aunt, and grandfather.


    If she died in here, then he¡¯ll simply relocate them. However, if it''s carried to the outside, her sect may be annihilated by an external force. It was best if everyone understood that he stood firmly behind her to have people think nine times before taking action.


    ¡°Mhm. I¡¯ll protect you.¡± With that, he turned towards the woman who revealed sharp killing intent, his expression turned dark as his eyes flickered with a silver-blue aurora-like radiance.


    ¡°Do you wish to kill her?¡± When he asked this question, his voice was filled with tyrannical arrogance and murderous intent. The woman¡¯s expression changed drastically as she saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flash a silver-blue color. She understood she wasn¡¯t his match, especially since she also witnessed him decimating Dong Long with very little effort. In comparison, her strength only exceeded Dong Long¡¯s by a bit.


    The woman thought for a brief moment and shook her head in denial. She understood her limits. A wrong answer and the defensive formation she was in wouldn¡¯t last two seconds. The killing intent in her eyes lessened considerably, and she stayed silent. Her allies behind her already had thoughts of casting her outwards if she provoked this monster of a man.


    Yan Zaizen looked away, not bothering with the woman any longer. He didn¡¯t know the issue Yao Wuhen had with her, but he wouldn¡¯t start a war over her. He wasn¡¯t going to be her dog that, at the bat of her lashes and soft voice, would be sicced on her enemies. He may not have a Dao of Pride, but he disliked being used by others.


    Ma Xiuren witnessed this, her eyes flickering with intelligent light. She subtly stepped closer to Yan Zaizen, her eyes tracing the contours of his face with a soft smile on her face.


    Yan Zaizen examined the surroundings and noticed that there wasn¡¯t a door that lead to the next level as before. This room didn¡¯t seem to have an exit or entrance. As they entered through a spatial platform, there was no platform that leads to higher levels. It seems it was also concealed.


    ¡°Are we trapped?¡± He questioningly muttered but didn¡¯t feel like that was the case. If they were truly trapped, the others would¡¯ve worked together in unison to completely break free quickly to avoid any random events from occurring.


    ¡°Somewhat.¡± Yao Wuhen calmly answered. It seems she regained her previous elegant and calm demeanor. She no longer had a soft gaze suffused with vulnerability. It seems, with Yan Zaizen¡¯s protection, she no longer felt insecure.


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    ¡°Oh? Then?¡±


    ¡°This floor¡¯s objective is to find the door.¡± She stated, looking about with observant eyes. She continued, ¡°However, it¡¯s always moving. As this was the entrance to the fifth floor, only two remained, and all these floors belonged to important individuals. Only those with specific methods could exit this area. Without it, you¡¯ll be unable to go forward or backward in your steps. If we can find the entrance, open it, and enter. We can reach the fifth floor.¡±


    An invisible door in constant motion. The Asura Phantom Palace truly had innovative methods to protect themselves. It may not be as destructive as the first floor¡¯s Asura Golem, but it was insidious to trap all intruders.


    ¡°Others may be unable to sense the entrance, but I can. I can also open it!¡± Pinaka confidently said, her voice tinged with pride. As a True Spirit, one who was personally developed and merged with a Sovereign-level conceptual law, nourished by a sixth-floor Heavenly Genesis expert, and has boundless experience, how could she not perceive a hidden door?


    In truth, the door released very minute fluctuations of soul energy, but unless one had the specific sensory art or an Astral Soul Realm cultivation base, it¡¯ll be incredibly difficult to discover it or hone onto it. Of course, with the experts here, they likely had various methods to bypass this obstacle, but it¡¯ll likely be taxing and time-consuming to do so.


    Hearing this, Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t shocked. He looked towards Yao Wuhen, ¡°will you stay with me?¡±


    If she decided to travel with him, he would take her with him. Surprisingly, she didn¡¯t agree to his offer. Yao Wuhen had her own responsibilities and alliances, if she threw them away, she¡¯ll be looked down upon by all. Of course, asking Yan Zaizen to join them would be ridiculous.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Acknowledging her response, his eyes flashed with a trace of silver-blue. A spiritual sense marked itself on her body. As an initial-True Essence expert, she noticed this immediately and couldn¡¯t help but reveal gratitude in her eyes. Of course, with his agreement with Pinaka, he didn¡¯t have more than 5% of his soul energy at any given time, but it was still sufficient to protect her against mid-True Essence experts.


    Not to mention, it possessed his Mortal Dao amplification. 1% of his soul energy at the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm could cause injury to any initial-True Essence Realm, if one infused his dao into it, killing a mid-True Essence Realm expert wouldn¡¯t be difficult. The spiritual sense could also mark her body, if she was killed, Yan Zaizen would know by who and where.


    In truth, he did this selfishly. If she was killed, he would make arrangements for his clan.


    ¡°Ma Xiuren, let¡¯s go,¡± he reached out his hand towards Ma Xiuren. For a second, she was a little surprised by his extended hand, but she grasped it firmly soon after the initial shock.


    Their bodies were covered by a silver-blue luminescent glow. With a step, they flew towards one point in the room with shocking speed. While in tow, Ma Xiuren calmly looked at all this.


    ¡°What?!¡± Several individuals were shocked by Yan Zaizen suddenly propulsion forward. Looking curiously at Yan Zaizen, their eyes flickered with intelligent light. However, in an instant, Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren entered a pool of grey that seemed to suddenly appear on the wall. Their bodies sank, the auras they emitted vanished as they were completely submerged.


    ¡°MOVE!¡± Many also saw this, their bodies moving at exceptional speed. A late-True Essence Expert nearby dashed towards the pool of grey color on the wall with zooming speed. He was mere inches away from the pool of grey before it vanished like the night at the arrival of the sun.


    BOOM! CRACK!!


    ¡°AHHHHHHHH!!!¡± A shriek filled with intense pain resounded as a bloody spat was left on the wall. The expert had used his greatest speed with zero restraint. It was like a high-speed train smashing against an immovable wall. His bones, blood, and flesh splat on the wall so heavily that the room shook with heavy vibrations. To all those present, it was like an earthquake had occurred.


    Hiss!


    Everyone reeled back at that painful sight. The expert may have a profound qi cultivation base, but one could easily see his body cultivation was far weaker in comparison. However, if it wasn¡¯t for his qi cultivation base, he would¡¯ve been killed instantly by this collision. Fortunately, he was just physically crippled. With time and medicine, he¡¯ll recover.


    On the fifth floor.


    Yan Zaizen arrived with Ma Xiuren in tow. The design was well maintained but only five corridors were constructed. Each corridor different auras. The furthest to the right had a strong medicinal smell. This one definitely had elixirs and pills.


    The one next to it had a serene droning sound emitting from the walls, but there were no doors at the walls of this corridor. Instead, there was just a single door at the end. From his experience, that door leads to the main garden within the floor. The door itself should contain a sub-dimension specifically designed for nourishing flora and herbs.


    Middle corridor contained very faint traces of differing qi¡¯s, from basic qi, to qi-essence, to true-essence. All of the qi that lingered seemed to have a spirituality of its own, likely originated from the World Law of Soul. From his estimations the location to the training fields and storage for essence materials used in training.


    To the left of the middle corridor was nothing. It was similar to the medicinal corridor with a singular door, but it didn¡¯t have any strong distinction. The sub-dimension it possessed must definitely be the arts and methods located within, and if the previous corridor didn¡¯t have essence materials, this one did!


    As for the last one, it gave off a strong metallic smell filled with spirituality. The storehouse for armaments!


    ¡°Wait.¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked, if his guesses were correct, then...where¡¯s the exit? Where were the residential areas?


    ¡°Look up.¡± As if reading his mind, Pinaka¡¯s voice answered his question. Looking up, he could see a wide and deep upward tunnel filled with various multi-colored doors. This caused his eyes to constrict suddenly. A tunnel upwards? He could tell, from the faint spatial fluctuations on the doors, that they were all sub-dimensional areas. At the end of this upward tunnel was a spatial platform.


    A faint smirk tugged at his lips. ¡°Let¡¯s sweep it all.¡±


    Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren took a single step forward. Their bodies vanished like ghosts as they went to pick this place completely clean. As for the others? Everyone else be damned!

 Chapter 138 - White-Bone Altar

    Two figures hovered mid-air next to a silver spatial platform. If one looked at their eyes, it revealed a brilliant light of happiness and satisfaction as if they won the lottery. In truth, they did. Earlier, they swept the entirety of the fifth floor from recorded arts and methods to armaments and alchemy.


    They split it fairly with a simple arrangement.


    Whoever obtained it, owned it.


    Surprisingly, Ma Xiuren didn¡¯t lose out to Yan Zaizen in wealth obtained. Her qi cultivation was at the peak-Origin Core Realm, but her body cultivation easily rivaled the mid-True Essence Realm in vital energies. That didn¡¯t even include her physique tempering from the method she practiced. With her physical speed, she snatched what she wanted and blew through any formations in her way.


    He felt more and more that she wasn¡¯t so simple.


    She gave him a sense of reliability. It wasn¡¯t just how she looked, being around a seven or eight-year-old girl, but all of her actions towards Yan Zaizen left him with a developed sense of trust. Despite this, they never held an actual conversation. Since she didn¡¯t talk, he didn¡¯t force her to but he was curious. Initially, he¡¯d assumed she was mute, but when he attempted to send her a soul transmission, she didn¡¯t reply either.


    Only shook her head.


    He found this strange, but everyone had their own personality. It¡¯s possible she had her own difficulties as well.


    ¡°The sixth floor,¡± Yan Zaizen muttered. The fifth floor was the area for Core Disciples, Core Elders and those of equivalent status. The sixth floor, however, was the quarters of the Upper-Echelon. Even if the formations had deteriorated with time, these members would likely place exceptionally profound defenses against thieves both inside the sect and outside the sect.


    With their exceptionally profound cultivation bases, likely rivaling the first-floor of the Heavenly Genesis Realm, they couldn¡¯t be underestimated.


    ¡°The next floor may not contain anything. All those at the upper-echelon wouldn¡¯t allow their things to be taken or stored in their residences.¡± Pinaka commented, her words seemed to come from experience. ¡°When one reaches the Heavenly Genesis realm and constructs their heavenly shrine, they obtain an entire sub-dimension for themselves. Within it, they can keep all of their important objects or, if it''s large enough, their entire possessions.¡±


    When Yan Zaizen heard this, his expression darkened. In that case, what they just obtained could be everything that¡¯s left. In that case, they¡¯ll have to exit the same way they came in. When the others come to check out the area to find it scavenged, they¡¯ll likely await his return in an alliance.


    Ma Xiuren seemed to have similar thoughts. Her eyes flickered with various lights suffused with caution and calculation. If they exited right now, they could avoid this issue. The strong groups would still venture to the sixth and seventh floor for benefits. This couldn¡¯t be avoided. However, if it takes a long time to bypass the sixth floor¡¯s obstacle, then the others may catch up.


    In that case, they may team up right then and there. In this situation, they¡¯ll be stuck between a rock and a hard place. That being said, how could Yan Zaizen back down? The sheer possibility of something grand beyond this floor was still there. If he could obtain it, then he¡¯ll try! He couldn¡¯t give up and back down, his Dao was of Sovereign Ascension after all!


    ¡°I¡¯m going forward, what about you?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired. Ma Xiuren only gave a decisive nod. A slight smile surfaced on Yan Zaizen¡¯s face. It feels odd having someone by your side in a dangerous venture. The sensation was different than his time in the Deep Mines with Tao.


    It was satisfying!


    ¡°En.¡± With that, he activated the spatial platform. With a flash of silver light, both of their figures vanished.


    ----


    In the seventh floor of the Asura Phantom Palace, two figures that were incorporeal in form shimmered in and out of existence with instability. They were soul forms without bodies, but they had an odd characteristic. If Yan Zaizen saw them, he¡¯d recognize them as phantasms or spiritual phantoms. The formation that triggered at the entrance attempted to change him into a lesser version of one of these things that couldn¡¯t be considered alive or dead.


    They were souls that thrived by assimilating other souls into their own for cultivation. Kneeling, they stood before a two-layered white-bone altar that stood thousands of meters high. The altar had dark-crimson blood on each layer that seemed to be simmering in intense heat. At its peak, a sky-blue orb was placed like a divine object on a platform, it fluctuated with intense soul fluctuations.


    The altar released an aura of profound concealment. If one wasn¡¯t directly looking at the altar, it¡¯ll be as if it was never there.


    ¡°We¡¯ve done it.¡± One of the phantoms said, its voice filled with ancientness but suffused with excitement. This phantom looked like an old man with withered hair, skin, and dull, lifeless eyes. Despite this, the fluctuations that radiated from him could cause any expert in Asura Phantom Realm to quiver.


    The other phantom was of a young woman. She was an exceptional beauty and the exact opposite of the old man. Her hair was so long its length exceeded eight feet. Her figure was full, her eyes bright, and her illusory skin looked soft without any blemishes.


    ¡°The Realm Lord of this Minor Realm is truly too gullible,¡± the young woman spoke with intense disdain in her voice, ¡°all we had to do was reveal the entrance to the realm and he sent sacrifices here without qualms. Now, with the help of their lifeforce, vital essence and souls, we¡¯ll be able to revive him!¡±


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    The old phantasm didn¡¯t say anything, simply looked at the white-bone altar with traces of reverence in his eyes. To him, this was reviving his god. Now, all it¡¯ll take is time before the process will be complete.


    ¡°Oh? It seems we¡¯ve got our first set of personal sacrifices,¡± the young woman commented, her eyes looking at empty space with an amused glint in her eyes. However, the old man stayed looking at the altar with no shift in emotions. ¡°If we can obtain them, we¡¯ll be able to shorten the time it¡¯ll take to revive him.¡± Her words were deliberate as the once dull-eyes of the old man shone brilliantly afterwards.


    His ethereal body vanished suddenly.


    ¡°Haha!¡± The young woman laughed mischievously with content that she didn¡¯t possess for tens of thousands of years. Finally, her father was returning. When he did, she¡¯ll be able to reconstruct a proper soul form, reconstruct her body, and be reborn anew!


    ----


    With a flash of silver light, Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren appeared in an area of pure blackness. This area didn¡¯t seem like it had an up, down, left, or right. There was no light nor wind. It reminded him of chaotic space, but it was vastly different, as chaotic space didn¡¯t have anything, no aura, no fluctuations, just an omnipresent ripping force.


    They floated mid-air with surveying eyes. To their surprise, this floor contained nothing. ¡°Could this be the sixth obstacle? Where we have to find another door?¡± Yan Zaizen asked Pinaka. However, for a long while, he got no response. Only after several minutes passed did she speak, but the words caused Yan Zaizen to feel insecure.


    ¡°This is bad,¡± she nervously said.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This is a shattered sub-dimensional realm. Typically, there¡¯s no way out.¡± Pinaka informed, her voice filled with a nervous tone. For the first time, he felt Pinaka be nervous. One must know, she possessed Yan Zaizen¡¯s Mortal Dao of Sovereign Ascension which contained unyielding confidence. Yet, she was nervous.


    ¡°No way out?!¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked, he shifted around to the left and right, his sense - both qi and spiritual - was sent out in a wanton fashion to search every inch of this location. Unfortunately, there was nothing but blackness. He even tried to use his qi-essence combined with his spatial laws to breach space, but this location had far stronger space than before. No matter what he tried, he failed.


    He could reach millions of li in distance, but found absolutely nothing!


    Ma Xiuren also had an insecure glint within her eyes. It seemed she understood the situation, but she was inwardly shocked. Pinaka didn¡¯t mention it, but a sub-dimensional realm that¡¯s collapsed, normally, one couldn¡¯t actually travel there. Typically, the sub-dimensional realm would be collapsed while you¡¯re still inside. This would trap you in there forever, but it also meant no one could enter it forever. Unless you had a special method or tool to do so.


    ¡°So what do we do?¡± Yan Zaizen, however, wasn¡¯t panicked. He wasn¡¯t knowledgeable about these things, but his confidence in the situation didn¡¯t drop a single ounce. Pinaka may have inherited his dao, but he created his dao! It was the representation of who he was, and it''s not something that could be changed.


    ¡°...¡± Pinaka and Ma Xiuren was silent. They truly had nothing they could do. This should¡¯ve been impossible. How could one prepare for the impossible?


    Witnessing their lack of reaction, Yan Zaizen softly nodded. ¡°Then, we¡¯ll search around. If we entered, there must be a way to exit.¡± With that, he flew forward at a steady pace. Ma Xiuren followed behind, her eyes looking at Yan Zaizen¡¯s confident smile and serene attitude. She didn¡¯t say anything but subtly stepped closer. The insecure feeling she felt at the situation started to melt like ice in summer.


    ¡°If my qi cultivation base was higher, I would be able to exit this place.¡± Yan Zaizen silently thought, his gaze looking to and fro with caution. His current cultivation was only at the late-Qi Unification Realm, this was exceptionally low. Unfortunately, he couldn¡¯t locate where his Origin Source was.


    It was like...it wasn¡¯t in his body.


    Wait.


    His eyes flickered with a trace of acute light. However, before he could touch upon that insight, a ray of black light that seemed to fuse perfectly with the black surroundings shot towards them like a missile. It was concealed in a stealth, unable to be seen due to the background, unable to be sensed due to its characteristics, or heard due to its silent nature. An attack like this was the perfect strike in the dark, quite literally.


    Normally, Yan Zaizen wouldn¡¯t have noticed this, but he felt his soul form slightly tremble with an instinctual sensation of danger.


    ¡°!¡±


    Herculean Avatar Art!!


    His body transformed instantly. With that, he decisively grabbed Ma Xiuren, and with a flash, they shifted several li away from their previous location. Having been suddenly grabbed and taken away like a little girl, Ma Xiuren felt odd. She looked towards Yan Zaizen to see him with vibrant amber-gold eyes filled with vigilance. With that one glance, her vital energies rallied to its highest.


    In that tiny body, she released an aura that could cause mountains to collapse and grown men to kneel in inferiority.


    ¡°Who are you?!¡± Yan Zaizen shouted viciously towards the surroundings, his eyes suffused with tremendous killing intent.

 Chapter 139 - Phantasm!

    He received no response from the surroundings. It¡¯s likely they weren¡¯t the first ones to arrive here by accident, but if that¡¯s the case, why would the person attack them? What good would that do?


    ¡°...Yan Zaizen, be careful. It may be a phantasm.¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice warned.


    Phantasm?!


    From the information he received from earlier at the entrance, Phantoms were soul forms that have gained their independence through unusual and unnatural methods. They do not conform to normal soul cultivation methods but follow along a unique path within the Heavenly Law of the Soul. Essentially, they live off soul energy, and they become unable to stay in a physical body or cultivate the heavens! They lose their laws except for their comprehension of soul concepts, and their soul energy is converted to phantom energy.


    In the simplest explanation, they no longer exist by conventional standards. They can vastly exceed standard lifespans, but in return, they also lose the ability to ever become a person again. By consuming souls, they can strengthen themselves and extend their soul life. However, consuming souls have issues, often times leading to a distorted personality or multiple personalities!


    Phantasms, however, were different. They¡¯ve cultivated to the peak of what phantoms could reach and were theoretically immortal! Unless they were killed, they were eternal. It was essentially the peak of the law of the soul! By cultivating off other souls instead of their own, they reach a stage similar to the Immortal Soul Realm! However, their strengths were considerably weaker.


    The most notable change isn¡¯t immortality but the evolution of their phantom energy into phantasm energy. It held many miraculous traits, such as being able to be silent and concealed within the world.


    A surge of torrential black phantasm energy shifted through the black space, making it seem invisible. Its target? Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren. It continued to approach with a silent momentum. If Yan Zaizen were to be hit by this, his soul would be damaged considerably despite his cultivation base.


    ¡°!¡± He felt his soul tinge with another threat of danger. Grabbing Ma Xiuren again, he dashed away with ghost-like speed. He reappeared several hundred li away, his eyes flickering with a hint of fear. Even with his Dao, that didn¡¯t mean he was absent of fear. It just meant he had confidence in himself. However, there was something lurking in the shadows that felt like it could reap your life at a moment of carelessness.


    How could anyone not feel fear? Well, unless they had a Dao of Fearlessness!


    ¡°There¡¯s something attacking us from the shadows, likely a Phantasm.¡± Yan Zaizen calmly explained to Ma Xiuren. However, when he said that, her eyes were filled, for the very first time, with intense fear. Unlike Yan Zaizen, she didn¡¯t have a profound soul cultivation base to resist against an attack from a Phantasm. If she¡¯s hit once, her entire existence will cease to be.


    She clutched Yan Zaizen¡¯s hand with both of her small dainty hands, it felt cold. He could feel her fear pulsating through him, and he tightly gripped her hand in return. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll get us out of here.¡± Just as he was about to use the spatial compass with no hesitation, Pinaka¡¯s voice resounded.


    ¡°Don¡¯t! If you use the spatial compass, you¡¯ll leave her behind!¡± Her voice was beyond urgent. Normally, if Yan Zaizen dies, so will she, but if Yan Zaizen does this and she didn¡¯t tell him, it¡¯s likely their trust would be irrevocably shattered. If he makes that choice, it has to be his own with all the information present.


    ¡°What?!¡± Before he could be stunned, he felt another sensation of profound danger. With a single step, he traversed several li, but the danger remained. ¡°Shit!¡± He took another step, blasting through the space with boundless speed, arriving several tens of li away. Unfortunately, the sensation of danger only became stronger.


    Despite traveling from here to there, trying to dodge the danger, the sensation became more potent than the second before. ¡°Shit, I don¡¯t know where the attacks are coming from or who¡¯s sending it! How am I supposed to fight this?¡± He felt frustrated, but he didn¡¯t stop moving about. This, however, was not a legitimate and long-term strategy.


    Sooner or later, he¡¯ll be hit. If and when that happens, he could lose his life. Even if he could survive due to the mysteries in his soul form, Ma Xiuren would certainly die!!


    Think! Think! Think!


    Each step was followed by various plans of action on how to handle the situation. Surprisingly, Pinaka stayed silent. It¡¯s unlikely she was ever in a situation similar to this one, after all, she didn¡¯t even believe they could enter a collapsed sub-dimensional space in the first place. Without the knowledge of how to escape, she was essentially useless.


    She wasn¡¯t foolish to think Yan Zaizen, with his current qi cultivation base, could fully utilize her to destroy this sub-dimensional space. With a cultivation at the late-Qi Unification realm, that¡¯ll be impossible! He¡¯ll only have a slight chance IF he was at the True Essence Realm.


    ¡°Wait!¡± His mind that was spiraling with ideas honed onto one in particular. If he couldn¡¯t destroy the sub-dimensional realm, then perhaps...he could siphon it!


    With that, he stopped running. He grabbed Ma Xiuren¡¯s small body and placed her in his embrace, and rolled up like a ball. His tall, strong body filled with powerful muscles wrapped around her protectively. Despite the suddenness, Ma Xiuren only had her eyes flash with an intrigued light but allowed it. She even curled up and pushed deeper into his body.


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    It was like a father protecting his daughter from bullets coming from all directions. After all, if she didn¡¯t do this, if the attack that they couldn¡¯t see hit, she¡¯ll die without a doubt. To have someone willing to protect themselves using their own body for her, she felt rather odd, but also calm about it all.


    SHAAH!!


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s curled body started to emit a vast aura of vital energy. It exploded outwards for tens of li, but the area still didn¡¯t reveal an ounce of light from its brilliance. However, before anything was said, this vital energy was suffused with the conceptual law of death - Siphoning Shadow of Death! The vital energy turned an inky black that was even blacker than the surroundings itself.


    The contrast was odd.


    SRVOOM! BOOM!!!


    A ray of phantasm energy penetrated the black vital energy, but when it did, it slowed down in its momentum and was whittled down. Before the energy could reach a few meters away from Yan Zaizen, it vanished, all its energy was siphoned. This siphoned energy converted into even more deathly vital energy!


    It spread out further.


    SRVOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!!!


    The attacks didn¡¯t stop, but every time it came, it was whittled down and converted into a vital energy filled with a deathly aura. Yan Zaizen felt physically exhausted. Even though the deathly vital energy was growing in terms of quantity, his own vital energy was being drained at a considerable speed to expand its range.


    He was trying to siphon the entire sub-dimensional realm after all!


    ¡°Hm?¡± The old phantasm was shocked by Yan Zaizen¡¯s defense. This aura was beyond strange. Typically, vital energy couldn¡¯t even come in contact with soul laws, yet this vital energy could withstand his strikes. What he didn¡¯t know was that this death-law infused vital energy was the product of a refined Regalia of the Heavens! It contained a concept he couldn¡¯t even think to conceive. In truth, he didn¡¯t even know his energy was being siphoned.


    He simply believed Yan Zaizen was sending out more and more energy to defend. This was why he kept attacking.


    BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!


    The phantasm black rays shot ceaselessly in the vital energy shroud for several hours, but it only grew larger. By this point, Yan Zaizen felt thoroughly exhausted. His Herculean Avatar Art had already ended at about ten minutes in, but he maintained his control over the deathly aura. As for Ma Xiuren, her eyes were filled with profound fear. She felt like she was surrounded by death and only Yan Zaizen¡¯s strong body prevented it from reaching her.


    Unfortunately, this was her misunderstanding, but it was incredibly deep. The deathly aura kept increasing with each passing minute, but Yan Zaizen only looked more and more exhausted. He realized that siphoning off the entirety of the sub-dimensional realm was impossible!


    It was far too vast!!


    ¡°This¡­¡± The old phantasm felt odd. How could he survive this? For him, his energy was nearly limitless. The only problem phantasms had were the intensity of their energy, not their reserves, so he could keep this up for a very long time. However, this shroud of deathly vital energy was persistent.


    ¡°Let¡¯s see if it survives this,¡± his ancient voice resounded as he focused his energy to the maximum. Since this man wanted to maintain his current state under the protection of this weird energy, he¡¯ll penetrate it directly with a concentrated blast.


    ¡°!¡± Several hours passed since the last attack, but Yan Zaizen felt an increasing sensation of danger approaching death from every second. He wrapped around Ma Xiuren even further, his heart beating with an increasing degree of fear, but his eyes were suffused with unyielding confidence and relentless pursuit for survival!


    A compressed beam of black phantasm energy shot out with an intensity that even Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren could sense it. However, the speed of this energy was so quick that before they could even react, it smashed heavily into the shroud of deathly vital energy!


    VOSH!! BANG! BOOM!!!!


    The shroud nearly collapsed, but the profound concept that the shroud originated from came from a literal piece of the heavens! How could it be defeated by just this? Viciously, as if its very dignity was insulted, the deathly vital energy converged around the beam of phantasm energy. Before long, it whittled the energy away, siphoning it and making itself far, far stronger than ever before!! It reached several hundred li of distance!


    ¡°What?!¡± After several hours preparing an attack, it failed to penetrate?! The old phantasm was shocked beyond belief, and his eyes turned incomparably serious. He realized at that moment that conventional methods wouldn¡¯t be able to handle this shroud of energy.


    This realization¡­


    However¡­


    WAS TOO LATE!


    Within Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze flickered a white flame.


    ¡°Flame of Life, BURN!!!¡± Yan Zaizen shouted!

 Chapter 140 - Sun of Lifeforce!

    Yan Zaizen¡¯s body wreathed in the Unyielding Flame of Life¡¯s aura! The lifeforce emissions were so staggering that the world went ablaze with light! For once, the darkness was pushed back as if Yan Zaizen¡¯s body acted like a miniature sun. This miniature sun suffused with immense lifeforce started burning the deathly vital energy in the surroundings!


    As if in defiance, the deathly vital energy violently roared! Transforming into a massive wave, it rushed towards Yan Zaizen¡¯s body with the intent of finally winning the never-ending battle with the white flame! However, how could it win?


    The white flame ignited the deathly vital energy it came into contact with, growing ever stronger and brighter than ever before!


    ROAR!!


    The roar contained a trace of unyielding ferocity, to the point it started to siphon off the collapsed sub-dimensional space itself and everything else to supply its power! How could it give up so easily? It was now in a much stronger position than before. It had to win!!


    The surrounding space started to distort as the Siphoning Shadow of Death started to violently siphon off the spatial energies within. This shadow could even siphon off chaotic space amongst its ripping force, how could it not devour sub-dimensional space?!


    ¡°What?!¡± The old phantasm was shocked, his eyes widening in immense horror. The shadow that seemed to have gone insane started siphoning the very space, and not just that, it started siphoning the remnant essence hidden within the realm, it started siphoning everything the sub-dimensional space was! Before long, the concealment energy that once shielded him and the spatial platform within the collapsed sub-dimensional realm was siphoned as well.


    Indeed!


    How could the phantasm actually arrive here? How could Yan Zaizen arrive here? The only logical conclusion was that there was a spatial platform here! In fact, Yan Zaizen and Pinaka landed right on it when they arrived. Unfortunately, it was concealed in a similar aura that concealed the white-bone altar. One must know, even the Xiantu Emperor couldn¡¯t sense the altar!


    How could Yan Zaizen? How could a weakened Pinaka?!


    Sensing the spatial fluctuation, Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze shifted towards the platform. ¡°This is!¡± His eyes lit up with shock, but then with realization. A confident smirk emerged on his lips, and with the last remnant of his vital energy, he sent it towards the Unyielding White Flame.


    The deathly vital energy, in close to a few seconds, was completely burned away. As its replacement, a brilliant white flame that was tens of li in distance surged outwards with vibrant lifeforce.


    ¡°Come to me!¡± Yan Zaizen roared, the white flame heeded to his command. It surged into his body refueling him with the vital energy he once lost, not only that, he had far more than before! Before long, this sun of lifeforce was completely absorbed into his body. A white flame surrounded him that illuminated hundreds of li of distance! The spatial platform and phantasm¡¯s body was mercilessly revealed under its brilliance.


    ROAR!!!


    Feeling exceptional, Yan Zaizen thunderously roared. With this thunderous roar, the sub-dimensional realm quaked as if it was in fear. He removed himself from his curled up state and looked at the spatial platform. Ma Xiuren was beyond shocked. Before, she was surrounded by an aura filled with endless death, but now, Yan Zaizen who was right beside her exuded boundless lifeforce! How could she not be shocked?


    ¡°We¡¯re leaving!¡± With that, he grabbed Ma Xiuren¡¯s hand once more, but this time, it was filled with warmth. Shocked, he looked at Ma Xiuren. She didn¡¯t have an ounce of fear in her gaze. For several hours, he protected her with his own body. How could she be afraid when someone was willing to do such a thing for her?


    However, she only truly realized the danger she was in when she saw a black beam of light penetrating Yan Zaizen¡¯s projected brilliance. If this struck her, it would, without question, end her life.


    As for Yan Zaizen? He smirked at this. With the enemy revealed, what should he be afraid of?


    Herculean Avatar Art!


    Once more, he executed the art, but unlike all previous times, the golden aura and colors were now pure white. His body exuded a boundless lifeforce as his eyes contained a color of pure white!


    Herculean Avatar Art: Life Form!!!


    He had entered an entirely new form as his vital energy was no longer vital energy, but lifeforce energy! Normal lifeforce is normal lifeforce, but lifeforce energy was fundamentally different. This was energy that one could execute arts with! A variant of vital energy! Similar to how phantasm energy is a variant form of soul energy, this was similar.


    ¡°This!¡± Yan Zaizen looked at the white inscriptions on his hands. It exuded a profound lifeforce that exceeded any type of lifeforce he¡¯d seen before. With a clench of his fist, he could feel his strength had been amplified by several-fold! He could also feel his regeneration ability increase by a hundredfold in this form.


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    In the records, it says no two Herculean¡¯s are alike! Was this why?


    This was why!


    With a gaze filled with lifeforce energy, he took a step forward. His body and Ma Xiuren¡¯s form was still there. A beam of black energy penetrated their forms. However, only afterimages were left behind! This was an impossible phenomenon! This was an actual afterimage!


    Normally, afterimages are produced by a lack of perceptual abilities in regards to those who view it, but this afterimage seemed to be space itself lagging behind! It felt like their actual bodies were still there!


    ¡°What?!¡± The old phantasm was shocked, but before he could even think of anything else. A large fist covered in white inscriptions barreled towards him with infinite momentum. This fist was Yan Zaizen¡¯s! He pushed forward with an indomitable momentum so fierce that his intent on smashing this phantasm to nothingness could be felt by the quivering of space itself!


    If it was before, Yan Zaizen would find it impossible to harm a phantasm due to their lack of physical body. A normal fist would simply zoom through it like a shadow. It was this very reason that led to the old phantasm remaining unmoved, instead, he was filled with a boundless confidence at Yan Zaizen¡¯s actions. However, this fist was infused with the heavenly law of life. How could it not touch the heavenly law of soul?


    After the punch failed, he intended to invade Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul and destroy it from the inside. Now that he no longer had that black shroud of protection, killing him would be a simple matter.


    Unfortunately for him, the fist smashed heavily into his form with crushing force.


    Before he could react, he dissipated into nothing. There was no grand explosion or cry out of regret and fear, but the purest eradication of its existence upon the slightest touch.


    A phantasm could theoretically live forever, but if they¡¯re killed, they will die.


    ¡°He¡¯s dead.¡± Yan Zaizen said confidently. The moment his fist came into contact with the phantasm, he could feel his lifeforce energy smash it like a hammer towards a shell. He was thoroughly cracked into nothingness. The lifeforce signature that soul forms had, like Pinaka¡¯s, was no more.


    The lifeforce energy converted back into his vital energy, but the leftover energy, they seeped into his cells, bones, muscles, and blood. In almost an instant, his body felt thoroughly refined by the lifeforce energy. This feeling felt remarkably similar to when he first discovered the Unyielding Flame of Life. When he was situated in Han Genji¡¯s cavern, he would inject his lifeforce infused qi into his body. It would enhance his body slightly and help heal any wounds sustained.


    It truly felt good.


    The Herculean Avatar Art ended.


    ¡°This platform was thoroughly hidden. Even I couldn¡¯t sense it!¡± Pinaka commented, her mind feeling odd at the situation.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible this was the sixth obstacle.¡± Yan Zaizen added his own suspicion, but he felt like that wasn¡¯t correct. He didn¡¯t know why, but he truly felt it wasn¡¯t true. He had the faint suspicions that this was the sixth floor. Perhaps it was a sub-dimension that was collapsed and connected to the fifth. With that, you could only enter the seventh floor from here, but with the concealed platform and guardian, you wouldn¡¯t be able to do so.


    ¡°...¡± Ma Xiuren didn¡¯t say anything, but she was also having such thoughts.


    ¡°I want you to understand that there¡¯s likely an even greater danger lying ahead. It¡¯s possible...your Xiantu Emperor made a mistake. There could be something incredibly dangerous here.¡± Pinaka warned.


    ¡°...¡± He didn¡¯t immediately respond. Earlier, he had to protect Ma Xiuren with his life essentially. If there¡¯s even greater danger ahead, it¡¯s likely she could lose her life even with his help. However, his inner curiosity was piqued! If this was the sixth obstacle or not, whatever beyond this spatial platform must¡¯ve been worthy to protect. He had to venture onwards.


    The only reason he decided to do so was the spatial compass! He had a way out. How could he be scared?!


    Looking at Ma Xiuren, ¡°Will you go back?¡± His question was only to make sure she understood that going forward could lead to death and no benefits. If she decided to continue, she must understand the consequences. If there was a point of certain death, he would choose to survive - even if it was by himself. However, he had an idea that may work if the situation allows it. Storing her in his Meteor Ring may expose some of his secrets, but at least she''ll be safe.


    ¡°...¡± She didn¡¯t say a word but glanced briefly at Yan Zaizen. Softly shaking her head in response, she took a step towards the spatial platform.


    Yan Zaizen saw this and chuckled. This girl was as adventurous as he was! ¡°Fine then! Let¡¯s go!¡± With that, he stepped into the spatial platform with Ma Xiuren. A silver flash of light later¡­


    They vanished!

 Chapter 141 - Hell Path, Infernal Forger

    ¡°What?! He¡¯s dead?¡± Startled to blankness, the young woman had an ugly expression on her face. As the two had been living together for tens of thousands of years, they¡¯ve formed a faint spiritual connection. The moment the old man died by Yan Zaizen¡¯s crushing fist, she immediately sensed it. As of now, her beautiful countenance was painted with an ugly expression. Her eyes flickered with a trace of urgency and disbelief.


    From their investigation of all those who¡¯ve entered the realm, there was no one who possessed a cultivation base equivalence to the first-floor of the Heavenly Genesis Realm amongst those who¡¯ve arrived. In their belief, it was safe if that was the case. They wouldn¡¯t need to close off the spatial platform connected to this floor. Their intentions to kill those who arrive at the collapsed sub-dimensional space and bring their ripe bodies here as offerings to expedite the ritual would be derailed if an expert at that level arrived.


    However, now, It seems they miscalculated somehow.


    She was solemn and filled with deep fear. At this moment, the formation for the ritual had yet to reach completion. Her father wasn¡¯t going to be able to revive without an appropriate amount of time, but if the expert could kill the old man, he could definitely prevent this from happening. She couldn¡¯t even stall for time. She wouldn¡¯t be their match due to the weakness that Phantasms have.


    They lose their physical bodies, their souls become incapable of progressing through the known soul realms, and they can not cultivate in the Essence Path. The price was steep, but the payoff was something everyone wished for: Immortality!


    However, it would be incorrect to say their strength was limited! It was simply that their only path left was insidiously difficult. If the Essence Path leads to the Heavenly Path, then the Phantasm Path leads to the Hell Path!


    In truth, many cultivators, even those who cultivate the Essence Path, could and would choose the Hell Path if they can. Similar to the Heavenly Path, the Hell Path built a Hell Altar to refine one¡¯s energy. For every floor, you¡¯ll need materials that originate from hell and drops of Hell Spirit Liquid!


    She looked towards the white-bone altar and couldn¡¯t help but reveal a profound sadness in her eyes, ¡°was it all for nothing? The waiting...the dreaming...does the heavens truly wish no one to take the path of hell?!¡± At the end, her voice was filled with bubbling rage. If she had real teeth, her teeth would¡¯ve been grounded in frustration and defiance.


    ¡°I don¡¯t accept!¡± She roared towards the skies, as if facing the actual heavens, and walked towards the white-bone altar. ¡°Father...I¡¯m sorry...I won¡¯t be able to see you for a while.¡± Caressing the altar, her body irradiated a luminescence glow of sky-blue. With eyes that seemed as if they¡¯ll cry, she slowly phased into the altar like a ghost.


    The moment she did, a silver flash of light entered the Seventh Floor. The duo arrived with caution in their hearts and intrigue in their eyes. However, when they arrived, there weren¡¯t any rooms, doors, and corridors. There was simply one very vast room with an unreasonably large white-bone altar that seemed like blood rained on it.


    ¡°This?¡± Intrigued, Yan Zaizen took a closer look. Just as he was about to send his spiritual sense outwards, Pinaka¡¯s urgent voice resounded, ¡°Wait!¡±


    He immediately ceased his action. Turning to Ma Xiuren, ¡°Don¡¯t send out your sense,¡± Yan Zaizen warned. Ma Xiuren merely nodded in understanding.


    ¡°That¡¯s...that¡¯s a two-floor Hell Altar! The Asura Phantom Palace Master actually cultivated the Hell Path?! But¡­¡± She seemed utterly surprised, as if the Hell Path itself was a frightening thing. ¡°The Hell Path...to think someone could actually build the second-level of their Hell Altar.¡± Her voice turned into mumbling filled with fascination.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± Yan Zaizen inquired, his ignorance of the situation was rightfully so. Even Ma Xiuren did not know about the Hell Path. It was a very isolated path, but it was a path many powerful soul cultivators take! The reason being?


    They had to venture to hell itself!!!


    The materials for hell could only be obtained from hell, unlike the heavenly materials which could be obtained within the myriad realms. But to reach hell, one must die first. Or at least, they must be able to escape their bodies with their souls. Acknowledging this, as those who cultivate the way of phantasms, it makes sense that the Palace Master sent forces into Hell to gather materials for his altar.


    However, similar to the staggering number of materials needed for the Heavenly Path, the Hell Path materials were scarce. Only the most dangerous locations of hell would possess enough materials, or you could only do so with constant expeditions to hell and time. However, the hell path didn¡¯t have nine levels but eighteen levels. This makes it even more difficult.


    Not to mention, to cultivate the Hell Path, similar to the Heavenly Path, it requires you to have comprehension into the Heavenly Law of the Soul. However, you must first reach the Sovereign-level to do so! A level that allows you to rival the Heavens to actively go against it.


    Or¡­


    ¡°Yan Zaizen! THERE!¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice was filled with excitement as her soul form directed Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze to atop the white bone altar. A sky-blue pearl-like orb rested neatly on top.


    ¡°?¡± Yan Zaizen was a little confused.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°To cultivate the Hell Path, one needs to have a sovereign-level comprehension into the law of the soul! However, there¡¯s a workaround. If you possessed a Regalia of the Heavens! A concept at the sovereign-level, you can construct your Hell Altar without the requisite comprehension!¡± Her voice dripped with excitement.


    Regalia of the Heavens?!


    Looking towards the sky-blue orb, his eyes flickered with greed. He knew first hand the brilliance of a Regalia. He had to obtain it. If the hell path could be bypassed then perhaps the heavenly path could too!


    ¡°I¡¯m going!¡± With that, he immediately executed Herculean Avatar Art, taking a step forward, he swiftly advanced towards the Hell Altar. He landed on the altar¡¯s top platform. Ma Xiuren, however, didn¡¯t follow. Her eyes were filled with wariness, but she didn¡¯t retreat, only maintained her location. If one looked closely at her tiny body, they¡¯ll see her vital energies stimulated in a state of readiness.


    As he arrived on the platform, his heated gaze honed onto the sky-blue orb. It emitted faint fluctuations of the soul, but it felt faintly different than soul energy he was familiar with. It was more like it embodied the core of the soul. Just being near it, he could feel his soul pull towards it with an intense desire of possession. Whether it came from his soul or the orb, he couldn¡¯t really tell.


    ¡°What concept does this Regalia embody?¡± He curiously inquired.


    ¡°It should be related to phantoms,¡± Pinaka responded, a little uncertainty could be heard in her voice.


    ¡°I wonder...what would happen if I refined this Regalia into my body.¡± He silently pondered, but he had a faint intuition that doing so would lead to his certain death. At least, doing so at this moment.


    ¡°Hurry. Take it and leave!¡± Pinaka urged.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Nodding in understanding, he reached to grab the sky-blue orb. He expected something tremendous to happen, like the collapse of the hell altar, when he grabbed the sky-blue orb. However, the moment his palm came into contact with the sky-blue orb, his body radiated faint traces of brilliant white and inky black light. It intertwined with the sky-blue light the orb emanated as if fighting off some unknown concept.


    ¡°This¡­?¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked. It seemed that in the span of a second, his physical body which contained the laws of life and death was ferociously exchanging innumerable blows with the regalia¡¯s law of the soul in an epic battle! To him, it felt like a slight pinch of the palm.


    In reality, if Yan Zaizen hadn¡¯t refined a Regalia into his physique, then his soul would¡¯ve been pulled into the orb and converted into a phantom-like existence. However, how could his concepts allow such domineering thing to occur?! If Yan Zaizen died, so did they!


    The sky-blue light was quickly subdued. It yielded, unable to contend with the unified effort of two World Laws. Yan Zaizen could see the sky-blue light dim slightly, but with that, he completely grasped the orb without resistance. Even Pinaka didn¡¯t have any experience regarding these things, therefore, she didn¡¯t warn him of the possible dangers of touching the orb.


    Her previous master only reached the sovereign-level in the Mortal Law of Archery, which was a middle-tier Mortal Law, how could she know the unique characteristics of a Regalia based off a World Law? In fact, her master never created a Regalia of the Heavens.


    As he held the orb in his hand, he felt that the conceptual law within it didn¡¯t pertain to phantoms. It was more like...processing¡­


    PSH!!!


    ¡°...wha?¡± Yan Zaizen looked downwards at his chest. His pupils constricted in disbelief!


    There was a sword as white as snow pierced into his chest. It faintly rippled in and out of existence as if it wasn¡¯t made from real materials but a construct of the ethereal soul. Even though he could visibly see it, his other senses couldn¡¯t find any semblance of its existence!


    PATUI!


    A spurt of blood leaked from his mouth, his throat choking slightly on the sudden surge of blood. From the placement of this blade, his heart was thoroughly sliced apart. For a cultivator, especially a soul cultivator, the best way to kill someone was destroying their heart. If someone possesses a profound soul cultivation, they could, theoretically, survive a beheading. However, regardless of what cultivation path you take, a destroyed heart essentially meant death!


    The heart, after all, contained the source of your lifeforce! Unless your soul could exist outside of your body, you¡¯re dead.


    THUD!


    His body fell powerlessly on the hell altar like a puppet with its strings cut, his vision felt out of focus and distorted, and he could feel a profound sensation of death wrap around his body. The edges of his lips quivered in disbelief, shock, defiance, and anger! It twitched as if he wanted to roar to the heavens, but he couldn¡¯t feel connected to his physical body or soul at all.


    Was this how death felt?

 Chapter 142 - Siphon It All!

    ¡°To think...my daughter had to die for this.¡± A voice filled with tyranny and ancientness resounded. Nearby Yan Zaizen¡¯s collapsed form, a figure shimmered into existence wielding a snow-white blade. This figure had a similar form to the phantasms from before, but he also had a white symbol of ¡®hell¡¯ etched into his glabella. As if his soul was refined by hell itself.


    This soul form was slender, dressed in a sky-blue robe, and had white prayer beads the size of baseballs around his neck. Despite the necklace of prayer beads, his translucent hair was long and filled with a water-like feel. It felt like an odd visual contradiction, yet strangely beautiful.


    His tyrannical gaze shifted to Yan Zaizen¡¯s collapsed body, a hint of disdain streaked across his eyes. Turning this gaze away, he looked towards Ma Xiuren whose eyes was as enlarged as an egg. When she saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s pierced body and eventual collapse, an indescribable pain stabbed into her heart. For this person she just met, when she saw his death, a tear flowed from her left eye. There was a sudden bout of anger in her heart, but she understood her limitations.


    The moment that figure¡¯s gaze reached her, she dashed away towards the spatial platform. If Yan Zaizen was instantly killed by this person, she wouldn¡¯t stand a chance.


    ¡°Tch.¡± A soft sound of ridicule surged from the soul form. He didn¡¯t take a step forward, but his body shimmered out of existence. These people caused his daughter to give up her life to give him a few minutes of life before his revival. All so that he may survive their presumed assault, but it seemed like his daughter overestimated their capabilities.


    These two didn¡¯t even know much about the Hell Altar nor did they have profound cultivation bases that could threaten him. With a single flick of his energy blade, he killed one and with a single breath, he could kill the other. In his belief, his daughter should be able to do the same with her strength. Unfortunately, that girl was always overly dramatic and prone to quick decisions.


    Well, to him, when he properly revived, he¡¯ll just restore her soul form. To him who possessed a two-floor Hell Altar, that would be as easy as breathing itself, especially since she merged with it. Therefore, he didn¡¯t feel too bothered by it all. He¡¯ll use the few minutes he had left to torture this little girl for now...at least it¡¯ll relieve him of this frustration he felt.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen! YAN ZAIZEN!!¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice continually called out to Yan Zaizen, but his soul form was encapsulated in some form of pure white strings. The strings were slowly allowing his soul form to dissipate naturally without the support of his body, as if he had already died, despite Yan Zaizen¡¯s body still having a faint trace of life! If it wasn¡¯t for the fact the white strings contained hell energy, something unique to those who¡¯ve constructed their Hell Altar, she would¡¯ve done everything she could to destroy it.


    Unfortunately, as a soul form, she was powerless against these strings. She tried to think of anything, everything, but the only thing that could help the situation was Yan Zaizen waking up! Even his soul defense didn¡¯t react to this attack! It seemed as if it¡¯ll only act if directly attacked and not restrained.


    As for Yan Zaizen, the trace of lifeforce came from the shredded remnants of his heart. A very small, almost atom-sized, white flame flickered defiantly. However, the destruction of the heart was too serious. The only thing the white flame had left was the ability to defiantly resist dissipating into the ether. To all those who could see Yan Zaizen¡¯s body, it was as if he truly died without an ounce of lifeforce.


    ¡°Finally!¡± A deep, dark voice filled with the essence of death resounded in the strange language of the heavens! This voice was spoken off from within Yan Zaizen¡¯s body, but not his heart. From his inky, black quad-lungs!! That inky-blackness started to tremble slightly as if something was going to hatch from those lungs.


    Before, there was always an equal balance between life and death, even in the Regalia itself! The Unyielding Flame of Life would persist perpetually, always burning the shadow of death away with its vibrant flames to prevent its rise, but the Siphoning Shadow of Death would always fight back, taking back what belonged to it while strengthening itself by siphoning the essence from others, never allowing itself to be completely burnt away by those flames, but always looking for a chance to win!Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s laws embedded in his souls were fundamentally different than the concept within the Regalia. As displayed earlier in the battle with the Phantasm, the concept contained a complete consciousness of its own. They both do!


    Long ago in chaotic space, Yan Zaizen speculated about the truth of conceptual laws! He had a faint belief that they were alive. During his moment of near death, the concept of death and life surged out to protect him. They were just mere concepts who were a part of his soul and yet they had faint traces of sentience and autonomy!


    However, the Regalia¡¯s were segregated from the heavens themselves. They not only had a consciousness, autonomy, but they were truly alive! Fortunately, Yan Zaizen¡¯s Herculean Physique was their catalyst now, they couldn¡¯t exist without him, so there¡¯s no conflict they could have with him. They even allow themselves to be used because that¡¯s what they want!


    If Yan Zaizen ever created his own heaven, these concepts would become gods of that heaven! How could they not wish for this? How could they not want this?! This is why they allow themselves to be segregated from the heavens in the first place! Why be the fish swimming in the ocean when you could become the god of the ocean itself?!


    ¡°Now! It¡¯s all MINE''S!¡± The deep, dark voice resounded once more, its voice filled with anticipation and greed. With Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart destroyed, containing faint traces of life, the aura of death was so prevalent that it was beyond terrifying. From henceforth, there was nothing that could stop it! Usually, the Unyielding Flame of Life would never let itself be weakened to such an extent, but now it was different!


    As long as that flame of life continued to flicker perpetually to maintain Yan Zaizen¡¯s life, it could siphon all! Afterward, the flame would forever be its inferior!


    Then, if it wished, it could destroy the flame once and for all with just a thought!!!


    ¡°It¡¯s all mines, ALL OF IT!¡± A frightening aura of pure death permeated Yan Zaizen¡¯s surroundings. The hell altar in less than a second was submerged in an aura of inky, black but incredibly pure death. This was unthinkable! A hell altar was constructed from materials originating from hell itself, for someone to destroy it, let alone siphon off its essence, was unbelievable!


    ¡°What?!¡± The phantasm held onto a bloodied Ma Xiuren by his ethereal hands. One could see that she was tortured severely. Her body was filled with countless cuts, faintly reminiscent to a death by a thousand cuts. However, this torture for relief was ceased the moment he felt his existence was threatened.


    Witnessing his entire hell altar engulfed in a deathly aura, his eyes widened with shock and disbelief. Completely disregarding Ma Xiuren, tossing her to the side, he rushed at his fastest speed to arrive near his hell altar. However, when he tried to penetrate the deathly aura, he felt the remnant energy that was bestowed to him by his daughter¡¯s sacrifice vanish slowly.


    ¡°What the?!¡± His mind reeled in fear and disbelief. If the energy disappears then so will he. In that case, he wouldn¡¯t be able to stop this from happening. Unfortunately, his current state was temporary and couldn¡¯t exert any strength of his hell altar.


    However, how could he give up like this?


    His eyes scanned the deathly aura, trying to find the sky-blue orb. If he could obtain the regalia, he had a slight chance of turning the situation around. The only reason he didn¡¯t immediately touch it was because of the Regalia¡¯s characteristics. His daughter¡¯s energy will most definitely vanish if he did so, but now, if he could galvanize the regalia into action, he had a chance of survival.


    In truth, he did.


    Unfortunately.


    Men presume, and the heavens laugh.


    In this case, it was quite literal as the conceptual law of death laughed.


    The deathly aura continued to pervade every inch of the hell altar, siphoning its essence to strengthen itself. Without someone controlling the hell altar, it was nothing more than an ornament. Even the blood that lingered on the levels of the altar was absorbed gradually. When the Asura Phantom Palace Master saw this, his eyes were filled with anger and hatred.


    The blood was prepared specifically for the reconstruction of his physical body, but if it was gone, then his chances of reviving would drop to zero! Unable to see the sky-blue orb amidst the black aura, he plummeted violently into the aura disregarding all consequences to reach Yan Zaizen¡¯s body. From his memory, the sky-blue orb was located there.


    At this point, he could tell that 3% of his hell altar''s essence was siphoned by this deathly aura. As it continued to absorb more, the deathly aura grew thicker and thicker, and thus the amount it absorbed became greater and greater.


    The Asura Phantom Palace Master arrived where Yan Zaizen previously was, his personal energy levels were only about 10% at this point. He had to find the orb! However, when he arrived, he couldn¡¯t even find Yan Zaizen¡¯s body!! His mind was nearing total collapse at this moment, pushing the deathly aura away to search but alas, to his last ounce of energy, he found nothing.


    If he knew that the death aura he risked everything to enter had shifted Yan Zaizen¡¯s body, he may do the impossible in his current state and spit out a wad of blood.


    His last thought was¡­


    ¡°Could it be...the heavens truly wish for my death?!¡±


    Then, he vanished.

 Chapter 143 - Defeating Death!

    ¡°This is...bad.¡± A light, feminine voice resounded quietly within the remnants of Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart. This voice belonged to the Unyielding Flame of Life that was refined by Yan Zaizen. Similar to how the lungs were the central hub for the Siphoning Shadow of Death, the heart was its home. When it was destroyed, 99.9% of its strength vanished just like that. If it wasn¡¯t for it¡¯s unwillingness to dissipate, it would¡¯ve long since vanished.


    In the myriad realms, many are ignorant of the uniqueness of each individual concepts story surrounding their creation. The two concepts of life and death have an interesting history amidst the heavens. If the white flame could be considered the heavens protector, then the inky, black shadow could be considered its destroyer. If the inky, black shadow was left alone, it could take over the entirety of heavens!


    All of it.


    This was not an exaggeration.


    The white flame¡¯s purpose for creation was to prevent this very occurrence from happening. To forever stay stably and unyieldingly against this conceptual law that could siphon all things. Even chaotic space which, as a whole, was the embodiment of the Imperial Law of Spacetime, could do nothing to stop the Siphoning Shadow of Death from taking its essence. Not to mention, this was Yan Zaizen¡¯s concept! In comparison, the strength of the concept that originated from the Regalia was like comparing the difference between a pebble and a planet!


    If left unchecked, it¡¯ll perpetually grow stronger while all others would become weaker. This was its concept and it was the only concept with such capabilities!


    Unfortunately, by merging with Yan Zaizen, a gap in its abilities was now revealed. If Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t completely killed and the white flame was weakened, the siphoning shadow of death could absorb all! However, how could the Unyielding Flame of Life purposefully end itself to prevent this from happening? It went against its very instinctual nature.


    This left it in realization of the fault that could be exploited! If no one extinguishes its existence so that Yan Zaizen could die, then the siphoning shadow of death would run rampant. Unfortunately, there¡¯s no way the shadow would allow others to kill him or it!


    At the moment, it had the complete advantage!


    Vbroom! Vbroom! Vbroom!


    Near Yan Zaizen¡¯s body, a sky-blue orb ferociously fought off the deathly aura attempting to siphon all of its existence. However, it was slowly being whittled down.


    Just like the white flame and black shadow, it had its own consciousness and concept. It enabled itself to be segregated from the heavens so that it may become a king of its own! It was even being used to establish a hell altar! It could become the king of hell!!


    Then, this happened.


    If it could cry, it would.


    ¡°...¡± The white flame flickered silently. Slowly, it extended a wisp of lifeforce towards the sky-blue orb. Because the siphoning shadow of death was attempting to avoid the white flame in its wild consumption, it ignored the tiny wisp of lifeforce. This wisp of lifeforce reached the sky-blue orb and softly emitted a faint glow of pure whiteness.


    ¡°If you...keep this up...you¡¯ll die.¡± This was spoken in some unknown heavenly language, if anyone else heard it, they wouldn¡¯t even be able to register it on any sensory spectrum. When these words were heard by the sky-blue orb, it flickered defiantly with radiance. However, it knew the words spoken by the white flame were true. The shadow was odd, it could devour the essence of the heavens themselves, and even the hell altar couldn¡¯t resist.


    ¡°If...if we don¡¯t do something...we¡¯ll die.¡± The white flame sent once more.


    ¡°!¡± The sky-blue orb trembled slightly, a faint trace of hope could be felt from it. If this wisp was sending it a message, it probably has a plan!


    ¡°However...you¡¯ll have to decide...if its worth it.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°If I can survive, its worth it!¡± Was the only response from the sky-blue orb.


    ¡°Understood.¡± The white flame sent over its plans, but as it did, the sky-blue orb felt a sensation of melancholy. However, in the end, it agreed. It started to flicker in and out of existence. In this state, the death law couldn¡¯t perceive its existence as if it merged perfectly with its aura. Using its strength, it silently propelled itself over towards Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart area and phased into his body like a ghost.


    The only plan that could work had to do with reconstructing Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart. If Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart could be reconstructed, then the white flame could fight against death once more! However, it would be impossible to use lifeforce. The shadow wasn¡¯t an idiot by being careless. The first thing it did was siphon off all of Yan Zaizen¡¯s various energies - soul, vital, qi-essence!


    The white flame was currently too weak. Without Yan Zaizen¡¯s energy reserves, it couldn¡¯t stimulate itself to regrow his heart or combat the deathly aura. However, another regalia has the possibility to do so! If the sky-blue orb were to refine itself as the base of Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart, it would allow the flame to draw upon the orbs strength as if it was Yan Zaizen¡¯s.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    The drawback?


    The sky-blue orb had to refine itself into Yan Zaizen¡¯s physique. However, how could it willingly accept this? The main reason why herculeans fail to refine two regalias had to do with the regalias unwillingness to accept another king within their heaven! The constant battle for supremacy would cause the herculean to die from the inside. The white flame and black shadow, however, was different. They were forced together by the heavens, and was merged perfectly! It was either they both become kings or neither of them does!


    This was something the heavens would always do. If Yan Zaizen mastered just the Unyielding White Flame, it could be segregated alone, but the Siphoning Shadow of Death could never be segregated without the flame. The heavens would never allow it! For obvious reasons.


    Unfortunately for the sky-blue orb, the Regalia was under the threat of annihilation. The destruction of a regalia was an inconceivable feat. One must know, they¡¯ve existed as long as the heavens themselves. They were aspects of its laws! They were it and it were them! To destroy it one must first be able to destroy the heavens themselves.


    Now, it was left with two choices:


    Share your kingdom.


    Or.


    DEATH!


    The sky-blue orb took the place of Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart, slowly radiating fluctuations of pure soulforce, and morphings its orb-like form into the shape of a heart. Slowly, it connected to Yan Zaizen¡¯s arteries and veins, and the unyielding white flame entered into this newly constructed heart to claim the space as its own. If the sky-blue regalia becomes a part of Yan Zaizen, the white flame could use its energy!


    The refinement process took as long as before, but surprisingly, the shadow of death which was greedily siphoning off the white altar¡¯s essence didn¡¯t notice! The sky-blue orb had some way to avoid its senses.


    Slowly, sky-blue light permeated throughout Yan Zaizen¡¯s body, his bones, his blood, his cells, and suffused into his eyes. Those eyes had no focus, as if they belonged to a dead man. With his soul tied up by the hell strings, his lifeforce being all but destroyed, he lost his connection to both soul and body. Without his soul, his mind could only process what it could perceive through its five senses, even then, the amount was very little that he couldn¡¯t even realize what was happening.


    He wasn¡¯t truly dead, simply had zero control over his body and his soul form was restricted. If anything, it was quite similar to when one¡¯s soul flame was extinguished - a comatose state.


    THUMP!


    THUMP!!


    THUMP!!!


    Several hours later, Yan Zaizen felt his newly constructed heartbeat for the first time. With each beat, it resonated an aura of pure soulforce and lifeforce fluctuations.


    ¡°What?!¡± The shadow felt an oddity for the first time, looking back at Yan Zaizen¡¯s body. Earlier, it had moved Yan Zaizen¡¯s body to the edge after learning that someone wished to penetrate into the shroud of death. Unfortunately, the sky-blue orb had already entered Yan Zaizen¡¯s body before then. The disappearance of it didn¡¯t concern him, sooner or later, it¡¯ll siphon all its essence as well!


    Now, however, it felt threatened.


    ROAR!!


    It thunderously roared. Using the energy it siphoned from the hell altar, it made a mad dash towards Yan Zaizen¡¯s body. It had a feeling that if he didn¡¯t ensure the white flame couldn¡¯t take any action, it¡¯ll never again have this chance.


    Unfortunately.


    A white flame violently erupted from Yan Zaizen¡¯s body! This white flame was slightly different as it contained a faint glow of sky-blue.


    ¡°NO!!!¡± The deathly shadow felt enraged, questioning how this was possible. However, when it saw the faint traces of sky-blue, it had some ideas, and was furious! It knew what the white flame did, but how could the white flame accept this?! Doing this meant the heaven they would have would no longer be their own?! How could the sky-blue orb accept this?


    It was going to violently extinguish the sky-blue glow, but it lurched to a stop as a wisp of white surged into the deathly aura.


    An odd silence permeated the air.


    If the shadow had an expression, it would be incredibly ugly to behold.


    With the infusion, destroying the sky-blue orb was the same as killing the white flame.


    It had a choice.


    One: Allow the white flame to continue growing in strength through the infusion of the sky-blue orb. If he did, sooner or later it¡¯ll be strong enough to suppress it once more, but with the help of the sky-blue orb, it¡¯ll have enough strength to suppress it permanently and likely even exterminate it!


    After all, the white flame was the only thing that could absorb its energy so thoroughly.


    Two: Destroy the white flame, dying with it after Yan Zaizen¡¯s death. This was a suicidal choice.


    Three: Accept the situation, assimilate itself back willingly, and reinstate the balance once more. In that way, the white flame would segregate from the sky-blue orb, and they¡¯ll keep an intricate balance of the three. The sky-blue orb had already refined itself into Yan Zaizen¡¯s physique, if they don¡¯t fight it, it can exist there.


    Anyone with these three choices would have an ugly expression. Possible Death, certain death, or returning back to normal with another person ruling your kingdom! It felt stifling beyond belief!


    However...what could it do?


    It admitted defeat.


    Several hours later, Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul restraint was removed by a soft sky-blue light. A surging trace of consciousness emerged in his mind, freeing his laws, and Pinaka from their confinement. To them, they had no idea what had just happened, and how it changed the very fundamentals of the laws! If Yan Zaizen were to examine his body, his heart would seem as if it never changed, but with a faint trace of sky-blue, his lungs were still inky, black in color, but his brain was sky-blue in color!


    The sky-blue orb morphed into a new heart but after the white flame took control, it merged itself into Yan Zaizen¡¯s brain! After all, the heart was the white flame¡¯s domain, not his. To co-exist, it needed its own. The brain was interconnected with the soul, so it was the most suitable.


    This was an unprecedented event which has never occurred since the dawn of the 33 heavens! The merging of three conceptual laws into a single physique via regalia refinement! If the circumstances were slightly different, with different regalia, this would be utterly impossible.


    Once more, they went silent as they awaited the growth of their own heaven.

 Chapter 144 - Exit

    ¡°Wh-what¡­¡± Yan Zaizen softly breathed out with a slight cough. Awakening, the first thing he saw was the dirt-ridden ground. It felt desolate and dry, but it emitted faint red glow.


    Instinctively analyzing his physical condition, he felt an odd sensation linger in his heart, as if it was foreign, but also contained incomparable familiarity. However, his introspection lead to a shocking discovery!


    His was heart was without injury and had faint traces of sky-blue light around it. It was similar to soul energy, but felt different. It was soulforce! Similar to lifeforce, it was the emissions of spiritual creatures like Pinaka and Phantoms. It was the odd aura that Yan Zaizen first discovered in the Deep Mines.


    Soulforce and lifeforce were intermixed with peak synchronicity, coexisting peacefully within his heart. Even more, this faint aura of these two forces traveled the entirety of his body, from bones to blood. There was a profound strength hidden in his body.


    Clenching his fist, he was shocked. The excess death aura that was siphoned from the hell altar by the shadow of death was converted into lifeforce energy by the white flame. This life force energy was sent through Yan Zaizen¡¯s physique, refining it to an incredible degree! His physical body received an enormous enhancement in strength! Even if his vital energy didn¡¯t increase in aura intensity, his physical body was far beyond what it was before.


    He decided that when he returned, he¡¯ll do a more thorough inspection of all these changes.


    When he looked around, he realized that he wasn¡¯t in the Asura Phantom Palace any longer. A brilliant red glow shone down on him from up-high.


    The Moon of Asura!


    Ma Xiuren, who had cleaned herself up nicely with a new flower dress, was sitting quietly beside him. Her soft eyes lingered on his face, but one could see faint traces of disbelief in them. Earlier, the man who had ¡®killed¡¯ Yan Zaizen left her alive in his panicked hurry. She lost consciousness soon afterwards.


    After several hours, she woke up to see Yan Zaizen breathing steadily in a sleep-state. The hole in his chest was healed and the soul form of that man was gone. Even the blood that seemed as if it was poured on the white-bone altar was gone, it was also considerably duller. It was no longer pure white, but dull gray as if most of its energy within was consumed somehow.


    However, she was relieved that she and Yan Zaizen were still alive, regardless of how. As a cultivator who lived for several thousand years, she knew that people had their secrets, and Yan Zaizen had his. Therefore, she exited the Asura Phantom Palace and took him out without question.


    As for the others, after bypassing the fifth floor, they were examining the dull-gray hell altar, trying to obtain some benefits from it. How could they bother with them? Not to mention, Yan Zaizen seemed to be asleep, not dead. If they acted rashly and he woke, wouldn¡¯t that be the same as courting death?


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Yan Zaizen sincerely said. He didn¡¯t know what happened, but regardless, Ma Xiuren had taken him out of the Asura Phantom Palace alive. That was more than enough to be grateful for.


    ¡°...¡± She nodded softly in response. However, she wanted to say thank you instead. For quite a while, she was tortured by the Asura Phantom Palace Master. The torture was a death by a thousand cuts, but instead of a thousand, he lacerated every inch of her body with nearly a hundred thousand small cuts. Each of these cuts caused soul-deep pain. Her current appearance was only suppressed but if one looked closely, tiny lines marked her entire body.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    At that moment, she wanted to die. However, somehow, they had survived while the Palace Master was gone.


    ¡°I wonder why this keeps happening,¡± Yan Zaizen softly muttered. Every time he goes unconscious, he awakens with new abilities or qualities. Firstly, it was the arrival of the Meteor Ring and a soul cultivation base. Secondly, he had ascended to the Aurora Soul Realm in the Serene Moon Cove. Thirdly, albeit it took sometime, his soul form had experienced incredible changes and his soul cultivation base increased.


    Now, his physical body had been strengthened to the point that he couldn¡¯t even begin to estimate. His heart now contained both soulforce and lifeforce. If he looked in the mirror, his amber-gold eyes, in the deep depths of his pupils, he could see faint wisps of sky-blue.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡± Pinaka voice resounded. She felt apologetic for her uselessness. As a True Spirit, she should¡¯ve been able to help Yan Zaizen. After all, at her peak, she was used by a peak middle-stage Heavenly Genesis expert. A measly two-floor Infernal Forger wouldn¡¯t even reach her eyes at her peak. Alone, she could¡¯ve killed him.


    Yet...he almost killed Yan Zaizen. He restricted his soul so that he could slowly die. If it wasn¡¯t for a surge of soulforce from the regalia, Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul would be damaged after being in a state similar to death for several hours.


    He also got trapped within sub-dimensional space but she could do nothing but stay silent. When was she ever this useless?


    ¡°When will you recover?¡± Yan Zaizen smilingly said to Pinaka. He understood her dilemma. The dilemma of weakness. To be useless, to have your life and death controlled by others, to be unable to save those who you wished to live, and to be so weak you could only let others stomp all over you.


    It wasn¡¯t a good feeling. In truth, he detested this feeling and cultivated to rid himself of this feeling. What was the essence of his Mortal Dao? To relentlessly seek ascension and become a sovereign! Not just a sovereign, THE Sovereign.


    ¡°At this rate, another 300 or 400 years¡­¡± Pinaka responded, but her voice didn¡¯t seem to contain any satisfaction at her speed.


    ¡°Good! We can expedite that with resources. With our gains this time, it shouldn''t be difficult. However¡­¡± his voice trailed off, shifting into his soul form and appearing beside Pinaka¡¯s, ¡°I¡¯ll still need your guidance. For several hundred more years. Hehe.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s smile was filled with warmth.


    Pinaka was stunned, but then realized who Yan Zaizen was. What his dao represented. Back there, wasn¡¯t Yan Zaizen just as useless? How could he expect her to know everything and handle all things just because she lived longer? She was injured, but she had already helped him so much.


    Could he have obtained the Asura Golem without her? No. Could he have obtained Asura Milk without her? Likely not. Would he even know anything about the Heavenly Path, Regalia of the Heavens, or the Hell Path without her? No.


    He would¡¯ve left the books in the Meteor Ring alone, would¡¯ve never reached the second level of the Herculean Physique, or understand a lot of the mysteries beneath the heavens without her. How could he blame her?


    ¡°En.¡± Pinaka nodded, her eyes filled with determination and resolve.


    ¡°Good. Now, I can finally explore my origin source.¡± His eyes sparkled as he shifted into the Meteor Ring. At first, he wasn¡¯t sure why he couldn¡¯t find it in his body. With his senses and perception, it shouldn¡¯t be difficult.


    However, then he thought about everything that happened in chaotic space. How he was being ripped to pieces. He had the feeling that his origin source hid somewhere somehow by something, being protected in a similar way his soul was after hibernating.


    However, where?


    He looked up to see the spiraling black hole in the Meteor Ring. His eyes flickered with a light of brilliance.


    Indeed.


    Someplace connected to his body and soul, but safe and isolated from chaotic space.


    In the Meteor Ring.

 Chapter 145 - Origin Source

    An origin source was a trace of one''s True Origin. It carried their bloodline and the energy birthed at their creation. All existences have it. Furthermore, this origin source could easily be discovered by those with proper perception and used with various methods of cultivation.


    After excavating your origin source, you awaken your most primal energy, then many paths would open for you. You can have it merged into your body or use it to construct an origin core in unique ways to bring about other effects. Then, you could strengthen this primal energy using resources or materials through refinement.


    It wasn''t sentient like laws. It shouldn''t be able to hide on its own, it shouldn''t be able to leave the body, but what if it was pulled away by accident or by something else? Could it be moved?


    Normally, this would cause the crippling of one''s bloodline. However, what if it was still connected to you? The independent space inside the Meteor Ring was as much to Yan Zaizen as the empty space within his stomach. That rare, very rare, circumstance could lead to this event happening.


    His origin source was placed within the depth of that black hole in the Meteor Ring! For the last sixty-plus years, it hid. Yan Zaizen was assured of this.


    Pinaka stood beside him. She also had her speculations. Earlier, when Yan Zaizen made his ascension to the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm, the four black holes - glabella, eyes, and Meteor Ring - looked oddly independent. The black hole in the Meteor Ring was the most suspicious.


    In the Meteor Ring, Yan Zaizen''s Aurora was projected along with the black hole. Initially, she believed it was a manifestation of Yan Zaizen''s black hole in his glabella or eyes, but that theory went out the window the moment she discovered they functioned on different rules.


    The glabella perpetually swirls, the eyes only swirl during soul essence absorption, but the soul ring stops during soul essence absorption! Why? After some thought, the conclusion was simple.


    It was scared of Yan Zaizen''s eyes devouring force!


    After all, it was devouring essence and the origin source is a primal essence! What''s truly surprising is that it could hide and actively do so. If that''s the case, was there something unique about his bloodline? That black hole was most certainly fake. In that case, how did it look and feel like the black hole in his glabella?


    "To think my Origin Source was so close yet so well-hidden. Haha, I was even thinking that I didn''t have any qi cultivation talent even with my physique." Yan Zaizen laughingly remarked.


    "..." Pinaka stayed silent, observing the black hole intently.


    "Well, I''ll explore it when I return to the Anima Syndicate," deciding this, he returned back to the Asura Phantom Realm. Seeing Ma Xiuren patiently watch him with those soft eyes made him feel a little awkward. He must''ve dazed off for a minute.


    He looked towards the slit in space.


    "I guess...this is where we separate. We gained a lot, survived a lot, and saw a lot. I think this was a good trip." Yan Zaizen smilingly said. In truth, despite it being brief, he felt that Ma Xiuren was someone important to him now, although only slightly.


    "..." She looked at Yan Zaizen for a long moment before nodding. Touching her spatial ring, she withdrew a medallion. It was white-gold with the character ''Xiuhei'' on one side and ''Heaven'' on the other. She used her small, dainty hand to grab Yan Zaizen''s and placed it firmly into his palm.


    She looked deep into his eyes, trying to convey her intentions. However, Yan Zaizen still looked a little puzzled. She pouted slightly at his expression.


    Pst!


    She leaned forwards and gave him a kiss on the cheek.


    "...wha?" He was taken aback by the sudden kiss. Looking at her, he could see a faint blush, but she still looked into his eyes. Pointing at the medallion then herself, she took off towards the spatial slit.


    Yan Zaizen felt a little awkward being kissed by a little girl.


    Wait!


    She''s at least three thousand years old!!!


    Then...could it be?


    He looked at the medallion and realized she wanted him to find this force called Xinhei. By doing so, he could meet her again. After a few minutes, he softly smiled.


    Wasn''t he so charming that girls just wanted to kiss him?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Hehe.


    Yeah, he was.


    However, his silly expression turned a little crestfallen. "I still haven''t decided my objective." When he thought about how he hasn''t lost his virginity yet, found a woman, or if he''ll go the harem route, monogamous route, or free interactions route, he couldn''t help but lower his head in contemplation.


    His cultivation base in the soul and body has already reached an extraordinary level where those old monsters who''ve lived tens of thousands of years would quiver in fear, but he has never even kissed a woman.


    Sigh.


    Looking at the medallion in his hand, he released another sigh. It would feel too odd to be with a woman who looks seven or eight years old. Storing the medallion and putting these matters behind him, he finally got up. Just as he was about to fly towards the spatial rift, he heard a voice call him from afar.


    "Mister Zai!" This voice belonged to an elegant and graceful figure. Her beauty was exceptional to behold. It was Yao Wuhen.


    Seeing her, Yan Zaizen halted. It seems that his spiritual sense was still placed on her body. Beside her, several figures appeared that was quite familiar. Wu Kun and his group, Presba Imperials minus all their Origin Core Cultivators, Fu Jing, and Xin Xiaoyu.


    One could tell that each member suffered damage of varying kinds. It seems the short amount of time they had wasn''t enough to heal for quite a few of them.


    "Mister Zai," Yao Wuhen landed nearby, closing the distance to allow Yan Zaizen to smell her intoxicating feminine scent. He was shocked. Why was she trying so hard to obtain his attention? Even her dressing displayed a faint showing of a cleavage and her fine curves. To be honest, he had very little interest in this woman.


    Fu Jing couldn''t help but look over at Yao Wuhen with her approachable demeanor. Faint traces of lust flitted about in his gaze. However, he contained it quite good whenever Xin Xiaoyu looked at him.


    Wu Kun ignored Yao Wuhen, looking at Yan Zaizen with a calculating gaze. The Presba Imperials had helpless expressions on their faces. Earlier, Yan Zaizen robbed them of the very clothes off their backs and the backers they obtained only shrugged at it all. If anything, Wu Kun seemed ready to throw them away if it meant being more acceptable to Yan Zaizen.


    In hindsight, it seems he was truly framed. Why else did he need to deny it? What good would that do? If he did it, what could they do? Wallow and cry in their weakness? They weren''t stupid enough to antagonize him. That''s how forces vanish from the face of the earth.


    "Do you want me to remove my spiritual sense?" Yan Zaizen directly offered. It may be good to keep his spiritual sense on her, but through it, he could soundlessly spy on her. Anyone would feel uncomfortable with a camera on their body.


    She softly nodded. The protection wasn''t worth the lack of privacy. Yan Zaizen''s eyes flashed a silver and sky-blue color, the spiritual sense was removed from her body.


    "Hm?" He noticed a slight shift in his Aurora. Taking a look, he realized that it wasn''t silver-blue anymore. At least not completely. It was now silver and sky-blue. This may seem like a minor change, but this transformation made his spiritual sense feel strange. As if there was a fundamental difference now, he just didn''t know how.


    "Yan Zaizen, correct?" Wu Kun stepped up, the aura he exuded was phenomenal, as if he was a high-noble in a grand country. One could see from his brows, lips, and gaze that arrogance and confidence was bone-deep. However, when he stood in front of Yan Zaizen, he had the posture of neutral respect brought about from equals.


    Yan Zaizen inwardly praised him.


    "Yes."


    "I would like to trade with you, if you''re willing," Wu Kun said.


    "A trade? Of what?" He was curious.


    "An Essence Apex Pill." Wu Kun calmly replied. However, when he said this, everyone went silent. This pill was an extraordinary pill because it has only one effect and it was 100% Guaranteed!


    Ascension from late to peak stage in the True Essence Realm.


    This was definitely the hardest step to take for many. As for the Crimson Star Realm? If you can construct a Heavenly Shrine, who cares about that? They could immediately ascend to a point they could control an entire realm!


    Not to mention the lifespan increase by one hundred thousand years!


    Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows. Checking his inventory, he truly had an Essence Apex Pill and not just one. It was likely placed on the fifth floor by the phantasms to elicit further bloodshed to expedite the revival of the Asura Phantom Master.


    Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen and Ma Xiuren sweeped everything. Surprisingly, Ma Xiuren''s first choice was aiming at materials, so he obtained all the pills as the trade off. What he didn''t know was that materials were a lot more beneficial for body cultivation and building heavenly shrines. To Ma Xiuren, she was surprised Yan Zaizen went after pills instead.


    Their priorities being so different caused them to essentially split the entirety of the fifth floor.


    "How much?" Yan Zaizen inquired. He had three of these pills, at the moment, he, Tao, or Bai Lufeng didn''t need them. So why keep it? By the time they reach such a level, it''ll be in thousands of years. Who knew where he''ll be then?


    "3.5 million." His words were spoken casually but everyone flinched at the price. However, Yan Zaizen had different thoughts.


    3.5 million? Wasn''t this a little too low?


    Seeing Yan Zaizen''s discontent, Wu Kun immediately spoke, "4 million!" He kept his words casual but if one saw the depths of his eyes, they could see a little quivering.


    However, Yan Zaizen was once more discontent. Was this guy taking him as a fool? He sold the True Essence Sublimation Pill for 31.2 billion! This guy thinks too highly of his reputation and too little of his own intelligence at this offer!


    Observing Yan Zaizen''s expression as if he was insulted, Wu Kun''s expression darkened. The others also had solemn expressions. This Yan Zaizen was truly merciless. Inwardly, Wu Kun believed it was because of the Presba Imperial Family that he was being so rigid. He cursed them under his breath.


    "Fine!" Wu Kun shouted, "5 million crystals! Final offer." The depths of his eyes revealed his fragile mental state.


    Wait.


    Wait¡­


    Wait!


    5 million crystals? Was...he talking about essence crystals? Was he talking about low-grade ones? Was...that the common currency for experts of his level?


    Indeed. True Essence Experts typically traded in crystals because liquid essence was ineffective for cultivation or recovery. As for the auction, if it wasn''t for Yan Zaizen mad sells, how could there have been True Essence Experts there?


    In that case...5 million low-grade essence crystals was equivalent to¡­


    Five.


    Trillion.


    Liquid.


    Drops.


    "DEAL!"

 Chapter 146 - Profound Thanks

    "Haha, then! He offered five trillion! I''m telling you, it was amazing." Yan Zaizen said jubilantly. Having returned to the Anima Syndicate, he met up with Old Tai, and they begun having a conversation regarding the overall events. He was embellishing a few things, such as using his cunning to haggle five trillion essence drops off Wu Kun, how he swept an entire floor clean with ferocious momentum against countless phantoms, meeting a heaven-toppling beauty who fell for his incredible charms, and causing the Presba Imperial Family to beg for forgiveness.


    None of it was true, but when he saw Old Tai''s fanatical and childlike expressions grow more bright with each word, he couldn''t help but do so. His illustrations kept becoming more and more vivid and unbelievable.


    "Amazing! Ah! How I envy the youth of others¡­" Old Tai said, his enraptured expression fell with longing in his gaze. In truth, he knew about 90% of what Yan Zaizen said was overly exaggerated, but it still left him wanting for more.


    Old Tai cultivation base was solidly situated at the half-step True Essence Realm, incapable of making a single step of progression without heaven-defying support. Despite his soul cultivation at the Advanced Aurora Soul Realm, he still couldn''t obtain such a pill or elixir. In this venture, he hoped Yan Zaizen would come back with a solution to his issue. If not, he''ll have only a century or so left before his inevitable death.


    This was the fear of all cultivators - dying of old age.


    It''s the same as the heavens informing you that you''ve reached the peak of your potential and destiny. It was demoralizing and left one filled with endless regret. Yan Zaizen understood this concept a little despite his young age. Having spent sixty years of his life in chaotic space, he realized how valuable time was and how quickly it passes.


    With a soft smile, Yan Zaizen waved his hand and produced a tiny bottle. In this bottle was a small-sized emerald pill radiating a faint glow. If one sniffed it, their bodies would feel stimulated and renewed.


    "!" Old Tai''s eyes widened at the revealing of this pill. As someone who searched intently for any possibility to ascend his current realm, how could he not know what this was? "True Qi Pill?!" He shouted. He started heaving out vast amounts of air. One could see from his gaze that there was excitement and deep-seated hope that shone brightly in his gaze.


    A True Qi Pill was a heaven-defying pill. However, because it''s heaven-defying, it has its disadvantages. If one refined it, their bodies would undergo the transition into the True Essence Realm. However, the trade-off would be half the lifespan that would''ve been received by the ascension would be excluded. Not only that, one''s foundation would be incomparably unstable. Essentially, the initial-True Essence Realm was the limit unless one obtained other heaven-defying items to supplement themselves.


    It was a second life.


    It was Old Tai''s second life.


    "Take it." Pushing the bottle in Old Tai''s hands, Yan Zaizen had a warm smile. This pill was essentially useless for him, but to others, they were exceptional! They were a breath of life that they''d thought lost. An additional ten thousand years to be with family, to develop one''s forces, or reach new heights.


    Old Tai didn''t stand on ceremony, clutching the bottle with shaky hands and a trembling gaze. If one looked closely, they could see tears formulate at the edge of his eyes. For many years, he thought he was going to die. That there was no hope. Now¡­


    He didn''t just have hope; he had a certainty!


    "You should refine the pill. I have things I need to do as well." Yan Zaizen shooed Old Tai away seeing him in this overly emotional state. Usually, when he had things he wanted to tell someone, he would do so with rapt excitement. But now, his emotions were a complete mess that he was as silent as a mime. Like a doll, he was pushed out of the room by Yan Zaizen and the door closed behind him.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    After several minutes of staring at Yan Zaizen''s door, Old Tai''s eyes flickered with unimaginable levels of thanks.


    PLOP!


    He dropped on his knees and kowtowed, his gray hair and wrinkled body was quivering as tears slowly dripped on the floor. To Yan Zaizen, this may have just being a small gift, but to him, this was the world. This was his life. To many, they were willing to risk their lives for a chance at strength, status, and longevity, but that didn''t mean they all could.


    How many half-step True Essence Cultivators went along in the Asura Phantom Realm? How many of them came back alive? Ten thousand entered but only six thousand left. As for the cultivation bases of the survivors? 90% of them was in the True Essence Realm or had equivalent cultivation bases! An example could be the Presba Imperial Family, they arrived with three True Essence experts and dozens of lower-realm cultivators, yet only the three of them survived.


    After three hours, Old Tai finally stood up. With another slight bow, he turned away and left. He''ll never forget Yan Zaizen''s seemingly simple act for the rest of his life.


    "He''s finally gone." Chuckling softly, Yan Zaizen finally left the door. Since Old Tai was kowtowing outside, how could he simply ignore his existence? For the entire three hours, Yan Zaizen used his spiritual sense to see every quiver, every breath, and every intense emotional weep produced from Old Tai. How could he not accept all of this? His understanding of this gesture and the cultivation world grew with this event.


    "The cultivation world is not just about fighting the heavens for strength, but fighting the heavens for life." He felt like he touched one of the quintessential motivations of cultivation. Regardless if its body, soul, or essence, they all struggle for continued existence beneath the heavens.


    "Perhaps...Immortality is the true purpose of cultivation." Thinking this, he felt that his words was wrong but also not. It was an abstruse philosophy that he just couldn''t comprehend.


    He softly sighed in melancholy.


    Placing these difficult thoughts away, he entered the Meteor Ring. He appeared with his soul form, gazing at the swirling black hole that seemed to resemble the one above his glabella. For sixty years, he cultivated diligently in an attempt to find his Origin Source. He employed all sorts of methods, from calm self-meditation, scanning his body continuously with his spiritual sense, and even painful methods to expose a trace of his Origin Source.


    Yet, none of them worked.


    Now he knew why. His Origin Source was hiding within his Meteor Ring disguised as a manifested black hole. What was unsure of was the characteristics of this Origin Source, of his bloodline, and why it was able to move outside of his body and hide. From his understanding, and Pinaka''s, an Origin Source does not have intelligence. It was the most primary energy within your body, a trace of one''s True Origin, and the only part of it actively accessible by a cultivator.


    "I''m unsure what it is, but you should be careful. Your body, your soul, and your very dao is a mystery." Pinaka informed. In truth, Yan Zaizen''s body had profound mysteries such as his odd Origin Source, his soul that was protected by the black hole, and how his dao should be an impossibility. To develop a Nascent Dao, one must overcome Heavenly Tribulations. Even peak-True Essence Cultivators had horrendous chances at doing so.


    The success rate was infinitesimal. Throughout the entire Xiantu Realm''s rule, excluding Yan Zaizen, there were less than ten individuals who''ve developed their own dao. That included quintillions of people currently living in the realm and countless others who''ve passed since. Logically speaking, Yan Zaizen shouldn''t even be able to even formulate a dao.


    "I know," Yan Zaizen replied. He had far too many mysteries, including in the mind as the images that seemed like him but wasn''t had popped up twice now. He wasn''t sure of what this all meant, but he knew one thing: He wasn''t normal. At first, he thought he could''ve been adopted, but that''s an impossibility.


    For one, he looks just like his mother and father. As for their parents? They were both from the Yan Clan. Yes, Yan Zaizen was the son of distant cousins. Although they were quite removed from each other, they were still related by a faint trace. If you wanted to look at any of their histories, then you just needed to look at the Yan Clan. Not to mention, he looked exactly like the Yan Clan members before his body cultivation advancements.


    It could be that the Yan Clan was special somehow, but he felt that wasn''t the case. If it was, then the Yan Clan wouldn''t have been so weak. It felt far more complex than just that. Pinaka''s assumption was reincarnation or lost of memories, but he felt those were unlikely as well. It was like his instincts were informing him of this.


    He had a faint feeling that all this was brought about by a random sequence of events. However, he couldn''t be sure.


    "Alright, let''s see what''s inside this." Deciding to put this to the back of his mind, he floated towards the swirling black hole. "I''ll discover what you are!" His voice filled with resolve and anticipation.


    What was his bloodline?!

 Chapter 147 - Bloodlines!

    What are bloodlines?


    This question isn''t easy to answer for any cultivator, but it could be answered. Bloodlines could be regarded as a lineage inheritance, determined by the mixture of body and soul to produce your most primal energy during birth, and although bloodlines may be similar to each other, they are never the same. That''s because no two souls born through natural means are the same.


    Unlike a Dao, bloodlines aren''t determined by experiences or enlightenment. Unlike conceptual laws, they do not need insights for progression. Unlike arts, bloodlines do not have a level of mastery.


    Your bloodline is fully mastered, fully controlled, and fully known of its traits at discovery. The only thing your bloodline requires is strengthening by materials beneath and above the heavens that are compatible with it.


    Yan Zaizen entered the swirling black hole manifested in his Meteor Ring. As he did, he felt an odd sensation in his heart. It was like hearing the voice of a scared child. The soundless resonance made his heart quiver with a protective instinct. As a male, this was an experience he''ll have trouble feeling in his entire life.


    Maternal instincts.


    Inside the manifested black hole, Yan Zaizen saw nothing.


    That wasn''t true. He saw only blackness. It was reminiscent to the collapsed sub-dimensional space without light. It had an eerie feeling of endless nothingness, as if it had no beginning or end throughout.


    With furrowed brows, Yan Zaizen pondered with each step he took. "It seems my theory is correct." As the possessor of the swirling black hole in his glabella, it wasn''t like he never investigated it before. This was the exact feeling he felt when he did. Endless nothingness and perpetual devouring of all things.


    However, unlike the swirling black hole, there was no suction or gravitating pull. This black hole even had an end and a beginning which he could reach with his senses, despite his instincts telling him otherwise. Essentially, this black hole was a fake.


    "You''re...a copy," was his deduction. A copy meant to hide itself from what it feared by converting into that very thing. All things considered, it was an interesting tactic.


    "I have an idea what you are. What my bloodline is." His eyes flickered with an intelligent light, but there was no excitement. If his guess was correct, this bloodline will be troublesome to excavate if it truly decided to hide in defiance.


    Pinaka observed Yan Zaizen entering the black hole, her thoughts were rapidly moving. After a while, her eyes lit up, "Use your Dao!" She shouted towards the black hole. In truth, the Dao and Bloodline had an intrinsic connection with one another. They both were linked with the body and soul.


    Hearing this, Yan Zaizen softly nodded. In truth, he was already planning to do so to subdue this primal energy. His experience in handling situations had become increasingly cunning as he met situations like this. A soft dark-amber orb the size of a fist exited from his chest. A soft radiance emitted from the orb.


    "What?!" Yan Zaizen was startled. The black hole started to suddenly quiver like it was going to collapse. This quiver didn''t feel like it was filled with fear but happiness and relief. What Yan Zaizen didn''t notice was that when his dark-amber dao orb exited his soul form, the swirling black hole at his glabella slowed in its rotation. It was so slight that even if Yan Zaizen was paying attention, he wouldn''t have noticed.


    However, it seemed the fake black hole did.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Immediately, it collapsed so quickly that Yan Zaizen found himself in the Meteor Ring''s space with his Aurora illuminating his figure in its brilliance. As for the black hole, it disappeared completely.


    Looking around, Yan Zaizen''s eyes narrowed to a needlepoint. In front of him were two orbs of dark-amber that hovered silently next to one another. The size, aura, and radiance were exactly the same. If Yan Zaizen didn''t have an intricate connection with his dao, he wouldn''t be able to discern which was which.


    "As I thought¡­" In the Yan Clan, during its thousands of years in existence, not a single person could discover their bloodline. This meant, since its founding, the Yan Clan has never had an Origin Core expert!


    It seems this was why.


    The bloodline could disguise itself to be exactly like anything else. You could be looking at it and never find it. What if it mimicked a cell? Mimicked a strand of hair? Mimicked a tiny trace of qi within one of your many meridians?! A part of your soul?! How could anyone hope to discover their origin. It''s also why if it decided to hide, Yan Zaizen would be hopeless.


    In truth, if it wasn''t for Yan Zaizen''s unique circumstances where it copied his black hole and hid from it, even with his many methods, this bloodline would be impossible to discover. This was not an exaggeration. Unless he reached a heavenly cultivation base, it would be impossible to discover it.


    As for reaching a heavenly cultivation base, that''s impossible without entering both the Origin Core and True Essence Realm. This was a horrifying dilemma. A conundrum that could not be solved.


    "My bloodline originates from the Heavenly Law of Mimicry," he muttered with a soft sigh. When he cultivated and studied at the Anima Syndicate, he came across bloodlines that were known thanks to various methods but impossible to discover. They were: Heavenly Law of Concealment, Mimicry, Nothingness, and Time.


    As for the first three, it was obvious why discovery was near to impossible. As for time, it had to do with discovery leading to a state of perpetual stasis, constant regression, or rapid aging. Discovering it was the same as death itself. Unlike decay, time was difficult to impede in any direction. As for decay or corrosion, they could be controlled and was rather harmless at discovery. Time...was not.


    He recalled Bai Lufeng''s Sword Bloodline and Tao''s Cyclone Bloodline, their bloodline was far more normal and standard. From his understanding, a bloodline will affect your qi-essence and true-essence. He didn''t know what benefits this mimicry bloodline will give him, but he felt that it shouldn''t be too horrible.


    After all, it was an Imperial Law!!!


    Rivaling spacetime, rebirth, yin-yang, and eternity.


    Retracting his dao orb, he reached to grab the mimicked orb. Surprisingly, it didn''t resist. It allowed itself to be grabbed by his soul form. "Guess its true...primal energy doesn''t have intelligence, but it seems to have instincts. At least, self-protective ones. I wonder...if it''s because it originated from an Imperial Law." He remarked thoughtfully.


    "Wait." His eyes flickered as he held the mimicked orb. "If the black hole on my glabella is a protective mechanism on my soul form, then what are my eyes?" This question left him bewildered. His soul form''s eyes were completely black, not only that, it turns into swirling black holes when he absorbed soul essence. Also, it only happens when he absorbs soul essence, nothing else.


    "Could it be...a soul-based bloodline?" He recalled what Tao informed him. Sometimes, bloodlines are soul or physique based. "I see. Haha," chuckling a little foolishly, he shook his head in defeat.


    A dual bloodline, but he didn''t even check the most obvious spot. Similar to how the Heavenly Law of Mimicry could take action before the Origin Core Realm, his black eyes were the same. He didn''t even think that bloodlines were so damn complex. However, he would be lying if he said he wasn''t excited.


    It was truly important that he had a law-based bloodline. If he didn''t, entering Origin Core Realm would''ve been impossible. Normally, only specific races or legacies have soul or physique-based bloodlines with different cultivation paths.


    A law bloodline from the Yan Clan and a soul bloodline...the soul bloodline was likely developed during those two years in the Deep Mines. It should be artificial, hence he didn''t receive any information about it. This meant he''ll have to learn of its traits and abilities as he moved forward.


    As for the black hole at his glabella, it was there since birth. It''s possible that the black holes in his eyes were copied from or was an extension of the one in his glabella. That transformation caused miraculous changes to his soul and origin source, creating a secondary soul-based bloodline.


    Quite interesting.


    "Now, time to enter the Origin Core Realm!" After unearthing a few mysteries, he felt satisfied. With a mimicry-based bloodline, a soul-based bloodline, and his extraordinary qi foundation, he intended to use all this momentum and ascend in a single step!

 Chapter 148 - Origin Core Realm

    In regards to Qi Cultivation, it¡¯s been sixty-one years since his last breakthrough. He couldn¡¯t help but recall his ease of progression to his current realm. Because of his outstanding foundation and available resources, he progressed to the late-Qi Unification Realm with little issue. As for progressing speed, due to his Herculean Physique, his essence refinement speed was thousands of times stronger than before.


    Now, his physique had reached the second level with a regalia refined within. His talent couldn¡¯t be considered on the same level as before. As for resources? He obtained so many alchemic pills and elixirs from the Asura Phantom Realm and Grux that he had no worries on that front.


    This didn¡¯t even include the number of essence crystals he had in his possession. With the deal for the Apex Essence Pill, he had several million in hand. He also had a lot of materials, but he wouldn¡¯t sell those without getting a proper estimate.


    He didn''t lack foundation. He didn''t lack resources. He didn''t lack talent.. This ascension should be a smooth one.


    Taking his Origin Source, he couldn¡¯t help but marvel at it. Unlike before, it converted into its true form, a deep-white mist. It gave off a plain yet chaotic feeling as if it represented all things yet also nothing. Excavating it, he sent it into his dantian using his qi-essence.


    Finding one¡¯s Origin Source and placing it into your dantian classifies you as a peak-Qi Unification Realm. After condensing all of one¡¯s qi-essence to formulate a Nascent Core, they could be considered at the half-step Origin Core Realm.


    He wasn¡¯t going to use normal ascension methods, that typically took time, and he had so many resources that it¡¯ll be a waste not to use them.


    He took out three items in various multiples:


    Firstly, 5 Origin Consolidating Pills. With this, he could condense his qi-essence to help formulate his core and strengthen his Origin Source.


    Secondly, 12 Primal Crystallization Elixir. This was a top-grade elixir for the Origin Core Realm. With it, the constructing and reinforcement of one¡¯s Origin Core and enhancement of your Origin Source would occur. It is suitable for initial-stage to late-stage. It was an item obtained in the Asura Phantom Realm.


    Lastly, 100 Qi-Essence Replenishment Pill. With this, he can easily recover about 10-30% of his qi-essence in a brief period depending on the stage of the Origin Core Realm. These pills were exceptionally expensive. The greatest reason for defeats between near-equals in fights was energy deficiency. So, these pills were quite essential for anyone at the Origin Core Realm.


    With these preparations, he readied himself. Closing his eyes and steadying his breathing, his mental state became calm and his dao radiated its vast aura, permeating the surroundings. He was getting into a peak condition for cultivation.


    Three Months Later.


    Yan Zaizen, dressed in nothing but comfortable leggings, exhaled a deep breath. This breath was exceptionally powerful, causing the training room to rumble chaotically. His body was glistening with sweat, his hair was wet, and his muscles trembled as if thirsty for essence.


    When he opened his eyes, those brilliant amber-gold eyes had traces of sky-blue. As for his aura? Extraordinary! A pure white core the size of a fist that seemed like an orb of crystal calmly rotated. With each rotation, the qi-essence in his body would be absorbed, and a cycle of refinement took place.


    Origin Core Realm!


    Not only that. The size of his origin core was not the size of a nail or the size of a walnut! Late-Origin Core Realm! The qi-aura released had a plain feeling but it felt like it contained all things yet none of it. His law-based bloodline had properly merged with his qi-essence!


    He also learned all of its secrets, and his mind was deeply shaken when he did. Lifting up his palm, he opened it flat. Within it, a ball of deep-white qi-essence emerged. His thoughts flashed. The ball of white transformed into a ball of purple. It radiated with the law of destruction!


    Another thought passed. The ball turned silver and rippled with spatial fluctuations!


    Another thought. The ball turned white once more but morphed into a long sword and radiated a fierce sharpness that could slice through the world! It felt like Bai Lufeng¡¯s bloodline!


    A cyclone that caused all things to funnel towards it was produced next. Cyclone laws!


    A blue flame that radiated all-consuming heat.


    A cerulean water that shifted to many different shapes.


    A small mountain that gave off the aura as if it contained a wave of pure force within.


    He changed that ball of white into a myriad of different laws and attributes. Although it was mimicked, so the conceptual laws weren¡¯t pure and thus far weaker than the original, but the attributes were truly equal!


    In theory, he could mimic all attributed qi-essence. Water, fire, space, life, blood, and more! Of course, attributes have very little true meaning without proper arts, but he could use any and all qi-arts!


    Not only did he discover this, but he learned more about the sky-blue regalia that refined itself into his brain. It was the Shifting Spirit Orb of the Soul! It could process the spirit and soul, advancing it in any direction, be it phantoms or other spiritual forms. For Spirit Forms or True Spirits like Pinaka, this was the most beneficial!


    This orb was the reason that the Asura Phantom¡¯s daughter had thoughts of returning alive once more. Shifting her phantasm soul form into an actual soul! It made sense that the Asura Phantom Lord had arts that surrounded converting the soul into phantoms. It was this very concept that attempted to convert Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul beforehand.


    Furthermore, when it merged into his brain, it advanced his cognitive functions in a similar way as a Mental Cultivation Art! His processing ability, memory, and perception were heightened. It may not be as effective as an actual Mental Cultivation Art, but it didn¡¯t require any changes in personality, simply the powerful soulforce stimulated his brain constantly. Not to mention, it had the ability to grow with his physique.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    As for Pinaka, his regalia emitted pure soulforce which she could absorb that was far more effective than Asura¡¯s Milk or his own soul energy. Her recovery was decreased by over ten times! She¡¯ll still need another year or so to fully recover, but she was nearly done.


    The reason she was absorbing Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul energy was to convert it into soulforce. Now Yan Zaizen could produce pure soulforce with just his vital energy alone in the same way he could produce lifeforce. With that, her recovery was fiercely accelerated.


    Taking another deep breath, he could feel his muscles, flesh, and blood feel excited and thirsty. With his quad-lungs, he siphoned an extreme amount of essence with each breath. This essence was quickly converted into lifeforce by his heart and sent through his blood to strengthen every cell in his body.


    Clenching his fist, he had a confident smile filled with warmth and happiness. ¡°I feel...in a few years, I could reach the True Essence Realm,¡± if anyone else heard those words from a boy below a hundred-years-old, they¡¯ll think he was delusional. However, Yan Zaizen was absolutely confident!


    He also had a True Sublimation Pill, other high-quality resources, and exceptional talent with his physique. With all this and his impeccable foundation, he¡¯ll be able to reach such a level soon!


    He rose from his sitting position. The drips of sweat on his body contained a sweet, alluring smell and his muscles tensing and relaxing periodically as if breathing. He estimated his current physical attributes. Despite his vital energies only rivaling a peak-True Essence Realm in intensity, his physical body strength was far, far greater.


    After siphoning all of the essence of the two-floor Hell Altar and revival materials for the Asura Phantom Palace Master, converting it into lifeforce energy and refining it into his cells, bones and blood, Yan Zaizen felt invincible within the Essence Path! He felt like he could truly step towards the heavens fearlessly!


    ¡°Your cultivation, both foundation and characteristics on all fronts, is too exceptional,¡± Pinaka voiced. In truth, her words weren¡¯t an exaggeration. His cultivation base truly was too exceptional. He had a Perfect Aurora Soul, a body that was invincible within the Essence Path, a qi cultivation at the late-Origin Core with a mimic bloodline, peak upper-tier Mortal Dao, and a combined mixture of lifeforce and soulforce.


    Normally, souls or spirit-based forms have an exceedingly difficult time recovering injuries, but with soulforce, he could recover any damage short of complete annihilation. This included with his physique''s healing factor enables him to recover from pretty much any damage with sufficient energy and time.


    Not to mention, comprehended three laws to manifestation-level, all of which were upper-tier world laws, comprehended five conceptual laws total, on the cusp of comprehending the World Law of Time and Soul. To anyone, any of these feats made them an outstanding person who could stand above many, yet this was contained on a single body.


    Yan Zaizen had a confident smile, but it contained no arrogance. The Xiantu Realm was only a minor realm, a second-level heavenly-tier force. What about those major realms? Those ninth-level heavenly-tier forces? His talent in cultivation may be outstanding here, but to the myriad geniuses in all the realms, how could he be so impressive?


    Despite knowing his thoughts, Pinaka shook her head. When she was under her master, the people at Yan Zaizen¡¯s age was just at his current qi-cultivation base. He was truly underestimating himself with this mindset. At least he wasn¡¯t overly arrogant and narrow-minded, but there was something called being too modest.


    Well, at least it¡¯ll increase his desire to always improve, so she refused to say anything.


    Knock. Knock. Knock.


    Yan Zaizen looked towards the door to sense the little girl that he had met when he first arrived. He waved his hand. The sweat was swept away, and his attire shifted to his sky-rank official Anima Lieutenant¡¯s uniform.


    It was a tight fitting, martial outfit with a firm robe. It was sky-blue in color with a dark-silver trim and belt. The outfit accentuated his perfect muscular outline and masculine features. With his lively pair of amber-gold eyes that exuded confidence and intelligence, it truly gave him an extraordinarily handsome appearance.


    Opening the door, Yan Zaizen looked at the small girl. ¡°Wu Yuanxu has finished his recovery.¡± Her voice was soft, yet clear, and filled with respect. Her eyes couldn¡¯t even match Yan Zaizen¡¯s, looking at her chest instead. It was obvious that despite her young looks, the seed of attraction was planted deeply into her heart.


    ¡°He has?!¡± However, how could Yan Zaizen care about her? With a step, he vanished. Wu Yuanxu was someone who helped him towards the path of soul cultivation. Without him, Han Genji wouldn¡¯t have been able to obtain those soul arts, and he wouldn¡¯t have a soul method. Not to mention, early on, Wu Yuanxu was very good to him. But because of him, he was killed by a sudden attack.


    Now, he was revived! How could he care about anything else?

 Chapter 149 - Wu Yuanxu

    Wu Yuanxu currently stood quietly in one of the sub-dimensional rooms. He wasn¡¯t cultivating, resting, or excited. On his face, which seemed to have reverted thirty years in appearance, giving him the appearance of a mildly handsome middle-aged man, was simply shock splashed with intense surrealism.


    He had died.


    He knew this much.


    Besides his most recent memory of the constant checks on the stability of his body by others, compatibility of his soul with it, and his mental state, he recalled his last memory. He was sending Yan Zaizen off. It was the boy he had much hope for, and he was supporting him in a venture to use the spatial platform.


    After doing so, he felt a pinch in his chest and his body zooming backwards with an incredible momentum. When he got his bearings for the last few seconds he had of consciousness, he saw a blurry figure from afar and his chest with a vast hole where his heart and other organs should be.


    So, he knew he had died.


    He was shocked to know that, during birth, the Anima Syndicate had offered his parents an initiative to be a part of an experiment. In return, they paid them handsomely. The experiment was to create a second soul segregated from the main one. They would monitor his mental state from the Anima Syndicate Headquarters for research.


    As a child born into the Anima Syndicate, he was shocked to discover this.


    As for his parents, they¡¯ve been dead for centuries and neglected to mention this. He knew...that splitting one¡¯s soul could lead to innumerable amount of issues to one¡¯s memory, psyche, and cultivation. He was told that his soul helped others understand that soul cultivation becomes difficult with a second soul.


    However, this wasn¡¯t always the case. Those who could reach the Perfect Nascent Soul Realm despite the difficulties had zero issues afterwards. Which meant...his cultivation hindrance was due to their experiment.


    He didn¡¯t know if he should feel mad. If it wasn¡¯t for them, perhaps he could¡¯ve raised in cultivation, but if they didn¡¯t split his soul? He would be dead. He was beyond conflicted.


    While he was still immersed in his feelings, Yan Zaizen arrived inside the sub-dimensional room. Instinctively, Wu Yuanxu looked at Yan Zaizen and said, ¡°Another test? I feel fine.¡± Yan Zaizen now was vastly different than the Yan Zaizen before.


    His cultivation was pathetic, his aura was weak, his body was shorter, less handsome, and his eyes were vibrant amber in color filled with a basic intelligence - not amber-gold filled with confidence and greater intelligence. Witnessing this, Yan Zaizen chuckled. Wu Yuanxu had also changed, looking younger but obviously easily distinguishable.


    Suddenly, he walked up to Wu Yuanxu and gave him a tight hug. He had a strange feeling that if he didn¡¯t grasp Wu Yuanxu¡¯s physical form, it wasn¡¯t real. For sixty-plus years, he waited for this day.


    ¡°What¡­?¡± Wu Yuanxu was startled. Having a strong looking handsome man hugging him in a tight embrace felt odd. However, he felt an intense feeling of warmth and relief from this young man. Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao could still affect people¡¯s emotions if his are too intense to control. Due to this, he didn¡¯t feel anything but good feelings towards this young man.


    After a while, Yan Zaizen separated, his eyes giving Wu Yuanxu a once over. ¡°Haha, it seems they gave you a better body.¡± Wu Yuanxu¡¯s body truly was extraordinary. It seems they nourished it with good materials. If he had to estimate his vital energies, he was at least in the Qi Unification Realm. This may seem small, but it was a powerful body by many standards.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Confused, Wu Yuanxu couldn¡¯t help but ask, ¡°Who are you?¡±


    ¡°The kid you invited to the Anima Syndicate all those years ago. I don¡¯t think I ever personally gave you my name, so I¡¯ll introduce myself properly this time.¡± He said, coughing to clear his throat after. Taking a step back, he clasped his hand in a respectful greeting and a slight bow.


    ¡°Member of the Yan Clan, Grandson to the Yan Clan Leader, ninth disciple of Han Genji, Anima Syndicate Lieutenant and an eternally grateful friend: Yan Zaizen. It¡¯s nice seeing you again.¡± His words were filled with respect and warmth. To Wu Yuanxu, he didn¡¯t feel any sense of superiority of a strong cultivator to a weak one. He felt like a junior speaking to a kind senior.


    ¡°Yo-You¡¯re that kid?¡± His eyes widened in disbelief. How could this be the case? From his memory, that kid was shorter, skinnier, had duller eyes, and a little bit stupid. He recalled being able to easily persuade him to joining the Anima Syndicate despite it offering barely any benefit.


    He was also happy despite that. It was very strange...and only solidified that the boy was simply too young and naive. If he read his eagerness to recruit him, he could¡¯ve negotiated for actual benefits, yet he accepted with no disagreements.


    Looking at Yan Zaizen once more, he couldn¡¯t shake off his disbelief. Could it be¡­? The youth from before had an exceptional growth!


    ¡°I¡¯m that kid,¡± Yan Zaizen chortled. Wu Yuanxu eyes flickered and then he moved forward, he wrapped his arms around Yan Zaizen this time in a hug. In his eyes, he knew that the only reason he was alive was someone at the Anima Syndicate wanted his revival. Besides Yan Zaizen, who else did he know here? He was just an experiment. He wasn¡¯t even an successful one.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Startled initially, Yan Zaizen responded by hugging as well.


    Two men, one old and one young, were hugging silently in the room with hearts filled with gratitude. One helped the other early by setting a path in his life to follow, and the other helped the other by saving his life after death.


    ¡°Sniff...sniff¡­¡± Tears dripped from Wu Yuanxu¡¯s face. They came out like a stream. Nobody will ever understand the terrifying pain, terrible regret, and cold loneliness he felt as he laid there dying. If Wu Yuanxu knew Yan Zaizen could somewhat relate, perhaps they would be even closer.


    With a soft pat, Yan Zaizen felt relieved.


    Several hours passed.


    After their hugging sessions concluded, they sat down to enjoy various wines and talk. Yan Zaizen got to understand how Wu Yuanxu got a second soul, his past life before they met, and more. As for Wu Yuanxu, he got to know about Yan Zaizen¡¯s journey thus far, the fate of Han Genji, the fate of those who killed him, and more.


    They exchanged good conversation over delicious wine. They even talked about their goals. Yan Zaizen wanted to explore the Xiantu Empire, then move to a different realm. Likely, he¡¯ll go find Ma Xiuren¡¯s Xiuhei Clan. As for after that? He hadn¡¯t decided.


    Wu Yuanxu wanted to start his own clan. At his death, he realized that he never left anything behind. This was his most intense regret. He wanted many children, beautiful wives, and a clan that¡¯ll last forever. He¡¯ll start at Presba and move to make his clan deeply cemented into the entirety of the Xiantu Realm.


    Who knew, perhaps in the future, his clan could one day rule this realm or another one? But that¡¯s what he wanted. Yan Zaizen wanted to convince him to travel with him, but the man¡¯s dream couldn¡¯t be accomplished with free travel. He needed to settle down, make a territory, and develop slowly.


    Obviously, he wouldn¡¯t impose his own desires on him.


    ¡°How about traveling with me for a bit? When I pick up Tao and Bai Lufeng, we¡¯ll go about to Presba together. After all, I do need to find out who tried to frame me.¡± Yan Zaizen offered. Initially, Wu Yuanxu didn¡¯t want to impose, but when Yan Zaizen said he could handle any cultivation expenses or needs he required during, he agreed.


    He knew from Yan Zaizen stories that he had millions in low-grade essence crystals. If it was the him before, even a single essence crystal was unattainable. He only had a unrefined crystallized chair, but that wasn¡¯t even close to a real one.


    ¡°Haha, I can¡¯t wait till you meet Tao and Bai Lufeng, they are definitely characters.¡± He said joyfully.


    Little did Yan Zaizen know, both Tao and Bai Lufeng had their own struggles, and because of it, he¡¯ll be forced to step towards the heavens.

 Chapter 150 - Duos Escapades

    Three years ago.


    In the Heretical Lightning Skyship, Tao was looking at the surroundings with a blazing gleam filled with desire for adventure in his eyes. A new continent, a whole new structure and culture! As for Bai Lufeng, he was piloting the ship with a similar gleam in his gaze.


    However, it contained lust and anticipation at the luxuries this new world had to offer. He calculated his capital. Yan Zaizen¡¯s cultivation base was at the half-step Perfect Aurora Soul Realm. However, with his body cultivation, he could probably contend with a mid-True Essence Cultivator.


    With this backing, he should have some leeway to do many things in this new continent.


    Tao¡¯s thoughts were very different. He wished to travel the continent to gain intelligence, study the culture, and debate with their academics. After all, he was a scholar in heart and mind. He truly wished to see if others within the continent could broaden his horizons or was simply lackluster.


    As of now, they didn¡¯t need to worry about wealth or resources for cultivation. With these things dealt with by Yan Zaizen, they were like rich tourists traveling to see the sights.


    The first city they came across was called the Crimson Blink City. The name originated from the fact a crimson tower that almost reached the sky would vanish at certain times of year suddenly - in a blink. As for the city itself, it contained similarities to Sky Titan City. It had a single major force with subordinate forces beneath it.


    Competition was fierce and infighting was often, but the major force would allow this type of environment to strengthen their subordinates. As for anything too massive like war, as long as it was warranted by actions, they wouldn¡¯t interfere. Therefore, even in the city, smaller forces could be wiped out without proper backing or a single mistake.


    When they arrived in the Heretical Lightning Skyship, many took notice immediately. Quite a few were curious about their identity. Others were speculating, disseminating rumors about their status and backing. Some said that Tao was a young master of a reclusive clan out to gain experience and Bai Lufeng was his personal aide.


    Others believed that Bai Lufeng and Tao was here on behalf of an expert¡¯s orders, carrying out special plans. In truth, this was only because of their weak cultivation bases in comparison to their skyship grade. Not only that, Bai Lufeng was arrogant to all heavens while Tao seemed nurtured with a very educated nature that contained an aggressive edge.


    Bai Lufeng had lured beauties with promise of resources and grandness. With that, many women and even men were interested. Some even had husbands and boyfriends. In the cultivation world, each breakthrough brought benefits in longevity, status, personal strength, and potential.


    With Bai Lufeng¡¯s bait, how could those with ambition or desires resist? Some of them even accepted his offer on behalf of their own men. Of course, if this occurred, none of these relationships were solid and based on pure love. Many men had multiple wives so sacrificing one for their own benefits was something they had very little shame doing.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    There were even men who decided to act as an entourage of Bai Lufeng while he stayed in the city. With a massive bevy of followers and beauties at his command, he became known as ¡®Money Bags Bai¡¯.


    Tao traveled to various schools, clans, and sects to debate with their scholars. However, his attitude wasn¡¯t any better than Bai¡¯s flamboyant display of wealth. He would set a bet for both sides, the loser of the debate in the discussion or intellectual exchange must kowtow ten times to the winner. Afterwards, they have to admit their inferiority.


    To many, this infuriated them! However, despite challenging and being challenged, he won every single contest of intellect. The bets increased from the other sides demands to win back face, from slapping yourself a thousand times to embarrassing actions no one would ever do willingly.


    Due to the heavenly oath that would be sworn, they had no way to back out after defeat. Tao also showed no mercy, viciously stomping on their pride, and leaving them with little dignity.


    There was even a time where Tao offended someone with his blunt words, as he did, the force tried to capture him. Fortunately, the strongest power here was only a weak imperial-tier force with a mid-True Essence Realm. The moment Tao flashed Yan Zaizen¡¯s talisman, they backed off reluctantly. While doing so, their gazes were filled with searing flames of hatred.


    Bai Lufeng had his ass-kissed by all for a bit of benefit while Tao infuriated all to the point killing intent was hard to conceal. They stayed doing this for three months. After, they took their sudden leave in the night.


    Bai Lufeng wealth was drained by 30% leaving him feeling saddened, but after some thought, he cheered up. With Yan Zaizen, who had a penchant for robbery, how could this wealth matter much?


    Tao, however, actually slept with an important young woman who became infatuated by his intelligence and confidence. However, this woman was supposed to be bestowed to the mid-True Essence Realm expert in the city. After discovering this fact, they left quickly with zero hesitation.


    Sure, Yan Zaizen¡¯s talisman may scare off some, but if the truly strong shows up, it¡¯s unlikely they¡¯ll leave with their lives. So like miscreants in the night, they lept towards the far horizon, never looking back.


    After a month of travel, they arrived at another city similar to Crimson Blink City. The cycle repeated. However, this time, Bai Lufeng had taught an arrogant young master a vicious lesson in arrogance: There was always someone more arrogant than yourself!


    He delivered a spanking session in front of a large crowd, viciously humiliating him in front of all. Tao couldn¡¯t help but shake his head at this, but didn¡¯t disapprove. Of course, the force behind this young master couldn¡¯t accept this. They were violently chased by a group of Origin Core experts with a True Essence expert at the head.


    It was quite difficult to evade them. Their pursuers kept seeking outside help, and even a bounty was placed on their heads. There were quite a few hunters that hunted them. After escaping it all thanks to Yan Zaizen¡¯s protective spiritual sense and the skyship, they hid away for a year. Afterwards, they left to venture into the one place they truly wanted to go: Clear Divine City - Secondary Capital City of the Xiantu Empire.


    It was controlled by three first-level heavenly-tier forces! If Yan Zaizen was here, he¡¯d recognize two of the three forces - White Crane Sect & Wu Clan! Also, if Yan Zaizen was here, he¡¯d have a bad feeling looming over his heart. Whether it was for Tao and Bau Lufeng or for those in the city, only the heavens knew.

 Chapter 151 - Clear Divine City

    WOOSH!


    The Heretical Lightning Skyship soared across the skies. As it did, it emitted bursts of lightning that¡¯ll wrap around it, if looked at from afar, it¡¯ll seem as if it¡¯ll transform into a lightning bolt from time to time. At the helm, Tao observed the surroundings with a tranquil expression. If one saw him, it¡¯ll be impossible to suspect that he was hunted relentlessly by many forces just a year before.


    ¡°Clear Divine City,¡± Tao softly said, recalling the various forms of information he had regarding the city. Clear Divine City was truly divine in both appearance and residents. By comparison, it was a much greater Capital of Presba. Outside of the Xiantu Empire¡¯s Capital City, it was the largest, most powerful city within the entire continent.


    Situated there were three heavenly-tier forces, dozens of imperial-tier forces, thousands of grand-tier forces, and countless weaker forces. The vastness of its land exceeded Presba¡¯s capital by hundreds of times and many times more complex. Despite being labeled as a city, many refer it as the Divine Battleground, many talents and forces wishing to make a sudden rise would venture within. Many, many fail in their attempts.


    The corpses of the fallen could only become stepping stones for the successes.


    The three heavenly tier forces were the Wu Clan, White Crane Sect, and Broad Creed Palace. The White Crane Sect had only become heavenly-tier force recently thanks to a member of their sect marrying a rogue cultivator who¡¯ve developed their own Dao and built their first-floor Heavenly Shrine. After obtaining the dao, the White Crane current Sect master built her own Heavenly Shrine, officially rising the White Crane Sect¡¯s status to a heavenly-tier force.


    This development occurred two thousand years ago. Since then, the White Crane Sect could be classified as an equal entity to the other forces despite their overall weakness. This was only due to the backing of a Heavenly Genesis Realm Mortal Dao cultivator. With this, they could be described as fearsome. Essentially, offending them was the same as offending that expert.


    However, excluding external support, the Broad Creed Palace was the strongest force within Clear Divine City. They possessed three Heavenly Genesis cultivators with bestowed daos of the Xiantu Emperor. Despite this, they weren¡¯t actually subordinates of the Xiantu Emperor, but allies. It was odd, and many had speculations regarding their true relationship, but who within the realm had the courage to dig deeper?


    ¡°I still think we should wait for Young Lord Zai to return,¡± Bai Lufeng commented beside Tao, his eyes filled with caution. In normal cities, he could, without restraint, act as he wished. However, this was Clear Divine City. The mortality rate in this city was massive, its undercurrents were far too deep, and the forces there wouldn¡¯t fear any half-step Perfect Aurora Soul Realm expert or someone who could rival a mid-True Essence Realm.


    He feared Tao would take action, do something outrageous, and get them chased by peak powers. Over these years he realized that, while he may be a little troublemaker, Tao was an INSANE one! With some thought, this was reasonable. He was stripped of his status, imprisoned, and sent to the Deep Mines to die. If one looked deeply into this, they¡¯ll realize this scholar on the surface was a devil beneath.


    He would also say things first, deal with the consequences later, and charmed any beautiful woman in his path despite his scrawny, scholarly appearance.


    ¡°The bounties on our heads should still be up...I fear¡­¡± Bai Lufeng had always been the cautious one, always acting within the limits of his capabilities, and luring the deep, dark and selfish desires of others to satisfy his own ego. That being said, he didn¡¯t wish to throw himself to death. This could be seen when Yan Zaizen intended to capture Diyi. After saying a few words, he took off in abandonment. If he had to die, he didn¡¯t want to die because of someone else¡¯s actions!


    Screw your collateral casualty!


    ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Clear Divine City isn¡¯t a place they can act carelessly, not to mention, this was for Young Lord Zai. We¡¯ll obtain information about the city, as per his orders.¡± Despite saying this, his eyes flickered with unknown intentions. After his winning streak against every notable scholar in the other cities, he felt his competitiveness ignite fiercely.


    Bai Lufeng could clearly feel his intentions and moaned inwardly. This man may seem harmless, but he was truly the devil in sheep''s clothing. Witnessing the situation veer off into an unfavorable path, Bai Lufeng suggested, ¡°how about we split up to gather more information?¡± His suggestion was definitely filled with his desire to separate himself from this dark star who didn¡¯t care about consequences. At least, he considered his enemies strength beforehand.


    Tao¡¯s eyes lit up, a slight smile tugged at his lips, ¡°Sure!¡± He didn¡¯t have any disagreements in doing so, Bai Lufeng often was too much deadweight anyhow. It¡¯ll be faster if he roamed alone. ¡°However, I¡¯m keeping the skyship.¡±


    ¡°Huh!¡± Bai Lufeng felt dissatisfied by this arrangement, but what could he do? It¡¯s not like he could force Tao to give up reins of the skyship, and if he did, he probably wouldn¡¯t be alive after Yan Zaizen discovers this. After some thought, he felt this was beneficial to him. If he kept the skyship, it¡¯s possible it could be tracked by their enemies.


    Arriving at the outskirts of the City, they swiftly separated.


    ----


    Several months passed since their separation. Bai Lufeng was like a cautious mouse as he traveled from one location to another for fear of being too overt. He kept his head down and gathered information in regards to the cities complexities. This was the first time he decided to diligently gather information and not indulge in his desires.


    However, there was a reason.


    When he arrived, he realized that the number of Origin Core Cultivators was insane!! If you see a cultivator, regardless of age, they were likely at the peak-Essence Formation Realm or higher. In comparison to Grux, this was terrifying. In the other cities, he noticed an upward trend in cultivation bases, but it was overly exaggerated here.


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    Qi Unification Cultivators here were nothing more than lesser guards, waiters, and servants. Therefore, for every five Essence Formation cultivator, you¡¯ll find one Qi Unification Cultivator. The Origin Core Realm was similar! These people were littering the streets, flying about suddenly, and acting as guards to those with higher status.


    Typically, cultivation bases would see a steep decrease due to the difficulties in ascending per stage, but heavenly-tier forces truly were different. With some thought, one could realize that Qi Unification cultivators longevity was about three times those at the Essence Formation, and Origin Core was the same. Because of this longevity discrepancy and resource accessibility in the continent, the situation of Origin Core experts walking about casually was produced.


    With this, how could he not keep his head down? He couldn¡¯t swagger as he wished, because it¡¯s likely the True Essence Experts who could live from twenty-five thousand to forty-five thousand years depending on stage was likely even more exaggerated.


    Currently, he was situated in a restaurant enjoying a delicious meal. He came here often to enjoy the food and listen in on casual conversations in hopes of gathering any form of useful information. Not to mention, he developed a liking towards general gossip.


    For example, the Broad Creed Palace¡¯s Elder, Yan Shi, proposed to several girls in the White Crane Sect, and despite his status, talent, and handsomeness was rejected by all of them! This was a hilarious bit of information, considering he was the youngest Elder since Broad Creed Palace¡¯s inception. Or how it was said that Wu Kun ¡ª an Elder of the Wu Clan ¡ª had paid an insane and unreasonable price during the Asura Phantom Realm for a pill.


    There was even a bit of gossip about one of the top three young beauties of Clear Divine City, was looking for a partner to accompany her. This caused many young men with exceptional talent to feel incredible elation! Many attempted to do all sorts of things to ensure they were picked.


    ¡°Did you hear? Broad Creed Palace¡¯s Head Scholar was challenged!¡± A middle-aged man with an Origin Core cultivation base said with interest.


    ¡°Challenged? Who would, no, who could be dumb enough to challenge them in any way?!¡± A younger man, with faint physical similarities to the middle-aged man spoke, his voice filled with anger and insult. It was obvious that he idolized the Broad Creed Palace. Bai Lufeng¡¯s eyebrows perked, recalling that fellow he hadn¡¯t seen in months - Tao.


    ¡°Tch! It¡¯s not that simple. Not only did he challenge, he won! At least, he won the first contest.¡±


    ¡°What? Pfft, Gibberish!¡± The young man refused to believe what the other man was saying, gesturing his hands about as if swatting a fly. One could see he didn¡¯t like his faith being shaken and would be willing to close his ears to all those who say otherwise.


    As if expecting this, the middle-aged man spoke, ¡°Let me finish! It turned into a best of three, and during the last two matches, the one who challenged lost! Not only that, I heard he was forced into servitude for the rest of his miserable and foolish life!¡±


    Hearing this, the young man¡¯s eyes turned bright and his posture was enlivened by the news. ¡°Tch, people always overestimate themselves. He definitely cheated the first time, otherwise, how could he even conceive the possibility of a win? Even if he did win, it had to be by simple luck or unfavorable conditions!¡±


    ¡°...¡± Bai Lufeng¡¯s expression darkened considerably. Did Tao lose to the Broad Creed Palace? He scarcely believed such news. From his experience, he knew Tao was unreasonably intelligent. It was due to this very intelligence that he had immense pride and arrogance buried deep into his very bones. This and his unyielding confidence in his own abilities was quite similar to Yan Zaizen. If he lost, it¡¯s highly likely they cheated somehow or perhaps¡­


    He pulled out a talisman and checked its fluctuations. It looked like a flat white coin and emitted faint traces of a cyclone forming. This was Tao¡¯s Life Talisman. An item only peak-Qi Unification Cultivators could produce. The talisman was interconnected to their origin and as long as they were alive it wouldn¡¯t change. However, if they were killed, the talisman would suffer a rebound that¡¯d crack it.


    After confirming the coin was intact, he sighed in relief. If Tao was killed somehow, then he could only imagine Yan Zaizen¡¯s reaction. As he recalled Yan Zaizen¡¯s Herculean Avatar Art, he shivered a little. He wasn¡¯t scared for Yan Zaizen, but for Broad Creed Mountain. This was indirectly offending a demonic genius without even knowing it. The fate of the Soaring Cloud Sect perfectly described how that situation ends.


    After paying for his meal and exiting the restaurant, he couldn¡¯t help but sigh softly. Should he inform Yan Zaizen? Taking out a transmission talisman, he was about to do so when a flash appeared in front of his face. Stunned, he looked up to see a mesmerizing face before him.


    This woman had skin as white as snow, black eyes as proud as a phoenix, dressed in elegant white clothing with the mark of a crane located at her lower torso. Her long black hair flowed as freely as the sky itself without any imperfection, her lithe body contained the most delectable curves benefiting of a beautiful woman, and thin eyebrows that seemed to perfect the ensemble of her bewitching existence.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Bai Lufeng was struck dumb by the sudden appearance of this goddess. However, as he stuttered unable to say anything, the woman revealed a soft smile that seemed to cause the world to lose its colors.


    With a voice that was like heavenly larks singing, ¡°Can I ask you...to be mine?¡± Her voice was very bewitching, but nobody besides Bai Lufeng seemed to have heard it or even noticed her appearance.


    As if entranced, Bai Lufeng softly nodded in agreement without thought. ¡°You¡¯re my hero. Please follow me,¡± she gestured towards a direction and soared like an immortal through the air. Bai Lufeng followed along without hesitation. His cultivation base being pushed to its furthest to match her speed, as if he couldn¡¯t bear to lose sight of her figure. If others could see the woman, they¡¯d recognize her as one of the top three young beauties of the Clear Divine City, the one who was looking for a partner!

 Chapter 152 - Bai Lufengs Fate

    ¡°Let me out! NOW!!¡± Bai Lufeng, who was completely naked, shouted viciously from a large bar-cage. The cage was sufficient to hold a hundred people with enough space to move about if they wanted to. It was completely black and released an aura that seemed to suppress the world. The gaps between the bars had only enough space for one¡¯s hand to reach through. The entire space was filled with darkness with only a single sunstone lightning up the cage itself and a little bit outwards.


    CLANG!


    BANG!!


    With a sudden jerk, Bai Lufeng slammed against the bars of the cage with his entire body weight, but it did little to help the situation. The clanging sound drew Bai Lufeng to look at his right leg. A shackle with a chain attached to the center floor of the cage was firmly placed, and it rattled whenever he moved. His expression paled and his eyes looked somewhat lifeless.


    ¡°Give up. You¡¯re wasting your energy.¡± Bai Lufeng wasn¡¯t the only one in this cage, there were several dozen others, nearing fifty, who was in a similar situation. Each was naked, their legs shackled to the center floor and their faces pale, possessing very little life in their eyes. The one who spoke was a middle-aged man, his body was withered like a shriveled piece of paper, and thin to the bone.


    ¡°Shut up!¡± Bai Lufeng lashed out. He felt beyond frustrated and angered by all this. This was essentially kidnapping, and what¡¯s worse, it¡¯s the worse type of kidnapping! They were a part of a harem palace! A male harem palace! Normally, this wouldn¡¯t be so bad, as being able to perform dual cultivation via intimate relations with a wealthy woman, and typically beautiful as a result of this wealth, every day couldn¡¯t be bad.


    However!


    They were a part of a harem palace, but instead of sexual relations, they were simply drained of their primal yang energy. This was something interconnected to their bodies and souls, and having it forcefully extracted is an incredibly painful process if not done through dual cultivation. It could damage one¡¯s lifeforce, make one impotent, and weaken their souls and bodies. The process itself could even kill, and if done repeatedly, will kill!


    His memory was filled with gaps. One moment, he was at the restaurant. The next, he was here, naked and drooling over some beautiful woman! He recognized this woman based on portraits he¡¯d seen before, but he never expected her to be so maliciously evil. Her actions were essentially draining them periodically for her own cultivation. With this, she could retain her most primal, untouched yin energy while simultaneously consuming men¡¯s yang energy to heighten her physical body and soul form.


    To many, both gods and men alike, this was disgusting, but this was actually relatively common in the cultivation world! For both men and women! By plucking the primal yin or yang energy from others bodies, they could utilize it to strengthen their own cultivation. Typically, men and women would do so by sexual relations, so it¡¯s somewhat mutually beneficial and maximized its effects. However, there are rare cases where they wished to retain their untouched primal yin or yang, and for a specific cultivation method, they¡¯d obtain it through this malicious method.


    If they dual cultivated, the benefits would be mutually shared and more effective by dozens of times. To balance this out, they would use the method of forceful plucking would require a massive amount of yang energy.


    They were essentially cows that were milked as wanted! As for Bai Lufeng? He was already milked several times already, and it was harsher than being cut by a thousand blades. This was also why they picked cultivators without a background to subject to this! There would be no retaliation if they suddenly vanished or were killed off by the White Crane Sect. If someone does look for them, they could simply justify their actions with a false crime. What more could they do?


    BANG!!


    Bai Lufeng viciously slammed into the bars once more with his full body weight, his bones produced an audible cracking sound, and a groan of pain resounded. The others who witnessed this couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads in pity. They¡¯ve already accepted their fates, but when they first came here, they did everything he was doing.


    ¡°Let me go! My Young Lord isn¡¯t someone you wish to offend!¡± Bai Lufeng shouted towards whoever was guarding them, but he still didn¡¯t receive any response. ¡°ARGH!! I swear! If you let me go right now, this event will be done, over, I¡¯ll even tell my Young Lord that...that...LET ME OUT!!¡±


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    BANG!!!


    Bai Lufeng could feel the bones in his arm shatter, and his muscles were beyond bruised. The extraction of his primal yang energy severely weakened his body, causing it to be far more frail than normal. Despite this, he clenched his teeth in anger and cursed loudly.


    Step.


    Step.


    Step.


    The soft patter of footsteps resounded as a figure emerged from the shadows. It was a young man dressed in complete black, his face feminine and good-looking, his eyes suffused with indifferent arrogance at all beneath the heavens, and a dominating aura that permeated the surroundings emanated from his body. Bai Lufeng¡¯s gaze was drawn to this young man, and his face flushed with anger, but also hope.


    Lifting up his battered body, he lunged towards the bars, clenching one in each hand tightly, and half his face attempting to seep through the gap. If one saw his bloodshot eyes, they¡¯d see that hope and desperation was prevalent within. ¡°Let me out...if you do, my Young Lord will reward you handsomely!¡± Bai Lufeng attempted to bargain for his freedom, but the young man only approached at a measured pace, obviously unconcerned.


    Each sound of his steps sounded heavily within the room. It was as if it sounded off a strange cadence that led others hearts to its rhythm. When he arrived at the cage, all the prisoners looked at him with fearful gazes, ¡°Reward?¡± The young man inquired as if curious about Bai Lufeng¡¯s proposition.


    ¡°What reward could this...Young Lord give me?¡±


    Bai Lufeng gulped slightly, realizing that Yan Zaizen may be rich, but he wasn¡¯t nearly as wealthy as any imperial-tier force within the city. He could barely match peak grand-tier forces in wealth. Not to mention, his cultivation was a little too low to be used as a threat against the White Crane Sect. They were a heavenly-tier force after all! ¡°He could give you...a True Essence Sublimation Pill!¡± Bai Lufeng said, his voice grasped at any hope.


    He wasn¡¯t sure if Yan Zaizen would trade a True Essence Sublimation Pill for him, but he had to try.


    ¡°Hahaha,¡± the young man laughed coldly, his eyes suffused with disdain and intense contempt. He was a mid-True Essence expert, what did he need a True Essence Sublimation Pill for? Not to mention, it wasn¡¯t some heaven-defying pill. No, it was a pill that only increases one¡¯s chances of ascending to the True Essence Realm or mid-stage - not a guarantee.


    This was why Old Tai wasn¡¯t interested in Yan Zaizen¡¯s True Essence Sublimation Pill, his chances were horrendous to the extreme. Even if he took the pill, his chances would still be abysmal.


    ¡°You should get comfortable. You¡¯ll be here ¡®till death.¡± The young man declared, turning around and taking his leave. He was only slightly amused by Bai Lufeng, but with this, it should thoroughly crush his spirit. However, how could Bai Lufeng just give up like that?


    ¡°I swear! If you don¡¯t let me out, you¡¯ll die! You¡¯ll all die!¡± The decibel of his voice went to its peak as the cage shook slightly as if responding to his threats with fear. However, all Bai Lufeng received was laughter from the shadows. Those in the cage shook their heads, resting once more, and awaiting their deaths. If one could see the look in their eyes, it was as if they were no longer alive.


    Screaming until his voice was hoarse and his body dropped helplessly in exhaustion, Bai Lufeng weakly leaned against the bars with a diminished will. With Tao likely in trouble, Yan Zaizen unbeknownst of their plight, and with him stuck in this cage, it¡¯s unlikely that he¡¯ll live to see the sun once more.


    This world was cruel.

 Chapter 153 - Taos Fate

    not be matched.


    top families within Broad Creed Mountain, with a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert at its helm.


    single glance would  one shocked by the sheer price this room must¡¯ve cost.


    essence jade, a refined version of  crystals.essence and release it in a  purified state.


    Simply staying in this room for an hour was like secluded cultivation for weeks.


    was a  woman who  heaven-toppling, nation-collapsing beauty.blonde hair seemed to be sprinkled with true gold, deep-blue eyes containing incredible levels of Intelligence, skin as flawless as the heavens themselves, and a body that exuded premium sex appeal.


    deep valley that was formed from it.


    Qiu, one of the three top young beauties within the Clear Divine City.top beauty   traits:


    Qiu was only three hundred years old with an initial Aurora Soul, a  body that rivaled the initial-Origin  , a mid-Origin   qi cultivation base, and comprehended a  world law to the force-level.


    was  the favored great-granddaughter of the Heavenly Genesis ancestor of the Yan Clan.


    was a  man with impossibly  teeth.Bai Lufeng was , not only would he recognize this  woman but also the man.Zaizen would.


    attire.was a grey collar that seemed to release a very faint and dull light.he stayed obediently to the side of this woman.


    he stood silently aside,  recalled how  arrived at this fate.ago,  and Bai Lufeng separated.he decided to quietly gather information about the city.He learned that there were many scholars who practiced the academic arts.he couldn¡¯t hold back his desire to match wits with them in various contests.


    first victim  a first-tier  within the city.horrendously shaming them by displaying their inferiority,  felt  to challenge others.He kept escalating till  arrived at a  called the Emerald Hand Sect - an imperial-tier .had someone called the Emerald Scholar of Kunlun.


    he resist?he arrived,   this   woman and the Head Scholar of Broad Creed Palace in wait.He was challenged to a contest, best of three, with wits and deductive knowledge.


    Servitude.


    In short, she cheated.


    He lost.


    he was infuriated by her actions and ways to  a victory.


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    Unfortunately, this malicious woman was not a .she was raised as one, dabbled in the academic arts, but  was not a true .


    escaping the situation himself and without Yan  soul energy to power his spiritual sense,  was impossible.Zaizen was used up.he couldn¡¯t even  him.


    he  abided by the heavenly oath.because  was  of dying, as  much  have his core dignity than life, but  of Yan Zaizen.


    he?He was Yan Zaizen¡¯s companion, his friend, and if one considered the way they clicked together, his brother.he needed to do  , if   for a few hundred years, Yan Zaizen will easily be able to  him from this situation.


    So, ¡¯ll .


    Wait for revenge.


    Qiu waved an empty cup crafted from solid jade.spatial ring and filled the cup like a proper slave.calm, but his eyes seemed as if it contained a typhoon of flames.


    Yan Qiu merciless taunted with a slight laugh.easy to humiliate.


    turned a cuckold.young woman was betrothed to him, and so it wasn¡¯t as serious.


    here to make sure Tao suffered the same fate.him forced to be a servant until death left  more satisfied than ever.he also couldn¡¯t take action.he  nothing in front of Broad Creed Palace.he insisted on killing Tao,  still couldn¡¯t.


    Qiu said casually,  giving  expert who controlled an imperial-tier force no face.this, the expert only nodded in acceptance and smiled .this woman¡¯s good side.


    Qiu didn¡¯t seem to care about , ¡°Leave. She  him away,  her wine with a  expression.gave Tao a ridiculing smile and left.he had already been compensated by Broad Creed Palace.He  wished to see Tao personally.he did,  was completely at peace.


    remembered his face.Zaizen returned, ¡¯ll definitely deliver revenge.he could do so himself, but ¡¯s only that ¡¯ll   a thousand or more years just to be his equal.He didn¡¯t  time for that.


    hunted  down and attempted to  .He was more than willing to let Yan Zaizen take action.he  .


    Qiu noticed his  and chuckled, ¡°You think  because  can¡¯t  you, that your life will be allowed to proceed smoothly? Her words carried derision, unbeknownst to  that Tao not  was  towards the expert but also .


    smiling, she took a sip of her wine.


    Just   bitch,   .¡¯

 Chapter 154 - Relief & Arrival

    Xiantu Empire, Xiantu City.


    The city was far smaller than Clear Divine City, comparable to Xuanwu City, yet it possessed a hundred times the elegance and feeling of an immortal location. There were no forces headquarter within this city besides the Xiantu Empire¡¯s. There were only a few liaisons of select forces that housed themselves here.


    Despite being claimed as a city, it was more so a large immortal palace that stood high to the point the highest tower within caressed the sky itself. This tower was the location of the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s throne. It represented the sovereign symbol of an entire realm. No other building in the entire realm could reach such heights! If done, it was the same as attempting to supplant the Xiantu Regime!


    Within this very tower was a man that emanated the aura of the heavens. He had a face that could be deemed the definition of extraordinary looks with long-flowing blonde hair and azure eyes. If one looked closely, he had traits similar to Yan Qiu and many other Yan Clan members. The very reason was that the Broad Creed Palace was related to him by blood!


    Indeed, not only did all the Heavenly Genesis Experts within the Palace had his Mortal Dao, but they had some relation to him by blood. This was speculated by many, but others weren¡¯t truly sure of this matter. However, the Xiantu Emperor doesn¡¯t consider them to be his subordinates, and that was because of this.


    A man that seemed to be in his 50¡¯s arrived silently within the tower, he kneeled in front of the Xiantu Emperor with practiced movements. He didn¡¯t speak, onlywaited patiently for the Emperor to do so first.


    The Xiantu Emperor silently gazed at this man, his azure eyes filled with a rare wariness, as if he was worried about the news being brought. ¡°Speak.¡±


    ¡°Your Majesty, The Infernal Forger soul is dead. The Hell Altar, which has two-floors, is completely drained of essence and its materials are useless. It seemed that, as you calculated, the Infernal Forger was dead. You were right, as always, Your Majesty.¡± The man spoke reverently.


    ¡°...¡± The Xiantu Emperor didn¡¯t smile, but deep within his eyes was relief. It may seem that a second-floor Hell Altar and second-floor Heavenly Shrine could be considered equal, but that¡¯s not the case. Currently, comprehension of his conceptual law reached the major-success of the Manifestation-level, but Infernal Forgers of the Hell Path needed the Sovereign-level of their concept, and it¡¯s the always the upper-tier World Law of the Soul.


    Unfortunately, the Xiantu Emperor had only mastered a lower-tier World Law. If one compared, his strength would be vastly inferior to an Infernal Forger of the same level. Therefore, he had massive fears that the Asura Phantom Realm was a plot to revive the remnant soul of an Infernal Forger. If so, then his actions and incompetence had threatened the entirety of his realm. Even the neighboring realms.


    However, it seems that wasn¡¯t the case.


    ¡°Salvage whatever you can from the altar. You may go,¡± he ordered. The old man vanished from his sight as if he was never there.


    Looking out of an opening in his tower that revealed the view of the clouds and vast lands that he held sovereignty over, his eyes flickered. ¡°Just a little more...I¡¯ll be able to construct my third floor.¡±


    If one reached the minor-success stage of their conceptual law, they could use it to build the base for their first-floor. Major-success for the second-floor and Perfection stage for the third-floor. For the Xiantu Emperor, he felt like he was on the cusp of finally reaching the Perfection stage, if so, his status within this heaven will undergo a high shift.


    -----


    Clear Divine City, Outskirts.


    A piercing sound resounded with a faint trace of silver light. The surrounding space rippled as if someone pierced into the ocean with a spear and from the center of this ripple, two men phased into existence from empty space.


    One was an extraordinary young man with amber-gold eyes, a perfect physique that wasn¡¯t too slim or muscular, an aura that seemed calm and warm. He was dressed in a silver and sky-blue Anima Syndicate¡¯s Lieutenant uniform.


    Beside him was a middle-aged man with a somewhat empty aura. His eyes were suffused with heavy surprise and shock. Looking about, he was completely stunned. Just a few minutes ago, they were within the Dead Soul Desert, but now, after several minutes of being bathed in blinding silver light, they were in an empty area filled with lush life, trees, and actual mountains in the background.


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    These two were Yan Zaizen and Wu Yuanxu.


    Earlier, Yan Zaizen had executed an art within the Violet Way of Spatial Shifting, piercing into the spatial void and traveling towards Tao and Bai Lufeng¡¯s signature. Now that he was in the Origin Core Realm with a manifestation-level spatial concept, and a bloodline that contained the Heavenly Law of Mimicry, he can easily do vast and quick long distance travels, no longer needing a skyship.


    Typically, due to him not having pure spatial attributed qi-essence, his spatial arts would be weakened to a third of its true strength. However, thanks to his mimicry bloodline, his qi-essence can mimic any attribute and perfectly perform any qi-art to its maximum.


    Before, his laws had bathed his essence in its glory, but that only turned a ten percent of total strength to thirty percent, but now it was far different. Not to mention, his Regalia-infused brain was far better at mastering arts. The Spatial Piercing Art was the first art that he reached the major-success stage in regards to spatial arts, and it was a superior-grade art!


    Yan Zaizen frowned slightly. ¡°Tao and Bai Lufeng¡¯s location...I can¡¯t find it.¡± He softly muttered, his brows furrowing deeper. Taking out their life talismans, he knew they were both still alive, but it seemed his spiritual sense had long since depleted. The only reason he stopped here was due to losing Bai Lufeng''s and Tao''s trail nearby.


    ¡°Sigh...to use up my spiritual sense, what did you guys get yourselves into?¡± With his spiritual sense, any initial-True Essence Expert would be little issue, but it¡¯ll still drain the energy by half. It could even kill a mid-True Essence Expert, but after it runs out of soul energy, the spiritual sense could no longer sustain itself.


    In truth, separation of spiritual sense was painful and many wouldn¡¯t do so. However, it acts as an independent sentry with limited energy. If the spiritual sense was still on their person, the originator could locate it, connect with it to view the immediate surroundings or kill whoever it was on.


    However, when it''s separated, it was like an autonomous consciousness that acted in accordance with pre-given orders. He couldn¡¯t see anything or act from afar, without taking action to do so. However, if the individual who had their spiritual sense died, the leftover energy would transmit a message so that the originator would know certain things.


    The stronger one¡¯s soul cultivation base, the greater the information, the longer the spiritual sense can last, and more capabilities it¡¯ll possess.


    ¡°Is this where your two comrades are?¡± Wu Yuanxu finally broke out of his stupor, asking Yan Zaizen curiously. In truth, since Yan Zaizen revived him and could be declared an Anima Syndicate¡¯s Lieutenant, he had an unseen but reverent belief in his abilities.


    ¡°Well, I feel that they were here several months ago...this should be...Clear Divine City Outskirts?¡± He explained, his spiritual sense searching the area to get an idea of their location. Luckily, Yan Zaizen had perused the records of the Xiantu Realm and many maps detailing characteristics of its geography so he recognized his location.


    ¡°Clear Divine City?¡± Wu Yuanxu was slightly shocked but only nodded slightly.


    ¡°Well, if they were here, it¡¯s likely they went in deep. Since I can¡¯t send my spiritual sense outwards without offending thousands of powers, I¡¯ll go to someone who may be able to help us locate them.¡± He commented, remembering the rules of etiquette in the myriad realms. By outrageously sending out your senses, it was like an open level of disrespect and sometimes, a heavy threat. Imagine being scanned deeply by a stranger or your home being spied on, it¡¯s something no one would like.


    He didn¡¯t wish to offend peak imperial-tier forces or heavenly-tier forces for no true reason. It¡¯s not like Tao or Bai Lufeng was dead. Therefore, he¡¯ll tread the side of caution.

 Chapter 155 - Wu Clan

    Entering the city, Yan Zaizen and Wu Yuanxu were quite surprised. There were various districts, with each vast territory having their own set of them. Residential, shopping, main, and more. There were also main districts that were either run jointly by the heavenly-tier forces or the Xiantu Empire¡¯s regime.


    Not to mention, it was vast! Truly vast! Just in ten thousand li, there were hundreds of different territories, from minor ones controlled by subordinate forces or major ones who had their own sovereignty. Independent forces had relations but they were truly independent with their own land, resources to mine, fish to gather, fields to pluck, and their own import and exports.


    It was like states and small countries. The complexities within each territory were just as vastly intricate as their sizes. Sometimes, forces may be wiped out suddenly so everyone makes it a priority to cultivate and strive for protection within their land. Due to this, many alliances have been established and many had unfair terms and agreements.


    In Yan Zaizen¡¯s hand was a medallion, it was remarkably similar to Ma Xiuren¡¯s ¡®Xiuhei - Heavenly¡¯ medallion but instead of those words, the medallion had ¡®Wu'' & ¡®Elder'' on both sides. It was the medallion Wu Kun gave him after their exchange. Due to Yan Zaizen¡¯s profound body and soul cultivation, Wu Kun felt it was right to befriend Yan Zaizen for the future despite feeling the rip of his wallet.


    Therefore, Yan Zaizen now had a token that represented Wu Kun. If one utilized their qi-essence, they could activate a formation that reveals its benefits and who it belonged to. This way, it was recognized by the clan.


    His intention was to travel to the Wu Clan, meet Wu Kun, and see if he could utilize his resources to search for Tao and Bai Lufeng. With a cultivation base at the late-True Essence Realm and a heavenly-tier force behind him, the resources available to him shouldn¡¯t be small. It would be far easier to do this than scour the entire city offending everyone.


    After a few hours of traveling, they arrived at the Wu Clan¡¯s Capital City - Hanxu City. If Xiantu City could be considered the capital of the Xiantu Realm, then Clear Divine City was the capital of the Xiantu Continent, and each territory had their own private capital city. In truth, the number of cities on the continent was astonishing. It truly was like each territory was a state or small country.


    Wu Yuanxu was pleased during their travels. In truth, Yan Zaizen could¡¯ve arrived here in minutes by shifting through space, but Wu Yuanxu was excited and wanted to see everything. As someone who never left Presba, he was truly fascinated by it all.


    As for Yan Zaizen, he relented quickly as he also wished to see the sights. Spatial shifting was a little too boring for his taste, he preferred this style. It reminded him of when they traveled to Presba¡¯s Capital City. By using a very slow skyship, they saw many sights and experienced many things.


    As those memories rushed into his mind, he couldn¡¯t help but miss Tao and Bai Lufeng. Tao would constantly teach him patiently, and Bai Lufeng would always try to corrupt him, but they were fun and felt warm to be around.


    Tao was like a big brother who had a hidden perverted streak and Bai Lufeng felt like that old uncle that was overly honest and often indulged in his desires. He couldn¡¯t wait to travel the rest of the Xiantu Realm with them.


    Once they reached the gates of the city, they were stopped by two armored guards that had mid-Origin Core qi cultivation bases. This shocked Yan Zaizen deeply. Sure, in the Asura Realm, there were thousands of powerful cultivators, but these people had such a cultivation yet guarded the gates. This was fascinating to him.


    However, after gaining entry thanks to the medallion, his shock strengthened. The city was filled with Qi Unification and Origin Core cultivators. They littered the surroundings like citizens, and even the weakest person he saw was at the mid-Essence Formation, and this was a child that looked like he was five.


    This shocked him too horribly. The difference in cultivation standard was immense. Since the Essence Path typically required materials only, it¡¯s to be expected from a prosperous city, but it was still shocking.


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    However, if Yan Zaizen would ask how many comprehended their own conceptual law? The percentage would still match Presba¡¯s; same could be said about World Laws. There were just too little. Qi cultivation may seem high in this continent, but talent was talent. Innate bodily efficiency at absorbing essence, conversion speed into qi and comprehensive talent were vastly different things.


    For example, Yan Zaizen¡¯s comprehensive talent in laws was absolutely monstrous, rivaling and even exceeding Heavenly Genesis experts, yet his original bodily talent was garbage that the same resources on him would be a tenth as effective on an average person.


    To explain, he needed ten times the resources to reach the same level as someone with average talent. This was the very reason why he was regarded as trash in his clan, and reasonably so. It was also why people didn¡¯t suspect him not using his resources when he gave them to Ya Qinqan, but assumed they just weren¡¯t effective.


    A short, middle-aged man arrived in a grey robe with the symbol for ¡®Wu'' embroidered on his torso. He approached Yan Zaizen and made a short bow of respect, immediately placing himself on a lesser status than Yan Zaizen. Yan Zaizen inspected this man. He seemed to be four thousand years old but only in the late-Origin Core Realm. At this time, at most, he¡¯ll have one or two thousand years before his lifespan finished. However, his foundation was exceptionally solid. Breaking through to the True Essence Realm was just a matter of course for him.


    ¡°Lord Zai, I apologize for the wait. Currently, Wu Kun is in secluded cultivation, but he¡¯s made arrangements for your stay. My name¡¯s Wu Jin; I work for Wu Kun. I¡¯ll be your guide and, if you need anything, please feel free to ask and I¡¯ll try to achieve it to the best of my ability.¡± His words were spoken professionally and appropriately, holding a dense amount of respect within.


    Yan Zaizen softly nodded at this. Since Wu Kun obtained the Apex Essence Pill, it¡¯s likely he¡¯ll be in secluded meditation for several years before exiting, perhaps even a decade. He expected as much but still came with the medallion as a representative of his guest status.


    ¡°I need you to find two people, can you do that?¡± Inquiring, Yan Zaizen felt a little anxious in his heart.


    ¡°Of course, Lord Zai. All you have to do is pass along their profile and as long as they¡¯re in the Xiantu Realm, they could be found.¡± He responded quickly. Normally, Wu Jin would never agree to this even if the person was a late-True Essence Cultivator. They weren''t a force to search for someone, there were many other forces and channels that should be asked instead.


    However, Wu Kun had given explicit orders to please Yan Zaizen by any means outside of suicide. At first, he felt odd in his heart, but after learning that Yan Zaizen had a Perfect Aurora Soul Realm and body cultivation that could rival a peak-True Essence expert, he immediately felt it was only as expected.


    The true point of information was Perfect Aurora Soul Realm. This was something that could rival a late-True Essence expert, but the things they could do was far, far greater. Someone at that realm was greater than having ten late-True Essence Cultivators in your command.


    This was not an exaggeration.


    ¡°Here. Their names are Tao and Bai Lufeng,¡± he handed Wu Jin a soul jade filled with their characteristics and appearance.


    ¡°Please, follow me and allow me to show you a residence befitting someone of your stature Lord Zai. You can rest there while I complete your task.¡± Wu Jin said respectfully.


    Yan Zaizen nodded, looking at Wu Yuanxu. ¡°After settling in, let¡¯s sightsee the city.¡± When he said this, Wu Yuanxu¡¯s eyes lit up like christmas lights in the night. With a soft chuckle, Yan Zaizen followed Wu Jin.

 Chapter 156 - News

    Several days of being treated like honored guests passed quickly. It truly was fun for both Yan Zaizen and Wu Yuanxu. They pretty much blazed every top-tier location in the city. They dined like kings, drank like immortals, saw grand sights that resembled paradise on earth, and even enjoyed the company of attractive women.


    Of course, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t indulge in any intimate relations, but he enjoyed their company as he drank, ate, and told stories of his adventures with some embellishments. They also laughed at his jokes which made him feel proud. He even tried feeling the bodies of one or two of them after recalling how Bai Lufeng and Tao would often grope about. Surprisingly, these women accepted such invasion with coquettish smiles and laughs.


    It truly invigorated one¡¯s manhood. While Yan Zaizen could resist, the newly reborn Wu Yuanxu could not. In truth, each of the women offered were trained in sexual arts and proficient at dual cultivation with their qi cultivation bases being, at the minimum, in the Origin Core Realm.


    This shocked him even further. If you went to Sky Night Royal City or Sky Heart City, the women there who did such services would all be at the Essence Formation Realm. This was quite a sight to see. After quite a bit of fun and relaxation, Wu Jin arrived in Yan Zaizen¡¯s spaciously elegant and extravagant room.


    He brought news and Yan Zaizen''s expression was solemn after hearing it. He informed Yan Zaizen of their earlier adventures with the Heretical Lightning Skyship such as Bai Lufeng¡¯s splurge of wealth and Tao¡¯s challenges, their arrival in Clear Divine City, and the news afterwards.


    ¡°Tao and Bai Lufeng were both hunted by a mid-True Essence expert but escaped while killing even an initial-True Essence expert. They then offended another power. Bounties were placed on their heads, and they went into hiding for a year. Subsequently, they arrived at Clear Divine City. Bai Lufeng was sighted here and there, but seemed to have suddenly vanished...while Tao was currently at Broad Creed Palace after losing a contest of wit and intellect.¡± He repeated to himself in a silent mumble.


    He could scarcely believe it. It was pretty much impossible for Tao to lose a match of intellect! As for everything else, he expected at least this much. The death of the True Essence expert likely had to do with his spiritual sense activation.


    He furrowed his brows in contemplation. Bai Lufeng suddenly vanishing could be due to the mid-True Essence expert capturing him, but if that happened, Bai Lufeng would just bargain for his life after sending Yan Zaizen a transmission. However, he received nothing.


    He was also suspicious of Tao¡¯s circumstance as well. If he lost, no matter what, he should¡¯ve sent him a message. I mean, he was waiting, not dead. A simple message was just a crush away. Not to mention, despite him sending both of them messages, there was no response.


    The circumstances of their disappearance must be special. He genuinely suffered a headache as he softly chuckled. They were always like this, getting into trouble and offending people. For example, Tao in Sky Heart City or Bai Lufeng as they traveled to Sky Night Royal City. They both enjoyed his backing and the safety it represented so they would be arrogant to the heavens.


    In truth, one originally had a peak powerhouse for a master, and the other had an Imperial Commander backing him. Despite Bai Lufeng¡¯s moral compass being relatively decent, he was still incomparably mischievous and liked to see the world in chaos. Tao argued against an entire country¡¯s policies and was sent to his death. How could he expect anything else?


    ¡°Any clues on Bai Lufeng¡¯s whereabouts?¡± Yan Zaizen asked Wu Jin. Shockingly, Wu Jin was a little perturbed by the question, his eyes showing faint traces of hesitation but then helplessness.


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    ¡°Yes, Lord Zai. Individuals saw him flying towards an area. I did a little more digging and gained some news. It seems...it¡¯s highly possible that Bai Lufeng was captured by the White Crane Sect.¡± He explained.


    ¡°White Crane Sect?¡± He recalled Gu¨¤n Cui and the others he met in the Asura Phantom Realm. ¡°Why would the White Crane Sect capture him?¡± However, after asking that question, he felt like he had an idea. What if Bai Lufeng had a forbidden affair with a member and was thus captured? Maybe...he was to be married! Thinking about it, he chuckled inwardly remembering his own circumstance in the Ying Clan.


    ¡°It¡¯s...possible that he was obtained to be a part of a harem. A Yang Harem.¡± Wu Jin¡¯s expression was solemn. As for Yan Zaizen, his eyes flickered. A harem?


    Seeing Yan Zaizen not comprehending the gravity of the situation, he explained further, ¡°A Yang Harem is not what you think. It is comprised of a group of unfortunate men who have their primal yang forcefully extracted for the purpose of strengthening another¡¯s body and soul...typically a female...till death.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen was silent. With a swipe of his hand, Bai Lufeng¡¯s life talisman appeared in his hand. As a soul cultivator who was a part of the Anima Syndicate, how could he not know the severity of having your primal yang extracted and the benefits it has for men and women. Especially to women.


    ¡°White Crane Sect?¡± He inquired.


    ¡°...Yes.¡± Wu Jin responded.


    ¡°Heavenly-tier force?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°How sure are you?¡±


    ¡°...95%. Our information network is one of the most accurate in the entire realm. After all, Wu Clan is a heavenly-tier force.¡± Wu Jin explained, feeling somewhat conflicted. His orders were to please Yan Zaizen, not inform him of his friend¡¯s hopeless fate.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered, ¡°Who?¡±


    ¡°With the Xiantu Trial nearby, likely one of the young geniuses in the White Crane Sect. As for someone capable of accumulating the reports I¡¯ve seen...likely Gu¨¤n Yao, one of the three most talented women the entire Clear Divine City and disciple of the Sect Master. Despite her secrecy, it¡¯s impossible to leave no trail.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen was oddly silent. After an extremely long pause, ¡°How long do you think he has?¡±


    ¡°...After being taken for nearly 3 months, unlikely he¡¯ll last another week if they¡¯re extracting properly.¡± One could tell that Wu Jin was knowledgeable about this practice. In truth, many were. Even the Water Veil Sect employs this method. Many enemy forces would be subjected to this cruel fate. It was a common practice, especially amongst female-focused forces.


    ¡°Understood. Thanks for your hospitality.¡± With that, he rose from his seat and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Wait! Lord Zai, what are you planning on doing?¡± He anxiously inquired, unwilling to see Yan Zaizen do anything rash. However, he felt his heart tremble as he gazed at Yan Zaizen¡¯s powerful back.


    With a voice filled with imperialistic dominance, he spoke with extraordinary presence, ¡°Take care of Wu Yuanxu. I¡¯ll be leaving for a bit.¡±


    With that, he left.

 Chapter 157 - My Way

    ¡°Lord Zai, I urge caution! The White Crane Sect isn¡¯t like normal forces. Another solution can be conceived!¡± Wu Jin insisted that Yan Zaizen slow down and think. However, Yan Zaizen continued his flight without pause.


    ¡°Wu Jin, who has Tao?¡± Yan Zaizen calmly asked. Currently, he wasn¡¯t going to wait while Bai Lufeng was severely tortured and his primal yang being continuously extracted by others. To him, Bai Lufeng was family. Although their time together couldn¡¯t be considered long, Bai Lufeng had always treated Yan Zaizen well.


    ¡°Lord Zai...Tao should be in the possession of Yan Qiu, another of the three top beauties of Clear Divine City.¡± Wu Jin¡¯s tone was filled with helplessness but he informed Yan Zaizen properly, nonetheless. After all, that was his assignment.


    ¡°What is with women and our fates¡­¡± Yan Zaizen silently muttered in his heart. For some odd reason, it was always women who trump over this trio. Although powerful experts or stronger forces would often be behind these women, it was like they had horrible fates with them.


    ¡°Could it be a coincidence?¡± He thought, but he felt like that wasn¡¯t the case. It was as if women were just far more cunning, intelligent, and brazen than their male counterparts in the cultivation world. Therefore, they always find themselves at a disadvantage against them. While men were straightforward and often cowardly, the cultivation world he was exposed to thus far seemed to support this.


    After all, in terms of cultivators in the Xiantu Realm, women had longer lives and were greater in number. There were very little all-male forces but there were many, many all-female forces. If this didn¡¯t paint a vivid picture of their capabilities, then what did?


    Of course, it also seemed that women were weaker overall, so it felt very skewed yet oddly balanced. At least, in the Xiantu Realm. Personally, Yan Zaizen felt this had to do with the Essence Path, yet he wasn¡¯t sure how. It was as if the Essence Path was more suitable for men. To be exact, it was more like his specific race of females were weaker in cultivating the Essence Path.


    ¡°Lord Zai, please allow me to speak on your behalf. The Wu Clan will try to act as a mediator to this situation.¡± Wu Jin felt very nervous and offered. Normally, he wouldn¡¯t be willing to offend a force like the White Crane Sect for a guest, but Wu Kun would definitely deliver punishment if he didn¡¯t attempt his all.


    Yan Zaizen turned to Wu Jin. His eyes suffused with a somber calmness that perfectly hid his thoughts. Wu Jin felt his body tingle at this gaze. It was as if he was being silently appraised by a sovereign.


    ¡°Okay,¡± was all Yan Zaizen said. With that, he continued forward without further conversation. In truth, he wished for this to be settled with a few words. If it could be done, then he much rather take this path.


    After quite a while, they arrived at the White Crane Sect territory¡¯s border. They had a faint curtain of light that flickered as if it ethereal. This light was similar to the Water Veil Sect¡¯s but it didn¡¯t seem physical, as if its only job was to notify the sect of any arrivals.


    The curtain of light outlined their border and at a set measure of distance, tall, white towers were erected. On top of each of these towers was a statue of a white crane. It seemed elegant and grand, looking at the world beneath it with lofty pride.


    When Yan Zaizen saw this, his brows furrowed. He could tell each of those towers were sky-rank armaments. They seemed to form some unified formation that made him feel a little insecure. However, the feeling was faint. Even if the towers were directed towards him, this feeling still wouldn¡¯t be anything more than faint.


    Wu Jin took the lead, arriving beside one of the many tall, white towers. When he did, a middle-aged woman that carried an expression filled with indifference and authority flew out. Her qi cultivation base was at the late-Origin Core Realm, similar to Wu Jin. When she looked at Wu Jin and recognized his origin, her eyes turned colder.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked by this cold response. He wasn¡¯t familiar with the Wu Clan and White Crane Sect relations. This was also why he wanted Tao to depart and gain detailed information about the Xiantu forces. Unfortunately, he was pretty much going in blind.


    Wu Jin didn¡¯t seem to be bothered, instead he pulled out a medallion. This medallion was similar to the one Wu Kun had given him, but it felt far more special with Wu Jin¡¯s personal aura embedded within as if it belonged solely to him.


    ¡°I¡¯m here on behalf of Elder Wu Kun. I have a request for the White Crane Sect.¡± Wu Jin stated, his tone was also indifferent as well as if he didn¡¯t care about a little guard. The middle-aged woman¡¯s brows furrowed. To her, Wu Kun was a late-True Essence expert who had a decent backing in the Wu Clan. Normally, she¡¯d dismiss such triviality from the Wu Clan, but if Wu Kun is involved and she was negligent towards her duties, it could backlash on her.


    ¡°I¡¯ll report it.¡± She left after saying such.


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen saw this and felt that Wu Kun¡¯s status was rather well regarded. As if noticing his curiosity, Wu Jin explained, ¡°Elder Wu Kun is the grandnephew of a Heavenly Genesis Ancestor within the clan. He is also one of the top three in the entire clan with the highest chance of reaching the Heavenly Genesis Realm.


    ¡°I see.¡± He nodded. However, Yan Zaizen realized it was a chance and not a certainty. This meant his conceptual law had yet to reach the minor manifestation-level. If it did, with the Apex Essence Pill, all he¡¯ll need was the appropriate materials to build his Heavenly Shrine.


    Several hours passed before the middle-aged woman returned. She informed them that an Elder of the Clan would be arriving to act as a liaison for this request.


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    They waited an entire day before a skyship appeared in the distance. It was a medium-sized, completely blue with a large white crane etched on both sides of the ship. From there, Yan Zaizen could feel multiple people operating and acting as crew on the ship.


    ¡°Oh?¡± He felt a familiar aura from the ship.


    An elegantly beautiful woman with a white crown with a red gem revealed herself at the front of the ship. Her gaze carried unyielding pride, and her bosom had an alluring and deep valley.


    Gu¨¤n Cui!


    Yan Zaizen was a little surprised. The last time he saw her was after the fifth-floor entrance of the Asura Phantom Realm. She was injured and lost her sky-rank sword. Now, it seemed she recovered.


    Her eyes traced Yan Zaizen and Wu Jin, slight surprise flickered in her eyes. Yan Zaizen was a member of the Anima Syndicate, had a Perfect Aurora Soul and profound body cultivation, and even in the entire Xiantu Realm, this was a powerhouse through and through. Now, he arrived before them.


    Originally, she was only here to give an appropriate amount of face to Wu Kun, but now, she was actually a lot more happy to see Yan Zaizen. Many suspected that he raided the fifth floor clean, and thus had a stockpile of useful items on hand. Not to mention, Yan Zaizen had a late-Origin Core Cultivation base now! This was nearly impossible in such a short span of time without heaven-defying pills.


    ¡°Greetings, come aboard.¡± She said.


    They didn¡¯t hesitate and boarded the skyship. Arriving in a private room suitable for discussion, they sat facing each other. ¡°Miss Gu¨¤n Cui, I must say we¡¯re in a rush, so I¡¯ll skip the formalities, please excuse my rudeness.¡± Wu Jin directly said, Gu¨¤n Cui softly nodded in response.


    ¡°I¡¯m here looking for a man named Bai Lufeng. He¡¯s Lord Zai¡¯s companion.¡± He explained.


    ¡°...¡± She looked towards Yan Zaizen to see him with a calm expression. Her eyes revealed curiosity, but she continued to let Wu Jin explain without interruption.


    ¡°To be frank, he was seen traveling to the White Crane Territory. We suspect...that he¡¯s been inducted into a Harem Palace for one of your members.¡± Wu Jin said cautiously, obviously not wanting to say more on the subject and hoping just this will be enough.


    ¡°...¡± Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s eyes flickered. ¡°Is he still alive?¡±


    Yan Zaizen removed a life talisman and showed it to Gu¨¤n Cui.


    ¡°If he has been ¡®inducted¡¯ into a Harem Palace, I¡¯ll be sure he gets news of your arrival.¡± She responded. One could see she was unwilling to implicate her sect in this situation, but she knew what happens in the territory.


    ¡°It¡¯s likely Gu¨¤n Yao.¡± Yan Zaizen calmly added. This name caused Gu¨¤n Cui to furrow her brows. If it was anyone else, then this would be fine, but Gu¨¤n Yao¡­


    Gu¨¤n Yao, publically, would never reveal her ownership towards a Yang Harem. This was something that men harbored in deep hatred, similar to how women would hate a man filling up his harem with reluctant beauties.


    She had a faint trace of helplessness flickered in her eyes. Gu¨¤n Yao¡¯s status was special and although they originated from the same clan, she was not someone that could be persuaded. Not to mention, she was ruthless to the extreme.


    She would never allow anyone who¡¯ve offended her or who she offended to live. This was a common rule in the cultivation rule to prevent your death occurring at other¡¯s hands due to revenge. Clean the weed from its roots and be unforgiving.


    To her understanding, if it truly was Gu¨¤n Yao, she¡¯ll prefer to eliminate this Bai Lufeng and kill Yan Zaizen before even thinking about setting Bai Lufeng free.


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen observed Gu¨¤n Cui¡¯s reaction. Despite recovering quickly, she still revealed helplessness and pity. He expected as much the moment he learned that Bai Lufeng was captured by someone with high status. In truth, if he was ruthless, he would have the same mentality. If Bai Lufeng found new found inspiration, then he could dedicate his life to getting revenge, and if he did, it¡¯s possible that he could lead or be directly responsible for her death in the future.


    Wu Jin knew this. This was why he hesitated to inform Yan Zaizen about Bai Lufeng¡¯s situation. It was essentially a lost cause. If anything, this entire thing was a facade to display that Wu Kun was willing to back Yan Zaizen. In the future, even if the situation turned out dire, Yan Zaizen would have a good impression of Wu Kun in the future.


    ¡°En. I¡¯ll ask around.¡± Gu¨¤n Cui said in a neutral tone.


    A heavy sigh resounded. Gu¨¤n Cui and Wu Jin¡¯s eyes turned towards Yan Zaizen. His next words caused their eyes to widen in shock.


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to. I¡¯ll find him myself. My way.¡± Taking a small step, a soft, almost indiscernible ¡®pop¡¯ resounded. His body merged into the world¡¯s surroundings and vanished from existence.


    With negotiations obviously leading nowhere, he¡¯ll ensure Bai Lufeng¡¯s life himself. There was no longer a need to play along.

 Chapter 158 - Decision

    ¡°P-please! Let me go! I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯ll pay you anything! PLEASE!!¡± A naked man, burly in physique, shouted in despair. With his feet shackled to the center of this bar-filled cage, his cultivation suppressed to it¡¯s absolute lowest, and surrounded by others who¡¯ve given up on life, this man shook the bars fiercely in rejection of his fate.


    Before him, a feminine looking man stood dressed entirely in black, his eyes filled with mockery and contempt. ¡°...And what will you pay me?¡± A slight evil smile tugged on his lips. He personally enjoyed watching these men suffer, begging for their lives fruitlessly in desperation, and it was somewhat a fetish for him. After this, he¡¯ll go and enjoy good wine and women simply to feel superior to all.


    ¡°I, I¡¯ll...I-¡± The man tried to think, but he was scared of saying the wrong thing. However, at the end of his words, a figure appeared behind the black-dressed feminine looking man. In this darkness, the one thing that stood out was the figure¡¯s vibrant amber-gold eyes that seemed to be filled with lifeforce. However, as he looked into those eyes, he felt his soul shake intensely as if he was looking at a sovereign of the known world.


    To the man, his eyes lit up with excitement seeing the man¡¯s dumbfounded response. He only relished the feeling more, ¡°Nothing? How pathetic, and here I was thinking of letting you go.¡± Despite his words, the naked, burly man said nothing as if his soul was encapsulated by an unknown force. It was as if the black-dressed man didn¡¯t exist, that the cage didn¡¯t exist, his despair no longer filled his mind, only sheer reverence and respectful fear.


    Yan Zaizen stared at a corner of the cage. Bai Lufeng¡¯s aura was weakly emitted somewhere in the pile of exhausted and skeleton-like bodies. His eyes turned towards this black-dressed man, but there was not a single ounce of emotions within, as if looking at a dead man.


    ¡°Oh...can¡¯t speak? Cat¡¯s got you-¡±


    Just as the man wished to taunt more, the palm that seemed as if it could exceed the heavens appeared from the darkness. It lashed violently on his head and all he felt was a sudden pinch. His eyes rolled behind his head, and his body lost its support. Physically, the man was deader than dead. However, in terms of the soul, Yan Zaizen immediately wrapped his soul flame within his silver-blue soul energy.


    With the soul flame in hand, Yan Zaizen ruthlessly penetrated it, utilizing the Soul Search Art to view all of his memories, most vulnerable secrets, and sense of self. He could view the perversion that seeped into this man¡¯s very bones. If Yan Zaizen¡¯s mentality was slightly weaker, he would retch at all of this. Fortunately, he has his own dao, his soul cultivation was exceptional, and his brain was enhanced greatly by the regalia of the soul.


    ¡°Gu¨¤n Yao¡­¡± A stream of vivid information surged through his mind. This man worked for Gu¨¤n Yao and was an incredibly trusted man of hers. With his help, she established a Yang Harem to gather primal yang energy to enhance her primal yin, soul and body cultivation. This man was privy to all of her secrets, and they were very, very dark secrets. Secret assassinations, yang harems, schemes and plots against forces, and more.


    ¡°Women...they truly are far more cunning than men.¡± Clenching his hand, his soul flame was directly snuffed out. Now, he was truly dead.


    Taking a step forward, Yan Zaizen shifted through space, appearing within the cage. As he did, he noted that the cage could conceal someone¡¯s aura. Unfortunately for her, Yan Zaizen¡¯s spiritual sense was exceptionally powerful with an upper-tier Mortal Dao amplifying its characteristics. Even if Bai Lufeng was sent into a sub-dimensional space, he¡¯ll be able to locate its entrance with ease.


    The only reason he didn¡¯t send his spiritual sense outwards to find Bai Lufeng previously was to avoid offending forces unintentionally, as they were alive, he didn¡¯t feel a pressing concern. In truth, if it wasn¡¯t for Wu Jin¡¯s urging, he would¡¯ve been here the moment he got the news.


    ¡°Bai Lufeng¡­¡± Looking at the pile of skeleton-like bodies, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes suffused with a profound sadness. If Bai Lufeng got into this situation by his own action, even if he was killed because of his own action, Yan Zaizen would only feel that it was unfortunate, but he was targeted due to his lack of backing. They picked rogue cultivators to avoid offending any powers and gaining too much attention.


    Because they were rogue cultivators without any stable backing, all they could do was wallow in their own despair, pathetically bargaining with the hidden wealth they may have. As for people looking for them? That was unlikely, and even if they did, what could they do? Unless they could be found, the only assumption was killed by robbery or grudge and body burnt to ashes.


    Waving his hand, the pile of bodies was pushed aside as a single one floated towards him slowly. A quick inspection revealed his body and soul cultivation was thoroughly crippled. His physical body was like bones with a layer of overly dried skin, as if he was a mummy with blood coursing through his veins. He was bordering death. In truth, perhaps one more extraction could¡¯ve snuffed out his existence. This¡­


    Pinaka solemnly analyzed him, ¡°his psyche is in a mess. Bits of his soul flame was extracted crudely with his primal yang, his body has already lost all trace of vital energy. A vast majority of his body is in necrosis. He¡¯s only alive by a single thread, but in truth...this isn¡¯t considered alive.¡±


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    Every word pounded Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart. ¡°Can he recover?¡±


    ¡°...theoretically, yes. His body could be reconstructed, before then, his soul flame needs to be recovered so that a proper body can be extracted to house it. Then, his soul form needs to be repaired, his psyche will likely take hundreds of years to properly recover as his soul flame will be in disorder for quite some time after all this is finished. If nothing goes wrong during this entire process, perhaps. It¡¯ll all be fine if he has the will to continue.¡±


    Her words were like stabs into Yan Zaizen¡¯s heart. This state was very consistent with months of primal yang extraction, and it was already a miracle Bai Lufeng was even alive. With each passing moment, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes became darker and darker, containing an inkling of savageness. Observing the change in his mental state, Pinaka continued, ¡°There might be another way. Using your life law to produce lifeforce and soulforce, you could recover him in a few years, but...it¡¯s not a guarantee.¡±


    To be honest, she wasn¡¯t sure if it¡¯ll help. Personally, she never saw someone who¡¯s been in such a state before. This was essentially death. A large reason why she felt it wasn¡¯t a guarantee was that...his primal yang was severely damaged. How could he recover this?


    Wait!


    ¡°There is a third method,¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice was filled with tyrannical ferocity and ice-cold decisiveness. Yan Zaizen¡¯s Mortal Dao was riled up, causing her words to be influenced greatly in tone.


    ¡°Third method?¡±


    ¡°Yes...all you have to do is obtain his primal yang that was extracted. To do that, you just need to completely extract the primal yin from the one who refined it. With that, your soulforce and lifeforce, his recovery would be all but assured.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Yan Zaizen was having a fierce internal conflict at the moment. It wasn¡¯t whether he should obtain the primal yin of Gu¨¤n Yao ¡ª that was a given ¡ª the conflict had to do with his actions towards the White Crane Sect.


    Give them a choice: give up Gu¨¤n Yao or else?


    OR.


    Kill?


    In truth, the majority of the White Crane Sect was innocent of this matter, thus giving them a choice was far more suitable, but his current emotions were incredibly turbulent as he looked at Bai Lufeng¡¯s desiccated body. However, if he was to kill Gu¨¤n Yao, then he¡¯ll be forming a lifetime grudge with the White Crane Sect, and his friends, families, and more may be in danger as a result. Either now or perhaps in the future.


    He closed his eyes. Even if he gave them a choice, they¡¯ll still fight. They had the Mortal Dao of Unyielding Pride after all, they wouldn¡¯t capitulate to any lone person after a few words. Therefore, there was very little reason to give them a choice. Furthermore, it¡¯ll only give them time to prepare against him.


    Pinaka could sense Yan Zaizen¡¯s conflict, and she silently waited. However, with his Mortal Dao, she already knew his choice. This contemplation was simply going through the motions. With this decision, he¡¯ll never have to contemplate a similar matter again. However, this decision wasn¡¯t an easy one.


    Firstly, the concept of killing an entire sect was theoretically impossible. There were likely many members of the White Crane Sect in the Xiantu Empire stationed outside of the territory, outside the continent, or even traveling to neighboring realms, both important and unimportant.


    Secondly, you¡¯ll have to be cold-blooded to slay toddlers in their cribs and children in their ignorance. Even if you did make such a decision, you¡¯ll still be brought back at the struggle of who to kill. Not everyone in the territory belongs to the White Crane Sect and the myriad of alliances that were created would lead to unintentional offense.


    Thirdly, the vast area. The moment news of your slaughter spreads, everyone will depart at their quickest speeds, and even Yan Zaizen wouldn¡¯t be able to keep track of them all if he was delayed in combat.


    With all these frustrating factors, the main one of keeping your identity a secret to protect your weaker loved ones was also incredibly difficult. In short, there was no clear way to perform the deed. As for the Earthly Titan Sect and Soaring Cloud Sect, no one knew that he was a part of the Yan Clan, even if they assumed, his strength in relation to the Yan Clan would suggest otherwise.


    Thinking of all these things, he felt further frustrated.


    After several minutes passed, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes opened revealing its amber-gold luster.


    ¡°I¡¯ve made my decision.¡±

 Chapter 159 - Guè„¿n Yin

    Storing Bai Lufeng directly in his Meteor Ring, Yan Zaizen utilized the Chaotic Immersion Art. With a step, he vanished from the surroundings. As he stayed within chaotic space, his eyes flickered.


    ¡°I need to capture Gu¨¤n Yao, leave no trace, and depart without anyone knowing.¡± If anyone heard of his words, they¡¯d be struck with disbelief. Gu¨¤n Yao was the direct disciple of Gu¨¤n Yin, a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert, and has the entire White Crane Sect standing behind her. Thankfully, to Yan Zaizen, this actually wasn¡¯t an issue. After searching the soul flame that belonged to one of her trusted subordinates, he knew where she slept, where she cultivated, what she does and when, and her aura signature.


    One could say, Yan Zaizen¡¯s Chaotic Immersion Art was the greatest tool for assassination and escape. He could exit and leave without a single fluctuation, he could sense a vast layer of his surroundings in complete stealth, and stay in its timeflow for long periods of times. There were zero disadvantages to it, at least, from his point of view.


    In truth, it wasn¡¯t invincible. If a Heavenly Genesis expert deduced his action of entering entered chaotic space, they could rip open the fabric of space to enter as well. For example, the Xiantu Emperor ripped a slit in space towards the Asura Phantom Realm without building his heavenly shrine off spatial laws. The only benefit is that they¡¯ll have to constantly defend against chaotic space¡¯s ripping force. This could be done for both spatial void and chaotic space, however, the latter consumes far, far more energy to do so.


    That wasn¡¯t all, despite being within chaotic space, he was always a part of the heavens. Therefore, an experienced expert could sense his location and track him down with the appropriate art. It had its weaknesses, but it also held unimaginable advantages.


    He took a step forward. With this step, he traveled several li across chaotic space. He took another step.


    -----


    Holy Crane City, the Capital City of the White Crane Territory. At the center of this city stood a pure white palace as if it contained the holiest of existences in the Xiantu Realm. Residing in this palace was a woman. This woman was dressed in a white gown without a single stain touching its surface. Her body was willowy, her height capable of matching Yan Zaizen¡¯s, her chest contained two small yet perfectly supple peaks, and her hair and eyes were blacker than the River Styx.


    She seemed to exemplify all things pure, containing profound elegance and heavenly grace that could barely be matched. As she breathed, the heavens seemed to resonate with her. The surrounding space subtly trembled, but not in fear or joy, but in acquiescence of her presence. She silently sat on a jade bed, her legs crossed, and her body radiating a faint heavenly aura.


    This was Gu¨¤n Yin, the White Crane Sect¡¯s sectmaster. As a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator, she held extraordinary sway on the way of the realm, her every word was imperial decrees, and her every movement was idolized and worshipped by all.


    The moment Yan Zaizen killed Gu¨¤n Yao¡¯s subordinate, her eyebrow faintly twitched. Her eyes opened, looking at the area Yan Zaizen was located at. As if she could penetrate the heavens itself, she observed Yan Zaizen soul searching Chen He. However, she didn¡¯t take action, only closing her eyes once more. To her, Chen He was only the subordinate of her disciple, and not something she felt responsible for. As always, her disciple should be the one to handle the situation.


    However, her eyebrows twitched once more. She looked towards the area again and noticed Yan Zaizen had disappeared. Not only this, he vanished like a ghost in the wind with no trace whatsoever.


    ¡°This¡­¡± She grew concerned at that point. For someone to be able to enter and exit her territory without her noticing, killing whoever he wished, and doing whatever he wished wasn¡¯t a suitable situation she desired. A soft sigh resounded.


    ¡°This once I¡¯ll deal with this issue for you.¡± Her words were soft and filled with indifference. As if killing Yan Zaizen was as simple as taking out the trash. She decidedly re-entered her cultivation state.


    A minute later, her eyes that revealed a calm purity widened with absolute shock and disbelief. Her eyes flashed with golden light, piercing through the heavens to discover Yan Zaizen had entered her disciple¡¯s room. He bypassed the formations that prevented spatial shifting, bypassed the sensory formations, and bypassed physical walls without a single disturbance, and yet, he reached her room with little issue.


    Not to mention, he was in her room!


    As the sectmaster of the White Crane Sect, how could she not have a sensory formation that could monitor the entirety of her sect, specifically important areas or the sudden deaths of her members? Not to mention, as a Heavenly Genesis Realm cultivator, she could pierce through the heavenly layers of physical substance and observe areas from an unimaginable distance away. Unless there was a specific formation that prevented her from observing, she could do so easily.


    How could she allow her disciple to be in such danger? She waved her hand, her true-essence infused with the essence of the heavens surged outwards. The space in front of her ripped open into a slit, interconnecting her room with Gu¨¤n Yao¡¯s, and with a step, she entered without delay. As she did, her eyes flickered with killing intent.


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    Gu¨¤n Yao was cultivating quietly within her room, preparing for the Xiantu Dao Trials, and refining the primal yang she obtained. As Yan Zaizen saw this, his eyes flashed with an intense murderous light. However, as it did, Pinaka¡¯s voice resounded.


    ¡°Someone¡¯s coming! Someone powerful! They know you¡¯re here, hurry!¡± Even Pinaka, who has experience with Heavenly Genesis experts, didn¡¯t expect Gu¨¤n Yin to have seen Yan Zaizen kill Chen He. Then, afterwards, decided to pay close attention to her disciple¡¯s room after discovering that he vanished into thin air without a trace.


    What?


    How?!


    He was shocked but didn¡¯t hesitate. At this point, if someone knew he was here, then they already knew who he was. In that case, why hesitate?


    With a step forward, he activated his Herculean Avatar Art. His speed traversed the short distance from where he landed to where Gu¨¤n Yao cultivated in a blink. Gu¨¤n Yao didn¡¯t even get a chance to open her eyes before a silver-blue light flashed across Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes. Her soul was directly impacted by his soul art, causing her to lose consciousness immediately. With that, he reached out to grab her, but a spatial slit formulated directly in front of him.


    With widened eyes, he was in disbelief. A true-essence that seemed to be infused with the heavens shot out of the slit with speed that made his mind spin, but he didn¡¯t back down. He knew that the expert had to travel from where she was to here, and that¡¯ll take time, and even if it¡¯ll take a second - that was more than enough!


    Dao of Sovereign Ascension!


    His body erupted with potent vital energy that was further amplified by his Mortal Dao. As it did, the color of his vital energy was tinged with a dark-amber, but its power was several hundreds of times greater than normal. As the true-essence arrived in front of him, he waved his hand to meet it, smashing violently causing space itself to crack.


    BOOM!


    The resulting collision seemed as if it was two planets colliding. The entire room collapsed in a millisecond, as for Gu¨¤n Yao, she was protected by two spheres of heavenly-infused true-essence and dark-amber vital energy. Despite their collision, both of them consciously protected Gu¨¤n Yao¡¯s body from any harm. They each did so with their own reasons.


    Yan Zaizen with the intention to extract all her primal yin for Bai Lufeng, therefore needing her soul and body alive to do so.


    Gu¨¤n Yin with the intention to protect her disciple from harm.


    ¡°What?!¡± Gu¨¤n Yin was shocked as she witnessed her true-essence come in contact with Yan Zaizen¡¯s body from the spatial slit, but as for his body, he was still and unaffected.


    ¡°What?!¡± Yan Zaizen was equally shocked. This true-essence came from a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator, but he deflected it with so much ease. It was like smacking a marshmallow. In truth, Yan Zaizen had barely any idea how strong he was if he went all out.


    His physique had been refined by the lifeforce energy that was equivalent to the materials needed to construct a two-floor Hell Altar, enough materials to reconstruct an Infernal Forger¡¯s body and a vast quantity of space itself. With all this, his physique had been refined to a phenomenal level.


    Not to mention, what was his Mortal Dao? A peak upper-tier Mortal Dao! The amplification effect it has on the body, vital energy, and arts was unsurpassable amongst upper-tier daos! With the Dao simultaneously amplifying all of these effects, while they also bolstered their own strength, Yan Zaizen¡¯s strength reached a stupendous degree.


    Therefore, the comparison of him slapping a marshmallow was not an exaggeration.


    ¡°...¡± Even Pinaka was shocked.


    This shock left him visibly stunned, and he lost half of second of time, but he recovered immediately. His current state easily made up for lost time as he stepped forward, and his hand pierced through Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s sphere of true-essence like a hot knife through butter. He violently grasped Gu¨¤n Yao¡¯s throat.


    ¡°HALT!¡± From the spatial slit, Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s holy appearance was immediately replaced with a venomously violent expression, her true-essence erupted with such intensity that it seemed as if she was using a divine art to bolster her strength. Even Yan Zaizen was shocked by her fluctuations, but he felt very little fear as she headed towards him. In truth, he even had a smirk on his face.


    With a wave, Gu¨¤n Yao¡¯s body was directly stored in the Meteor Ring, and he dashed directly into the spatial slit.


    WILLINGLY!


    ¡°Your disciple dares to harm my subordinate?! You¡¯ll pay as well!¡± His voice was filled with a tyrannical ferocity that caused space itself to tremble vigorously. Within his dark amber-gold eyes held a trace of unyielding confidence! Even while facing a Heavenly Genesis expert, he held absolutely no fear!

 Chapter 160 - Dominance!

    ¡°I¡¯ll kill you!¡± Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s Dao of Unyielding Pride erupted as she was surrounded by a faint white light, her aura spiked in intensity by several times, but unfortunately, compared to Yan Zaizen¡¯s Dao, her amplification was far too little. As a bestowed dao of the peak lower-tier, it couldn¡¯t even be mentioned in the same breath as Yan Zaizen¡¯s.


    Towards her threat, Yan Zaizen only coldly smiled. At first, he was terrified at the thought of facing a Heavenly Genesis expert, but now that one was before him, he felt absolutely zero fear. If anything, he felt excitement and battle intent. To truly know one¡¯s combat strength, one must enter combat!


    Gu¨¤n Yin didn¡¯t hesitate, despite being in the spatial slit, she directly turned her palm, bringing forth a peak-grade sky-rank armament. The armament was a white saber, from blade to hilt, and it gave off faint fluctuations of sharpness that seemed ready to sever the world with a single slash. As she brandished her saber, a prideful and tyrannical aura erupted from its point. The spatial void quaked ferociously.


    However, she didn¡¯t stop there. Her dantian radiated a vast heavenly aura. From within, a heavenly shrine with only one-level manifested so clearly that one could glimpse at it from any directions. To Yan Zaizen, he was intrigued and also a little wary. This was the first time witnessing a heavenly shrine in action. It looked like a building, to be more accurate, like a temple.


    It had a flat roof with curved tips, pillars supporting the roof, an entrance, a foundation, and even a hollow inside. The pillars had white saber markings etched onto it, the hollow inside had swirling orbs of condensed heavenly energy floating about, and the entire palace was golden with a faint white glow. Despite this description, it was no larger than a baby¡¯s fist!


    ¡°She¡¯s comprehended a saber-based conceptual law, and built her Heavenly Shrine around that, be careful. The offensive power of a saber law should not be underestimated.¡± Pinaka warned. Despite having total confidence in Yan Zaizen¡¯s abilities to survive and fight, she felt it was necessary to do this much.


    As if reinforcing the idea that Heavenly Genesis cultivators need to be taken seriously, Gu¨¤n Yin raised her saber, and with unyielding momentum, she valiantly chopped down! Saber energy sliced outwards with speed that exceeded Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul energy by a considerable degree, and before long, it¡¯d already reached him.


    With a clenched fist, Yan Zaizen barreled forward without fear. He punched outwards, all the strength in his physical body was placed behind this strike as it met the saber energy head-on.


    BOOM!!!


    The surrounding spatial void started to fragment as if only a little more was required to shatter. The saber energy was dissipated upon the collision, and Yan Zaizen¡¯s fist was unharmed. As Gu¨¤n Yin saw this, her pupils constricted with intense fear. Yan Zaizen, on the other hand, felt even more confident than ever before. His previous wariness dissipated with that one punch.


    Unwilling to lower his momentum, taking a step forward, he shattered the fragile space beneath him. In the time it takes for a flint to spark, he arrived before her with a readied fist.


    With a thunderous shout, he barreled his fist towards her. Instinctively, she created a spherical barrier of true-essence. Unfortunately, the moment his fist came in contact with the sphere, it shattered like glass facing a high-speed cannonball.


    BOOM!!!


    Her willowy body viciously collided with Yan Zaizen¡¯s fist. With this, her body was sent flying like a loose kite in a grand storm as the residual energy completely shattered the surrounding spatial void. As if unwilling to hold them within its confines any longer, the spatial void spewed them out into the White Crane Sect¡¯s territory. With this, they were separated as they exited from different points several hundred li apart.


    However, how could Yan Zaizen give up his momentum?


    With his spiritual sense infused with his Mortal Dao, he located Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s flying body instantly. With another step forward, he sundered the skies, shattered the solid earth beneath his feet, and penetrated across space like a missile. The level of physical exertion he placed on the surroundings caused the fragile continent to quiver as earthquakes plagued the entire White Crane Sect¡¯s territory. Many buildings with weak foundations directly collapsed!


    ¡°This!¡± Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s pupils constricted to a needlepoint. Her expression revealed utter disbelief and terrifying levels of fear at Yan Zaizen relentless pursuit. Yan Zaizen¡¯s speed was far, far too fast for her to react to. Even with her heavenly sense, she could only perceive him coming, but not fully react to his attacks. The very first blow had already severely injured her physical body and qi foundation to the point it was nearing total collapse.


    In front of this man before her, she couldn¡¯t even formulate a proper defense.


    She was terrified.


    The sensation of an intense deadly crisis caused her scalp to turn numb as she sensed Yan Zaizen shot through several hundred of li in distance towards her within milliseconds.


    ¡°!¡± With what little she could do, she constructed what little defense she could, withdrawing a talisman from her spatial ring, and crushing it without hesitation. The moment she did that, Yan Zaizen was already before her with viciousness spewing and a readied fist that seemed intent on shattering the world!


    With a thundering roar, he threw this fist forward with indomitable momentum, crashing against her barrier, penetrating said barrier, and smashing heavily against her physical body once more. With another resounding boom, she smashed helplessly into the ground. In her wake, she crushed countless residences and many other locations, producing a crater the size of a football field at her impact zone.


    ¡°She has a pseudo spirit-rank defensive armament,¡± Pinaka¡¯s notified Yan Zaizen. In truth, he realized that when he smashed into her before. It was as if a thin barrier dispersed a majority of the force in his fist while protecting her body from shattering. He stood in mid-air, his eyes looking at Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s bloodied and broken body in the crater. Despite her protection, her body was essentially in shambles. If it was someone in the Essence Path, it¡¯s likely they¡¯d have long since perished.


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    At this point, he wasn¡¯t in a rush to kill Gu¨¤n Yin. In truth, he didn¡¯t even wish to kill her to begin with. To reach her level of cultivation, she didn¡¯t deserve to die because of her disciple¡¯s mistakes. However, he needed to establish dominance and relay a message to all others: Do Not Offend Me.


    His gaze suddenly shifted towards the north. He could see a spatial slit forming; a new arrival was coming.


    He decided that he was going to make his identity known. He¡¯ll be a genuine powerhouse, with a name that resonates across the entire Xiantu Realm. With this, his subordinates will be directly protected by his name alone, and not a single person would dare offend him. Therefore, he wasn¡¯t in a rush.


    Gu¨¤n Yin stayed in her crater, her eyes flickering with rage and fury. Not only did this man steal her disciple, he also nearly collapsed her physical body. If it wasn¡¯t for her pseudo spirit-ranked defensive armament, her life would''ve already been reaped away. As she gazed at Yan Zaizen¡¯s calm expression as if her life and death were only a thought away, her eyes suffused with venomous hatred.


    From the spatial slit, a figure appeared with calm steps. He had a handsome appearance, looked like he was around sixteen or seventeen years old, but he had eyes that were filled with unlimited pride and wisdom. He dressed in a white martial robe that seemed to be without a hint of taint. His aura was profoundly steady, and space seemed to be obedient in his presence. This was an indication that he was a Heavenly Genesis expert.


    ¡°The expert that bestowed his Mortal Dao to Gu¨¤n Yin,¡± Yan Zaizen remarked. From his eyes and familiar aura of the dao, he could tell this was the person who bestowed his dao to the White Crane Sect. He was the reason for their rise. From what Yan Zaizen remembered, he married a woman from the sect.


    The young man¡¯s eyes looked at Gu¨¤n Yin bloodied and distorted body, his eyes suffused with a hint of disappointment. Shifting those very eyes, he looked at Yan Zaizen with an intrigued gaze.


    Yan Zaizen replied with his own. From his instincts, he felt zero fear from this person. As such, he decided to converse with Pinaka instead. ¡°How strong do you think I am?¡± As he displayed his maximum capabilities which treated a one-floor Heavenly Genesis expert like trash, he felt Pinaka should be able to make a somewhat accurate estimation.


    ¡°Hm...From what I can see, your full strength should rival a peak two-floor Heavenly Genesis expert. If you were to execute actual martial arts with your Herculean Avatar Art: Life Form, it¡¯s hard to say.¡± Her words contained a little surprise, but also intense excitement. She had her suspicions, but it seemed that her assumptions were true. Somehow, Yan Zaizen not only refined a second regalia into his body, but he also refined the strength of a two-floor hell altar into his body.


    As she was locked within his soul form by those threads of hell, she had no idea what happened. However, this meant Yan Zaizen was no longer a small character.


    ¡°Your name?¡± The young man spoke, his voice carrying for thousands of li, yet he didn¡¯t seem to shout.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen,¡± he calmly replied, adding, ¡°yours?¡±


    ¡°Gu Yu.¡±


    ¡°So, shall we fight?¡± Yan Zaizen had a faint smile on his face, his fist clenching in anticipation. As it did, the world quaked slightly at the force he exerted by this simple action alone. In truth, he was raring to engage in combat. However, the young man only furrowed his brows, looking again towards Gu¨¤n Yin.


    ¡°No.¡± He waved his hand, sending a small, golden bottle towards Yan Zaizen. It sped towards him like a comet. Witnessing this, Yan Zaizen was a little surprised. Catching the bottle in his palm, he looked at the contents. It was liquid, a small amount, perhaps a tenth of a fluid ounce. It radiated a heavenly aura, very similar to Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s heavenly shrine.


    ¡°Heavenly Law Liquid?¡± He was shocked. Why would the young man give him this? A single drop of this was beyond valuable, but this was around 50 drops of Heavenly Law Liquid. He looked at the young man with dense skepticism that couldn¡¯t be hidden.


    ¡°Spare the White Crane Sect. All I ask.¡± As he said that, he looked at Gu¨¤n Yin once more and shook his head with profound disappointment. How could he not know what happened? Gu¨¤n Yin offended someone that could rival the Xiantu Emperor! What the hell was she thinking?


    With that, he didn¡¯t even ask for any more information, simply re-entered his spatial slit. It closed behind him, and his aura vanished.


    ¡°...¡± Gu¨¤n Yin was speechless.


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen was confused. When did he ever say he¡¯d destroy the White Crane Sect? Well, cultivators were far more decisive than normal, and he likely just jumped to the most logical conclusion based on the given circumstances. In that case, he turned towards Gu¨¤n Yin. He fully intended to end her existence. After all, it¡¯s not like he agreed to spare her nor did he even agree to spare the White Crane Sect.


    Witnessing Yan Zaizen turn his focus back on her while radiating dense killing intent, her entire body felt icy-cold, especially her heart. ¡°Wait!¡± Her holy, untouchable appearance shattered as she shouted in full panic.


    ¡°Hm?¡± Halting, he looked at her with curious eyes.


    ¡°Here!¡± Taking out a similar golden bottle, she threw it viciously towards Yan Zaizen.


    Directly afterwards, she decisively shouted with a tone as sharp as a blade, ¡°From henceforth, Gu¨¤n Yao is no longer a disciple of I, Gu¨¤n Yin, nor is she a disciple of the White Crane Sect! Her actions are condemnable and hated by both gods and men alike! I swear a heavenly oath that I, Gu¨¤n Yin, shall not seek revenge for my former disciple¡¯s fate! Whether she dies or otherwise!¡± Her voice resounded across the entire continent. A faint song of the heavens resonated.


    ¡°...¡±


    WHAT?!

 Chapter 161 - A Cultivators Decisiveness

    Catching the bottle of Heavenly Law Liquid, Yan Zaizen pondered silently. His gaze never left Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s figure. Her declaration indicated a complete and thorough cut-off from Gu¨¤n Yao, essentially, she was trading Gu¨¤n Yao¡¯s life for her own, and even decreed such circumstances to the entire continent.


    Yan Zaizen recalled Bai Lufeng. In Grux, Yan Zaizen was going to kill Bai Lufeng with Diyi. Shockingly, Bai Lufeng decisively threw away Diyi like a piece of trash, no longer protecting her with his life, and taking off without hesitation. Not knowing the circumstances before, Yan Zaizen assumed he was a cold-blooded individual, but a smart one, nonetheless.


    After Bai Lufeng had joined him, Yan Zaizen curiously asked why he was so decisive that day. His response left him feeling shaken.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to die for another person¡¯s action.¡±


    It was that simple. It was this very reason he didn¡¯t massacre the entirety of the Soaring Cloud Sect or Earthly Titan Sect. To kill someone for another person¡¯s action felt ludacris to him, but it happened far too often in the cultivation world. Entire clans get implicated by a single choice of one person. Their result? Condemned to annihilation to the very last.


    The Shin Clan of Shin Xuanji was like this. A few members likely orchestrated a plan for treason, so the entire clan was held responsible. Although one could deem it clearing the roots, it also felt a little needless. Yan Zaizen would never allow someone who offended to live if it was a life or death grudge, but would he kill their sons, daughters, brothers or parents? Did they deserve death?


    This very reason was why he didn¡¯t go blindly massacre the entire White Crane Sect indiscriminately. However, Gu¨¤n Yin¡¯s disciple was taken right out from under her nose, therefore, he felt that he had to kill her. She was directly offended, and she directly offended him by attacking with the intention to kill. Yet...here she was, delivering Heavenly Law Liquid and renouncing her disciple for her life so decisively.


    If her support had stood by her side, it¡¯s entirely possible she would continue to press the attack in an alliance. However, considering the circumstances, she ceased immediately and searched for a way out.


    ¡°Cultivators¡­¡± Yan Zaizen felt like he understood more about the cultivation world and its experts. He felt that only experts like this, like Bai Lufeng and Gu¨¤n Yin, would be able to live a longer life and reach greater heights.


    ¡°Give me your defensive armament.¡± With a soft sigh, Yan Zaizen directly demanded. Despite revealing a reluctant expression, she immediately removed her flexible armor from underneath her clothes. It seemed to be fit perfectly towards her body, as the breast indentations were perfect for hers. It also suited tall and slim women.


    With a throw, the armor arrived in Yan Zaizen¡¯s possession carrying a feminine scent. He checked the Heavenly Law Liquid once more, there were about ten or so drops in here, far less than what Gu Yu left him. However, he felt that someone of Gu Yu¡¯s strength was far greater than Gu¨¤n Yin, so it was to be expected.


    ¡°From henceforth, I, Yan Zaizen, shall have no qualms with the White Crane Sect over this matter. However, if you dare offend me¡­¡± His eyes turned violently vicious, exuding pure and unadulterated killing intent. Gu¨¤n Yin only nodded in response.


    With that, he took a step, vanishing into the surroundings like a ghost.


    At his departure, a sigh filled with relief and happiness sounded.


    -----


    Three days passed.


    Yan Zaizen was located within the Wu Clan¡¯s estate. Wu Yuanxu was sitting to the side, watching as Yan Zaizen worked for several days without rest. Continuously, he¡¯d inject a bit of primal yin energy into Bai Lufeng¡¯s bodies, fill his body with vibrant lifeforce, and funnel soulforce into his soul. In these three days, Bai Lufeng no longer looked like a mummy. Instead, he looked normal. His body was beefy once more, his hair had a nice and vibrant sheen, his skin was without a blemish, and his primal yang seemed to be far stronger than before.


    However, he hadn¡¯t woken up.


    With his damage to his soul, his psyche was also inflicted similar damage. To recover, he¡¯ll have to pull together his instincts, memories, and personality into a single whole once more. This was only something he could do.


    Several hours later.


    ¡°Cough! Cough!¡± Bai Lufeng hacked violently, as if he just escaped from drowning in the ocean. His eyes were displayed deep confusion as he looked around. Suddenly, as if recalling a horrible memory, he shouted in despair and malicious violence, ¡°You¡¯ll die! You¡¯ll all die!!¡±


    Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t surprised. He only grasped Bai Lufeng¡¯s hand and sent a trace of soothing soul energy to calm his thoughts. After a while, his eyes finally focused on Yan Zaizen. ¡°Y-Young...Lord?¡±


    ¡°Tch. Look at you. Where¡¯s the Bai Lufeng from before? Hm?¡± Yan Zaizen snorted, looking away as if disappointed in Bai Lufeng. For a brief period, Bai Lufeng felt that he had died and gone to hell. The thought that flashed inside his mind was just his desire before death.


    However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t allow that to continue.


    POW!


    Slapping him across the head, Yan Zaizen said calmly, ¡°You were captured so easily. Then, you couldn¡¯t even escape yourself. Whatever! I cleaned up it all, it¡¯s time for you to decide what you want to do with her.¡± Yan Zaizen berated him before pointing towards a weak looking Gu¨¤n Yao.


    Yan Zaizen had extracted her Yin Essence, but with his soul cultivation and Pinaka¡¯s understanding of the soul, how could he not properly extract it? Unlike the method she used, which was crude and painful, Yan Zaizen was clean...and painful.


    With that, she retained her looks, but her soul and body cultivation suffered a deep regression. Her eyes barely had any light in it, only suffused with weakness.


    When Bai Lufeng saw this, his eyes widened. It was only then, at that exact moment, that Bai Lufeng knew this wasn¡¯t a dream. The very scenario he harped about in despair had actually happened. Yan Zaizen arrived, killed and captured, saved and restored him to full, and letting him freely choose the punishment.


    A shameless smile appeared on his face, his eyes revealing the brightness it once had before. This caused Yan Zaizen to breathe a sigh of relief, but he knew, no matter what, this event will definitely affect Bai Lufeng deeply.


    ¡°Before you decide, let me introduce you to Wu Yuanxu.¡±


    -----


    The event in the White Crane Sect¡¯s territory spread like wildfire. Many powerful experts were observing and immediately sent out information to their factions, this information further spread until it reached the common citizen.


    Most, originally, only knew that Gu¨¤n Yao had done something unforgivable and had her status renounced. However, after some time, everyone understood that Gu¨¤n Yao offended someone that even Gu Yu didn¡¯t wish to fight. He had to personally bargain for the White Crane Sect to be spared.


    As for Gu¨¤n Yin, she decisively threw away Gu¨¤n Yao to save her own life. Many enemies of the White Crane Sect even embellished the details to further humiliate the White Crane Sect and Gu¨¤n Yin. However, Gu¨¤n Yin didn¡¯t respond to any of these accusations.


    Surprisingly, Yan Zaizen was now a mystery character as countless rumors circulated about him. Some believe he was a divine beast in human form. Others believed he was visiting the Xiantu Emperor and Gu¨¤n Yao offended him somehow in her ignorance.


    His picture was being circulated in some channels. Unfortunately, it was his Herculean Avatar Art form and not his original. However, those who were in the Asura Phantom Realm as Yan Zaizen directly dealt with the Presba Imperials recognized him from his portrait.


    Immediately, news of his actions in the Asura Phantom Palace resounded. The talk of the realm was about this new, mysterious body cultivator with a profound soul cultivation. Many women would buy his portrait and look at it longingly while some hot-blooded guys set him as their idol. If one day, they could storm the White Crane Sect and emerge victoriously, their lives would be complete.


    In Xiantu City, the Xiantu Emperor had unfathomable eyes as he gazed into empty space. To him, Yan Zaizen was a mystery, a threat, an ally, and more. Currently, he had far too little information about him.


    Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    A young man with a handsome appearance walked in, his posture and expression revealed unyielding pride with no respect. To him, the Xiantu Emperor was but an equal. To him, the Xiantu Emperor could defeat him but couldn¡¯t kill him. Therefore, he doesn¡¯t deserve his respect.


    This was Gu Yu.


    As he entered, the Xiantu Emperor seemed unperturbed by his existence. His gaze continued to focus on the outside, as if he was watching over the entire realm.


    ¡°His name¡¯s Yan Zaizen. He has a Mortal Dao, his physical body has been refined thoroughly, and he has a Perfect Aurora Soul.¡± Gu Yu neutrally said. This was the information he¡¯d gained from his initial encounter.


    ¡°I see.¡± Xiantu Emperor didn¡¯t take his gaze away. His tone was filled with an imperialistic flavor as if all was in his grasp. ¡°His Mortal Dao?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m unsure. However, it¡¯s definitely in the middle-tier.¡± Gu Yu said with a shrug, his gaze followed the Xiantu Emperor, his eyes penetrated all. From what he saw, he could observe the Mystic Wave Continent¡¯s latest battlefield. The number of lives that were reaped per second was astonishing.


    ¡°He¡¯s currently at the Wu Clan. Deliver this message to him.¡± With a wave of his hand, a jade letter appeared and floated towards Gu Yu where it remained afloat.


    Grabbing the letter, Gu Yu¡¯s eyes shifted away to the Xiantu Emperor, ¡°Don¡¯t forget your Dao Trials.¡± He reminded, vanishing directly afterwards.


    The Xiantu Emperor¡¯s gaze shone brightly after those words, a faint smile appearing on his face, ¡°Another chess piece has landed on the board. How interesting.¡±


    Catching the bottle of Heavenly Law Liquid, Yan Zaizen pondered silently. His gaze never left Gu¨¤n Yin''s figure. Her declaration indicated a complete and thorough cut-off from Gu¨¤n Yao, essentially, she was trading Gu¨¤n Yao''s life for her own, and even decreed such circumstances to the entire continent.


    Yan Zaizen recalled Bai Lufeng. In Grux, Yan Zaizen was going to kill Bai Lufeng with Diyi. Shockingly, Bai Lufeng decisively threw away Diyi like a piece of trash, no longer protecting her with his life, and taking off without hesitation. Not knowing the circumstances before, Yan Zaizen assumed he was a cold-blooded individual, but a smart one, nonetheless.


    After Bai Lufeng had joined him, Yan Zaizen curiously asked why he was so decisive that day. His response left him feeling shaken.


    "I didn''t want to die for another person''s action."


    It was that simple. It was this very reason he didn''t massacre the entirety of the Soaring Cloud Sect or Earthly Titan Sect. To kill someone for another person''s action felt ludacris to him, but it happened far too often in the cultivation world. Entire clans get implicated by a single choice of one person. Their result? Condemned to annihilation to the very last.


    The Shin Clan of Shin Xuanji was like this. A few members likely orchestrated a plan for treason, so the entire clan was held responsible. Although one could deem it clearing the roots, it also felt a little needless. Yan Zaizen would never allow someone who offended him to live if it was a life or death grudge, but would he kill their sons, daughters, brothers or parents? Did they deserve death?


    This very reason was why he didn''t go blindly massacre the entire White Crane Sect indiscriminately. However, Gu¨¤n Yin''s disciple was taken right out from under her nose, therefore, he felt that he had to kill her. She was directly offended, and she directly offended him by attacking with the intention to kill. Yet...here she was, delivering Heavenly Law Liquid and renouncing her disciple for her life so decisively.


    If her support had stood by her side, it''s entirely possible she would continue to press the attack in an alliance. However, considering the circumstances, she ceased immediately and searched for a way out.


    "Cultivators¡­" Yan Zaizen felt like he understood more about the cultivation world and its experts. He felt that only experts like this, like Bai Lufeng and Gu¨¤n Yin, would be able to live a longer life and reach greater heights.


    "Give me your defensive armament." With a soft sigh, Yan Zaizen directly demanded. Despite revealing a reluctant expression, she immediately removed her flexible armor from underneath her clothes. It seemed to be fit perfectly towards her body, as the breast indentations were perfect for hers. It also suited tall and slim women.


    With a throw, the armor arrived in Yan Zaizen''s possession carrying a feminine scent. He checked the Heavenly Law Liquid once more, there were about ten or so drops in here, far less than what Gu Yu left him. However, he felt that someone of Gu Yu''s strength was far greater than Gu¨¤n Yin, so it was to be expected.


    "From henceforth, I, Yan Zaizen, shall have no qualms with the White Crane Sect over this matter. However, if you dare offend me¡­" His eyes turned violently vicious, exuding pure and unadulterated killing intent. Gu¨¤n Yin only nodded in response.


    With that, he took a step, vanishing into the surroundings like a ghost.


    At his departure, a sigh filled with relief and happiness sounded.


    -----


    Three days passed.


    Yan Zaizen was located within the Wu Clan''s estate. Wu Yuanxu was sitting to the side, watching as Yan Zaizen worked for several days without rest. Continuously, he''d inject a bit of primal yin energy into Bai Lufeng''s bodies, fill his body with vibrant lifeforce, and funnel soulforce into his soul. In these three days, Bai Lufeng no longer looked like a mummy. Instead, he looked normal. His body was beefy once more, his hair had a nice and vibrant sheen, his skin was without a blemish, and his primal yang seemed to be far stronger than before.


    However, he hadn''t woken up.


    With his damage to his soul, his psyche was also inflicted similar damage. To recover, he''ll have to pull together his instincts, memories, and personality into a single whole once more. This was only something he could do.


    Several hours later.


    "Cough! Cough!" Bai Lufeng hacked violently, as if he had just escaped from drowning in the ocean. His eyes were displayed deep confusion as he looked around. Suddenly, as if recalling a horrible memory, he shouted in despair and malicious violence, "You''ll die! You''ll all die!!"


    Yan Zaizen wasn''t surprised. He only grasped Bai Lufeng''s hand and sent a trace of soothing soul energy to calm his thoughts. After a while, his eyes finally focused on Yan Zaizen. "Y-Young...Lord?"


    "Tch. Look at you. Where''s the Bai Lufeng from before? Hm?" Yan Zaizen snorted, looking away as if disappointed in Bai Lufeng. For a brief period, Bai Lufeng felt that he had died and gone to hell. The thought that flashed inside his mind was just his desire before death.


    However, Yan Zaizen didn''t allow that to continue.


    POW!


    Slapping him across the head, Yan Zaizen said calmly, "You were captured so easily. Then, you couldn''t even escape yourself. Whatever! I cleaned it all up, it''s time for you to decide what you want to do with her." Yan Zaizen berated him before pointing towards a weak looking Gu¨¤n Yao.


    Yan Zaizen had extracted her Yin Essence, but with his soul cultivation and Pinaka''s understanding of the soul, how could he not properly extract it? Unlike the method she used, which was crude and painful, Yan Zaizen was clean...and painful.


    With that, she retained her looks, but her soul and body cultivation suffered a deep regression. Her eyes barely had any light in it, only suffused with weakness.


    When Bai Lufeng saw this, his eyes widened. It was only then, at that exact moment, that Bai Lufeng knew this wasn''t a dream. The very scenario he harped about in despair had actually happened. Yan Zaizen arrived, killed and captured, saved and restored him to full, and letting him freely choose the punishment.


    A shameless smile appeared on his face, his eyes revealing the brightness it once had before. This caused Yan Zaizen to breathe a sigh of relief, but he knew, no matter what, this event will definitely affect Bai Lufeng deeply.


    "Before you decide, let me introduce you to Wu Yuanxu."


    -----


    The event in the White Crane Sect''s territory spread like wildfire. Many powerful experts were observing and immediately sent out information to their factions, this information further spread until it reached the common citizen.


    Most, originally, only knew that Gu¨¤n Yao had done something unforgivable and had her status renounced. However, after some time, everyone understood that Gu¨¤n Yao offended someone that even Gu Yu didn''t wish to fight. He had to personally bargain for the White Crane Sect to be spared.


    As for Gu¨¤n Yin, she decisively threw away Gu¨¤n Yao to save her own life. Many enemies of the White Crane Sect even embellished the details to further humiliate the White Crane Sect and Gu¨¤n Yin. However, Gu¨¤n Yin didn''t respond to any of these accusations.


    Surprisingly, Yan Zaizen was now a mystery character as countless rumors circulated about him. Some believed he was a divine beast in human form. Others believed he was visiting the Xiantu Emperor and Gu¨¤n Yao offended him somehow in her ignorance.


    His picture was being circulated in some channels. Unfortunately, it was his Herculean Avatar Art form and not his original. However, those who were in the Asura Phantom Realm as Yan Zaizen directly dealt with the Presba Imperials recognized him from his portrait.


    Immediately, news of his actions in the Asura Phantom Palace resounded. The talk of the realm was about this new, mysterious body cultivator with a profound soul cultivation. Many women would buy his portrait and look at it longingly while some hot-blooded guys set him as their idol. If one day, they could storm the White Crane Sect and emerge victoriously, their lives would be complete.


    In Xiantu City, the Xiantu Emperor had unfathomable eyes as he gazed into empty space. To him, Yan Zaizen was a mystery, a threat, an ally, and more. Currently, he had far too little information about him.


    A young man with a handsome appearance walked in, his posture and expression revealed unyielding pride with no respect. To him, the Xiantu Emperor was but an equal. To him, the Xiantu Emperor could defeat him but couldn''t kill him. Therefore, he doesn''t deserve his respect.


    This was Gu Yu.


    As he entered, the Xiantu Emperor seemed unperturbed by his existence. His gaze continued to focus on the outside, as if he was watching over the entire realm.


    "His name''s Yan Zaizen. He has a Mortal Dao, his physical body has been refined thoroughly, and he has a Perfect Aurora Soul." Gu Yu neutrally said. This was the information he''d gained from his initial encounter.


    "I see." Xiantu Emperor didn''t take his gaze away. His tone was filled with an imperialistic flavor as if all was in his grasp. "His Mortal Dao?"


    "I''m unsure. However, it''s definitely in the middle-tier." Gu Yu said with a shrug, his gaze followed the Xiantu Emperor, his eyes penetrated all. From what he saw, he could observe the Mystic Wave Continent''s latest battlefield. The number of lives that were reaped per second was astonishing.


    "He''s currently at the Wu Clan. Deliver this message to him." With a wave of his hand, a jade letter appeared and floated towards Gu Yu where it remained afloat.


    Grabbing the letter, Gu Yu''s eyes shifted away to the Xiantu Emperor, "Don''t forget your Dao Trials." He reminded, vanishing directly afterwards.


    The Xiantu Emperor''s gaze shone brightly after those words, a faint smile appearing on his face, "Another chess piece has landed on the board. How interesting."

 Chapter 162 - Finally!

    ¡°Lord Zai, I apologize for any inconvenience.¡± Wu Jin respectfully said. Currently, Yan Zaizen resided in the Wu Clan with Bai Lufeng and Wu Yuanxu. After the incident with Gu¨¤n Yin, his face was now circulated across the entire continent and likely realm. It was truly shocking how fast news traveled.


    There was even news circulating of his stay in the Wu Clan. He didn¡¯t mind this, if anything, this was what he wanted. After being known as a powerhouse of the realm, he¡¯ll have far more influence over events. Even the Anima Syndicate had sent him a transmission. They wished to promote him to an Anima Commander, but Yan Zaizen declined.


    His main concern was the rule that disallowed him from creating his own force. Of course, he didn¡¯t believe they could stop him, but he also didn¡¯t want to spit in their faces by doing so. Therefore, he refused.


    Waving his hands dismissively, ¡°There was little inconvenience on your part. You tried, I appreciate the effort.¡± Slowly, Yan Zaizen was gaining the air of an expert. His face was calm, his smile warm, but his aura and thoughts were unfathomable. He felt like he entered an entirely new world.


    ¡°My first step towards the heavens...I truly like this feeling.¡± His thoughts circulated with ease, as there was little impeding his mental state. The only concern he had was Tao¡¯s fate. However, after learning about the circumstances of his heavenly oath, it truly left him a little helpless.


    To break an oath would cause one to face Heavenly Judgement, and the tribulations will determine if you live or die. The majority who breaks their oath, they die. Fortunately, the heavens will always leave open a path for survival. You just had to have the capabilities to walk it.


    Suddenly, Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze turned as he felt the space being chaotically connected and ripped. Unlike spatial laws where you shift through, warp or merge with space, Heavenly Genesis experts crudely use their power to rip open a tunnel. This leaves a very distinctive signature.


    ¡°What?!¡± Wu Jin¡¯s eyes widened as he felt space tremble slightly. His heart started to rapidly beat, as if he was about to face the heavens itself.


    A spatial slit appeared within the room, and from this slit, Gu Yu arrived with calm and prideful eyes. He didn¡¯t even glance at Wu Jin or noted the senses of the Wu Clan¡¯s Heavenly Genesis expert who was peering through space. His gaze focused only on Yan Zaizen.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression was calm, his eyes revealing interest at Gu Yu¡¯ arrival. To be honest, he quite liked Gu Yu. Not just because he gave him a stupid amount of wealth for no reason, but because he¡¯s decisive and to the point.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to deliver a message.¡± Gu Yu informed, sending a jade letter flying towards Yan Zaizen. Covering it with his qi-essence, Yan Zaizen drew it near and stored it within the Meteor Ring without a single word.


    Witnessing this, Gu Yu nodded. He turned back towards the spatial slit and reentered. As it closed, his aura vanished from the surroundings. Arriving freely and departing as one wished, truly the air of a proud expert.


    Despite the succinct exchange, Wu Jin¡¯s heart nearly stopped beating. Gu Yu¡¯s aura caused him to feel like he was before a god that he could only worship. He truly felt insignificant.


    As for Yan Zaizen, his brows furrowed. The message he received was from the Xiantu Emperor himself, and he felt a slight headache over it.


    ¡°Let me get Tao.¡± Yan Zaizen suddenly said, taking a step forward, space rippled as he shifted within. The surroundings rippled as if a rock was dropped in a pond. This method was far more efficient than ripping a slit in the fabric of space with brute force.


    -----


    Tao¡¯s expression was the very picture of boredom. After the news of Yan Zaizen asserting absolute dominance over Gu¨¤n Yin spread, Tao felt a little frustrated that Yan Zaizen hadn¡¯t already come to retrieve him. As for Yan Qiu, she kept him obediently by her side, ignorant of Tao¡¯s relationship to Yan Zaizen.


    Currently, she was within a luxurious room with a dozen other geniuses from Broad Creed Palace¡¯s territory. They sat in a circle, exchanging thoughts on arts, people, or events while drinking flagrant wine. A few remained quiet, only observing with the occasional engagement, while others were enlivened by their topic.


    ¡°I knew Gu¨¤n Yao would bring down the White Crane Sect with her dirty deeds and arrogance that could topple the heavens.¡± One young, handsome youth commented with a sneer. In the past, Gu¨¤n Yao rejected all of his advancements and even humiliated him before.


    ¡°I agree. To think she would offend a Heavenly Genesis level expert! Truly a calamity waiting to happen.¡± Another young man chimed in, his expression was filled with disdain.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible her renowned beauty lead to her downfall.¡± A pretty young woman sharply said, her eyes traveling to Yan Qiu. When she said this, others followed with a glance as well. To be honest, they knew very little as to why Gu¨¤n Yao was disavowed of her status and disciple status. Very few believed it was because of her actions that angered men and gods alike.


    Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.As a heavenly-tier sect, how could there not be people who do far, far worse? Yet they had inferior statuses and still retained as a member of the sect.


    Yan Qiu wasn¡¯t bothered by their thoughts or words. Personally, she believed her status was far above a mere Gu¨¤n Yao. After all, she was actually related to her ancestor, treated like a princess, and her overall force was greater than the White Crane Sect could ever imagine. If anyone desired to take action against her, they would have to measure themselves nine times then think nine more times.


    She decided to say a few words so others understood her thoughts, ¡°Gu¨¤n Yao, she doe-¡± however, she was rudely interrupted. The surrounding space trembled slightly. All the young geniuses got up from their feet, their eyes filled with shock. Each one of them felt a heavy aura on their bodies, as if a mountain was approaching with unstoppable momentum.


    Outside, Yan Zaizen stood above the Broad Creed Mountain¡¯s Yan Clan Palace in mid-air with his arms behind his back. His short black hair and silver and sky-blue robe blew with the wind. His gaze were the physical representation of the calmness of a silent ocean, but his gaze caused everywhere he looked to feel heavy. His smile contained warmth and unyielding confidence to stand against the heavens.


    He was like an immortal arriving in the mortal world. All that passed his gaze was but temporary and irrelevant. Only he, as he stood upright, would be the center the world.


    Inwardly, his thoughts were very different, ¡°how do I look? Heroic? Epic? Like an immortal?!¡± He was like a jubilant child as he urged Pinaka to critique his expression. For a while, since Yan Zaizen left Han Genji¡¯s mountain, he has been practicing his expressions in private. All types, from lustful, heroic, angry, and even those filled with sadness.


    Therefore, he was getting greater and greater at it.


    ¡°...You...look okay,¡± was all Pinaka said, feeling quite awkward about this. She found it hilarious that someone would actually practice their stances and expressions. Shouldn¡¯t they come naturally?


    A spatial slit appeared in front of Yan Zaizen. A tall, slim middle-aged man with blonde hair, deep-blue eyes, and a neutral expression exited from the slit. He donned dark-grey light armor beneath his light-grey robe. It was like a mixture of a warrior and a feudal lord. It gave him an aura of profound power and honor.


    The space around him trembled in obedience. ¡°A Heavenly Genesis expert? Likely the Yan Clan¡¯s Ancestor.¡± Yan Zaizen thought, his eyes displaying nothing but unperturbed calmness.


    ¡°My name is Yan Shijin, Ancestor of the Yan Clan, and Grand Elder of the Broad Creed Palace. May I ask why you¡¯ve come?¡± Despite his calm outward appearance, Yan Shijin was inwardly wary. Essentially every Heavenly Genesis expert in the entire realm saw Yan Zaizen fight against Gu¨¤n Yin. With their ability to pierce through the heavens in observation, their heavenly sense, how could they not?


    Despite this, not a single person interfered. Not even the Xiantu Emperor. Either this person¡¯s strength equaled the Xiantu Emperor or exceeded him. Regardless, he didn¡¯t wish to offend someone of this caliber for no reason.


    ¡°Mhm. Yan Zaizen, Anima Syndicate¡¯s Lieutenant.¡± After replying with his identity, ¡°I¡¯m here for my brother.¡± Inwardly, Yan Zaizen found it intriguing that they had the same clan name. However, if you compare the Yan Clan in the Fallen Stars Continent with the one here, it¡¯s like a dirt particle to a planet. The difference...it could induce suicide.


    ¡°Your brother?¡± Hearing this, Yan Shijing felt his heart skip a beat. He was considering if Yan Zaizen was here for malicious intentions. If so, he should call the other members of Broad Creed Palace to handle this.


    ¡°Mhm. He¡¯s a scholar by the name of Tao. He had a contest with a member of your clan: Yan Qiu. Afterward, he lost. I¡¯m suspecting the circumstances and I wish to get his opinion on the matter.¡± Yan Zaizen explained. However, his words only caused Yan Shijing to grow warier of him. After all, Yan Qiu was his great-granddaughter and his most doted on relative for the last thousand years.


    She was also a top beauty and had the potential to ascend to the Heavenly Genesis Realm. He didn¡¯t wish for anything to happen to her and knew of her mischievous ways. She may not be as bad as Gu¨¤n Yao, but as someone with her backing and arrogance, how could she keep her hands clean?


    Not waiting for Yan Shijing¡¯s response, he floated towards Tao¡¯s location.


    In the palace, all the geniuses heard the conversation outside clearly. Tao, who held a wine jug next to Yan Qiu, had the largest, most childish smile on his face. His pearly white teeth could blind like the sun.


    Yan Qiu¡¯s expression worsened the moment she heard Yan Zaizen¡¯s words. She was unsure of the situation outside, but considering her great-grandfather was outside to meet this new arrival, the person must be of equal or greater status than him.


    She glanced at Tao¡¯s unbelievably bright smile and felt her heart grow cold.


    As for Tao?


    ¡°Your time has come, you cheating witch!¡±

 Chapter 163 - Fearless Facing Heaven

    Qiu¡¯s eyes flickered as her mind calculated.Yan Zaizen and  Shijing had already entered the room.Shijing¡¯s   Qiu a look suggesting her to not  any rash actions.Yan Zaizen had yet to turn hostile, so taking any course of action to offend would be unwise.


    Shijing was confident in stalling Yan Zaizen¡¯s movements if he only needed to do so for a second.


    Zaizen didn¡¯t care about their plans, their safeguards, or intentions.white smile.overwhelmed him and  smiled.it may have been three , but to Yan Zaizen,  was over sixty .he recalled their time in the Deep Mines,  couldn¡¯t help but be washed with nostalgia.


    Look what you got yourself into,¡± his words caused all the geniuses who were gawking at his appearance to follow his gaze to Tao.Yan Clan¡¯s Ancestor, his attention wasn¡¯t focused on  Qiu but on a servant of hers.left them perplex about the situation.


    Qiu¡¯s eyes gawked at Yan Zaizen with rapt attention.domineering height, his amber-gold eyes that seemed to contain warmth and unlimited confidence, and a  countenance that put all men to shame.reached the point that her legs shifted  to hide her twitching.soft,  hands clenched and unclenched slowly.


    Shijing miss this?Qiu who was having this reaction, pretty much all the young  geniuses were fiddling in their seats with various emotions of embarrassment from shameful thoughts to brazen staring.


    he looked at all the female geniuses,  couldn¡¯t help but inwardly chuckle.He recalled when Yan Zaizen was in the Deep Mines, before   the Immortal Herculean Method, and how ordinary  looked.only had lifeforce but lacked intelligence, his aura was unstable and violent, and now, it was the complete opposite.


    break your heavenly oath.¡±Zaizen directly demanded.is that they must be honored till death.able to escape from being Yan Qiu¡¯s slave.Qiu.


    Zaizen in the eyes and softly nodded.closed his eyes feeling the internal heavenly aura that  with his existence.song   him of his oath, and if this  stops, then that meant his death or the time for his punishment.


    break this heavenly oath!¡±turbid and oppressive, and the surrounding space started to tremble in fear.directly brought over to him, and then  stored in the Meteor Ring.Afterwards, he looked towards Yan Qiu, ¡°I¡¯ll be back when this is over.


    was an act of , but   various levels to .punishment for  .you could rival the heavens, ¡¯ll never be  to handle  alone.


    From time to time, they sparkled with vibrant, golden lightning that seemed like dragons soaring across the skies.Shijing arrived outside, his eyes filled with fear.only one in the entire continent that showed no reaction was the Xiantu Emperor, Gu Yu, and Yan Zaizen.


    only interest!


    only two ways:black clouds suffused with   or survive until the   runs out, Pinaka informed.heavenly   its benefits, not only does it enable one to develop their own  dao, but they can also gather Heavenly Law Liquid!


    had slight differences.far,   than the one to formulate your own dao!Only lunatics would use a broken heavenly oath as a way to  Heavenly Law Liquid.


    Zaizen¡¯s eyes suffused with intense battle intent.Pinaka¡¯s true form!had their eyes widened, even the Xiantu Emperor and Gu Yu.


    Pinaka had recovered about 90% of her strength, and as a weapon used by someone who was at the peak middle-stages of the Heavenly Genesis Realm, how could  be weak?!She wasn¡¯t just a  armament, she was a top-grade  !Gu¨¤n Yin, an actual Heavenly Genesis cultivator,  had a pseudo  !huge to describe with words.


    Alone, Pinaka could dominate the entire Xiantu Realm!!!


    Getting into stance, Yan Zaizen pulled by the bowstring.essence of the world gathered at such a speed that it was as if ten thousand li of distance turned  a whirlpool of !essence funneled  Pinaka¡¯s body as a crystalized  appeared.arrow finished its gathering of the surrounding , processing it  a single , and shined with a faint purple glow.


    arrow contained destruction laws within!conceptual law!


    Zaizen  his body being stressed completely, and he couldn¡¯t help but be shocked by the feedback of the arrow.


    black clouds started teeming with lightning dragons, swimming within as if they  its homes.From time to time, they¡¯d roar violently causing the hearts of all those who  them to quiver.


    1.


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    it condensed, the  clouds no longer existed.It hovered above Yan Zaizen¡¯s head with heavenly ferocity, as if  wishes to destroy all that profaned its existence!


    Yan Zaizen was fearless, his Mortal Dao of Sovereign Ascension exploded!!!dao, and despite not possessing a Heavenly Genesis qi cultivation base, the surrounding space trembled, but it wasn¡¯t in obedience!


    you want my brother to be a slave for his entire life, then  OVERESTIMATE YOURSELF!¡±Zaizen  roared, his voice surged outwards like violent dragons as the sky above the clouds sundered apart.


    looked towards Yan ¡¯s with golden eyes, their gazes  him with towering fury and supremacy.


    Zaizen continued to laugh, his laughter was filled with madness, but his  confidence didn¡¯t falter a  bit.Zaizen felt enlivened while facing heavenly punishment.It was as if he¡¯d dealt with  thousands of times before, and  was very  to him. He gave it zero of his respect nor will he ever!


    diamond of swirling black and white, but the outline of that ?It was sky-blue!He pulled   back, reaching 120% of its limit, and the pressure on his body increased hundred-fold, but  resisted  with a smile and a burning gaze.


    it increased in size by three times!


    Xiantu Emperor¡¯s eyes looked at Yan Zaizen facing Heavenly Tribulation fearlessly, galvanizing the surrounding essence for his use and even taunting the heavens themselves.Originally, this person was only a chess piece on his board, but it seems like   an  player!he faced this arrow, all  could do was run!fast,  and far!


    tribulations with such fearlessness?


    If the Origin Core Realm cultivator faced  alone,    sufficient talent, treasures, and will, perhaps  could   out, but defeat ?not the judgment to   your dao is sufficient to be given a chance or .simply ,  too huge.


    Zaizen¡¯s mad laugh ceased, his eyes contained  confidence, and his physique thrummed with power!very  to his absolute strongest state!


    arrow soared across the sky, but  didn¡¯t cause any turbulent reactions from the surroundings.arrow moved through the air as if  was  an ordinary , all of its power and destruction was condensed within this  , and not a  ounce of  was released!


    Zaizen take action,  responded in kind.it pushed forward with a near invincible momentum.this moment, the world went silent.defined the existence of everyone was focused on  single crystal arrow facing  god-like lightning dragon!


    forward until the inevitable collision occurred.


    BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!!


    SWOOOOOOOSH!!!!


    very air, the  space, the  elements that quietly surrounded the  cloud disappeared.


    orb of purple energy detonated into a  spherical  that surrounded the inky,  cloud and lightning dragon in its entirety.wind, massive tsunamis created due to such an impact, or intense quaking of the earth.black cloud that was immersed in that purple sphere of  destruction.


    it stayed silently in the sky like a miniature sun radiating an aura that caused all those who felt it feel insignificant.


    tribulation gathered, they could  the brilliant outer space.if  was night, but there was no refilling that area as   was permanently deleted.


    Zaizen took a step forward, his eyes filled with excitement.Pinaka was raised into the air.Pinaka radiated a brilliant light that seemed to gather heavenly aura.tribulation may be , the deep   could  without possessing a power that equals to the heavens itself.


    Pinaka, as a spirit-rank armament for a  Genesis expert,  the function of gathering   to produce  Law Liquid.aura was far too little.


    small, golden bottle   from Gu¨¤n Yin,  held it beneath Pinaka¡¯s body.Zaizen harvest Heavenly Law Liquid as Pinaka produced a drop at a time.


    Zaizen¡¯s lips.he  felt some fear.tribulation was stronger, it¡¯s unlikely  could harvest any.He also had very little intentions to try doing this again.


    Pinaka¡¯s words,  the same person attempted to shield another from the heavenly , ¡¯ll invoke heaven¡¯s , in which case, Heavenly Annihilating Light will descend.


    tribulation you''ll face will   the one  faced today.Pinaka, it¡¯s unlikely he¡¯ll survive.


    Waving his hand, Tao appeared with a  expression.did he  the gravity of the punishment for his freedom.Zaizen¡¯s  smile, ¡°It¡¯s done.Now, tell me what happened.


    Qiu.

 Chapter 164 - Safety and Comfort

    Tao¡¯s expression caused Yan Zaizen to have a wary smile. In truth, he didn¡¯t believe that Tao would force the girl to service him or even kill her. Both Bai Lufeng and Tao may be arrogant, but they never kill without a justified reason.


    Yan Zaizen has done the same, except when he added his protective spiritual sense onto Sun Huan. In that case, he unintentionally killed Blood Fiend Sect¡¯s members. He prefers crippling than killing unless the offense warrants death.


    An example was Chen He, who guarded Bai Lufeng and watched him slowly wither to near death with pleasure. His death was warranted. So was Diyi¡¯s and those who directly harmed his master, Han Genji.


    Therefore, he knew that Tao wouldn¡¯t demand something outrageous like death or slave for life. However, when they approached Yan Qiu and Tao said his demand, Yan Zaizen was instantly silenced.


    It was...a little too tame.


    ¡°Apologize! And admit that you cheated! The truth!¡±


    ¡°...¡± Everyone was shocked. Many expected a former servant may ask for death, servitude, or something humiliating, but all Tao wanted was for her to publicly admit the truth.


    ¡°It seems a scholar¡¯s pride is an interesting thing.¡± However, when he thought about it a little bit more, he felt Tao truly was far, far too tame. After being sentenced to death by his former foster parent, not once did he mention seeking revenge or going back. It was truly extraordinary.


    ¡°Cultivators...some are kind, some are cunning, some are honest, some are vicious, and some are deceitful. However, they all act true to their hearts. They seek that, and for those who don¡¯t, they¡¯re destined to forever be nothing more than a speck beneath the heavens. A memory that¡¯ll vanish, and their dao never forming.¡± Pinaka¡¯s tired yet emotional voice resounded.


    Enlightened, Yan Zaizen smiled. He always had pieces of why he liked being around Bai Lufeng and Tao, but that¡¯s because, no matter what, they were always true to their hearts. Those cultivators aligned very well with him. Not to mention, they weren¡¯t innately evil nor had a belief that murder solved all problems.


    In the cultivation world, these three were an oddity, and yet...fate brought them together.


    Yan Qiu apologized after getting her bearings, admitting how she cheated and who helped. Afterwards, she went to Yan Zaizen with an unusual gleam in her eyes. Her beauty was phenomenal to behold, and with that gleam in her eyes, many men couldn¡¯t stop their hearts from rapidly beating.


    ¡°Greetings, my name¡¯s Yan Qiu.¡± Her voice was soft, but her eyes contained clear intentions. Yan Zaizen felt a little awkward being gazed at in such a way, it was reminiscent to Lin Feilin, but he didn¡¯t lose his cool. Instead, he stepped towards her, causing all present to hone in on his movements.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    After getting in front of her, his hands slowly moved to brush against her forehead, moving aside a loose strand of hair on her head. After properly tucking it away, he drew his hands towards her chin. With his amber-gold eyes, he lifted her chin so their gaze perfectly matched.


    From this touch, he could feel her rapid heartbeat resonate through her tender skin. ¡°Yan Zaizen, but you can call me Zai.¡± His words were spoken with a heroic and calm flare. At that moment, all the girl¡¯s heartbeats stopped.


    In the cultivation world, allowing someone to call you only by your name was considered an intimate action. With that, he swiftly turned towards a spatial tunnel behind Tao. He walked away, his robe fluttering in the wind and his presence in abundance.


    Tao laughed inwardly, recalling Lin Feilin and how Yan Zaizen was getting better at this. However, knowing him, it¡¯s far too unlikely that he¡¯ll give Yan Qiu the time of day. If anything, this was Yan Zaizen¡¯s punishment for enslaving Tao. Her heart will never forget his figure.


    With the air of an expert and the tone of a hero, before he stepped into the spatial portal, ¡°This meeting has concluded, but I¡¯ll be looking forward to the next.¡± He walked forward.


    They vanished.


    ¡°...I...Me too.¡± Yan Qiu muttered softly. Yan Shijing witnessed this, but without Tao¡¯s knowledge of Yan Zaizen¡¯s developing habits, he was excited. If his great-granddaughter obtained the hand of an expert like that, the benefits they both would obtain could directly reach new, greater heights.


    -----


    Wu Clan, Yan Zaizen¡¯s Residence.


    A spatial ripple appeared. Both Bai Lufeng and Wu Yuanxu were talking together. During which they discovered they have very, very little in common. Bai Lufeng was more of a hedonist while Wu Yuanxu was rather conservative. The difference in talent, upbringing, and age created this startling difference. While Bai Lufeng fought plenty of battles and seen many things in his three thousand years of life, Wu Yuanxu was a small character who lived for only several hundred years.


    One suffered untold struggles for survival, life, and saw the cruelty that a long one brings. Such as watching your wife, children, grandchildren die. To the point that you stop keeping track of your seed. However, Wu Yuanxu wishes to start his own clan and watch his family rise.


    Despite this difference, they did get along. Not like Tao and Yan Zaizen, but close.


    From the spatial ripple, Yan Zaizen and Tao entered the room. Bai Lufeng and Wu Yuanxu¡¯s eyes brightened, they were expectant of Yan Zaizen¡¯s return. As they saw him with Tao in a brown slave attire, Bai Lufeng chuckled and commented, ¡°You finally dressing appropriately?¡±


    Tao coldly snorted, ignoring Bai Lufeng. However, his eyes couldn¡¯t help see a slight light in Bai Lufeng¡¯s eyes that was vastly different than he was before. He didn¡¯t know what he experienced, but for some reason, he felt it was far worse than being someone¡¯s servant for a year. Therefore, he didn¡¯t say anything else.


    He went to the table and grabbed a wine jug, pouring himself a glass. He initiated conversation with Wu Yuanxu. As someone who was in the Deep Mines with Yan Zaizen, they exchanged a lot of stories, so he knew how this person helped him to his current path. It may have seemed small, but he understood a lot about soul cultivation from him.


    Yan Zaizen faintly smiled, grabbing a glass himself and sitting down. During these three years, one experienced near death, one actually died and revived, one was severely tortured, and another made a sworn oath to be a slave for his entire life. Yet, now they were together, healthy and vibrant enjoying good wine and good company.


    No matter how strong you get, this is what it means to enjoy life. To be surrounded by those who you want to be surrounded by. Drinking with those you wished to drink with and relaxing in the safety and comfort.

 Chapter 165 - An Invitation & A Question

    Within the Wu Clan, Yan Zaizen and Tao stood in a courtyard near a pond filled with white fish. Their expressions were slightly contemplative, while Yan Zaizen¡¯s brows were furrowed in frustration, Tao¡¯s expression was solemn.


    It¡¯s been one day since the Heavenly Tribulation event. Yan Zaizen had shocked the entire realm by fearlessly facing tribulations to free Tao from his oath. His name was now circulating far and wide, being held in higher regard than the Xiantu Emperor himself.


    At this point, all elites of the realm at least knew his name. Those with deep information networks even knew of his appearance. It seemed, with a single step, Yan Zaizen ushered himself into the spotlight. Despite this, Yan Zaizen still felt conflicted inside.


    One of the reasons for this conflict had to do with the jade letter given to him by the Xiantu Realm. Tao currently held it in his hands. Yan Zaizen was seeking consult from Tao on the matter. As for Bai Lufeng, his opinion didn¡¯t truly matter in this regard. As for his other concern, it was how he acted facing heavenly punishment. It was uncharacteristically like him.


    As for the letter, it was an invitation to the Xiantu Dao Trials. Unfortunately, it was in thirty-nine years from today. To cultivators at their level, thirty-nine years was a very, very short period of time.


    However, the problem was traveling to different realms. Strictly speaking, the quickest method to reach the neighboring realm would take twenty years ¡ª minimum. Between each realm was an area called the Border Expanse. It was a vast amount of empty space with no ability to sustain appropriate cultivation or habitats for standard living races.


    Because of this, they were caught between staying in the Xiantu Realm for forty-odd years or travel to another realm. Unfortunately, the only thing that could quicken their travel time through the Border Expanse was a realmship. A realmship could travel through the Border Expanse with phenomenal speeds by shifting through space. If they had this, they could leave and return in a short period of time.


    However, in the entire Xiantu Realm, there was not a single one. This left them in this dilemma. The Xiantu Emperor¡¯s invitation could lead to many benefits. However, if it was just an invite to the Xiantu Dao Trials, Yan Zaizen wouldn¡¯t care. It was the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s invitation to explore an area and obtain heaven-grade material. These were essential in constructing one¡¯s heavenly shrine!


    ¡°Are you confident in joining this?¡± Tao questioned. Wherever the Xiantu Emperor would wish to explore would have dangers and many other challenges. If Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t feel confident in gaining anything, there was very little reason to ponder on the subject.


    ¡°I¡¯m confident.¡± His words were calm, but he had his suspicions on the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s intentions. If it wasn¡¯t dangerous, why wouldn¡¯t he monopolize the location? Therefore, he would have to be cautious.


    ¡°In that case, it¡¯s only forty years. That¡¯ll be a blink to us. I can ascend in my cultivation while we wait. I believe, since a chance like this will definitely be hard to come by, you should seize it. As for our promise, we haven¡¯t even fully explored this realm yet. We have time.¡± Tao softly patted Yan Zaizen on the shoulder and said. He knew this extraordinary young man held his opinions to heart. If he said they should leave, he¡¯d leave without any question.


    After all, they made a promise in the face of death.


    Nodding, Yan Zaizen felt a weight lifted from his shoulder. In truth, Pinaka had some thoughts about this invitation. She felt it had to do with the Deep Mines. As someone who stayed in its walls for thousands of years in hibernation, she felt that it was very mysterious. If it wasn¡¯t a sub-realm then it was likely the Deep Mines.


    ¡°Until then, I plan to cultivate in seclusion.¡± Yan Zaizen directly said. In truth, Yan Zaizen enjoyed the art of cultivation, of power, and the life it brings. Growing up, Yan Zaizen often cultivated alone. Shunned by his clan, declared to have no talent, he often cultivated arts. Outside of meeting Ya Qinqan, that was all he did.


    Unfortunately, his talent with qi cultivation was lackluster, including his art comprehension. It was only when the Meteor Ring descended into his life that his fate changed. That he became truly powerful.


    Now, he can stand before the heavens, fearless and upright! The feeling was exhilarating! He felt enlivened by his newfound strength. With this power, he could rule an entire realm!


    However, he still lacked in arts and dao application. With the Heavenly Law Liquid, he can further his body cultivation. With the resources and wealth he obtained from the Asura Phantom Realm, he can progress further into the Essence Path.


    He wished to further comprehend and utilize these, turn them into more power so that, in the future, he¡¯ll never have to suffer. So that the people he cares for never has to suffer.


    Tao understood Yan Zaizen¡¯s thoughts. Therefore, he only gave his belief that this was the right path to follow. If anything, cultivating will ensure a better chance at obtaining materials with the Xiantu Emperor.


    They separated. Yan Zaizen decided to give Tao and Bai Lufeng the task of returning to Presba to investigate his impersonator and bring Wu Yuanxu with them. After obtaining various talismans, pills, elixirs, and armaments from Clear Divine City¡¯s Wu Clan¡¯s connections, they departed.


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    Standing beside Bai Lufeng was an exceptionally beautiful woman, with a graceful body and phoenix-like eyes. However, her gaze was filled with a weak glow. She was Guan Yao. After Bai Lufeng¡¯s recovery, she swore a heavenly oath of servitude for ten thousand years for her life. Therefore, she was Bai Lufeng¡¯s personal servant.


    Yan Zaizen initially felt the time was a little harsh, but after remembering Bai Lufeng¡¯s state, that feeling faded like a soft breeze.


    Yan Zaizen gave his regards, seeing them off as they used a spatial platform for travel to Presba¡¯s Capital. He made sure to give them proper protection and communication this time, so that if something happened, they can handle it till he arrived. As for the powerful talismans they brought with them, it should be enough to dominate the entire Fallen Stars Continent, not just Presba.


    Several days later, Yan Zaizen was within chaotic space, floating within the endless ocean of darkness, he looked absent-minded. His gaze was without focus as he looked at the endless darkness, his arms were spread apart, and he let chaotic space move him about.


    He recalled the memories he had before. The ones that seemed like him but also wasn¡¯t. Also, how he acted when he looked towards the heavenly tribulation. It didn¡¯t feel like the person who stood there was him. The total disregard for the heavens...currently, he had vast respect for them, but facing them, it was like something influenced him to treat the heavens like trash.


    Then, he remembered his questions towards Pinaka about his existence. Why he had so many mysteries about him, who was he, what was he? This was messing with his thoughts, causing instability and lack of focus. In this state, he couldn¡¯t cultivate, let alone do anything else.


    ¡°Pinaka...what am I?¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s tone was deeply emotional. Over the years, Yan Zaizen had experienced many things, both good and bad, but most of all, he knew his existence was shrouded in a mysterious haze.


    ¡°...¡± Pinaka didn¡¯t reply, but her expression flickered between complex emotions. Once upon a time, Yan Zaizen and Pinaka had an agreement: To never lie. When Yan Zaizen described all the things he had experienced to try to figure out some of his mysteries, Pinaka was active until she heard one detail.


    Then, she turned silent.


    This one fact may seem incredibly insignificant, but when she heard it, her emotions destabilized to the point Yan Zaizen felt it.


    This detail: His soul form was a squiggly line.


    At first, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t understand the significance. Wasn¡¯t that the rudimentary form of a normal soul form? This is what he assumed and many details informed that a soul form could be hazy and distorted. However, that¡¯s the difference.


    Hazy and distorted.


    Essentially, your soul should always, always model itself off your physical appearance. As your soul cultivation increases, its clarity and purity would be enhanced. As you grow enlightened about yourself, your soul clears away any hazy and distortion. However, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t have that.


    Yan Zaizen voice turned hoarse, ¡°What am I?!¡± Pinaka¡¯s emotions became increasingly chaotic. Yan Zaizen recalled his life.


    His father. When he was only three, he was taught how to convert his developed qi from essence, taught how to hunt beasts, and how to joke around.


    His mother. Her smile that seemed to brighten the world left his heart feeling warm and his mind feeling safe. Her embraces could lull him to the most peaceful sleep imaginable.


    His aunt. Despite his talentless traits, she always cheered him on. Never getting angry at a single thing he did, whether stealing her undergarments or peeking on her in the bath.


    His uncle. The beatings he¡¯d receive from his hand whenever he stole from him. Being taught how to drink wine like his father. Knowing how to relax in life amidst dark days.


    He recalled the time he stood at the Serene Moon Cove. The flash in his vision. The woman, the despair as she looked at the heavens, and his violent emotions of sheer bloodlust.


    The time later when he recalled holding a figure drenched in blood, crying to the very heavens in absolute rage, cursing all existence!


    His excitement when facing the heavens. His utter lack of respect for it at that moment. It wasn¡¯t because of strength, but it stemmed deep within his soul. Where did that come from? It didn¡¯t feel like him...


    One was memories of himself, but what about the others? Why did he have a black hole? How come it didn¡¯t appear on his soul form originally? What was it? What was he? He was born in the Yan Clan; he didn¡¯t have any profound background. So how come he was so damn special?!


    ¡°WHAT AM I?!¡± His mind had been an utter mess since arriving in chaotic space. The event where he faced the heavens truly felt like it wasn¡¯t him. This coupled with his flashes of memories, the oddness that was the black hole protecting his soul, and how his soul form wasn¡¯t a blurry shape of himself until after he cultivated a soul method.


    ¡°Haaaaa...¡± Pinaka deeply sighed. ¡°You¡¯re Yan Zaizen, but...your soul...isn¡¯t.¡±

 Chapter 166 - Heavens Error: Non-Entity

    ¡°!!!¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s mind shook. What did that mean?


    ¡°To be more exact, you were born soulless. You should be...a Non-Entity. I don¡¯t know how you even exist. You should¡¯ve died at birth.¡± Her voice contained deep emotions but also deep confusion.


    ¡°Non-Entity?¡± Despite his shaken mind, he asked with a calm tone. His dao was still affecting him even at this moment.


    ¡°...A Non-Entity, an existence that shouldn¡¯t exist. A mortal spawnthat doesn¡¯t conform to the heavenly law of samsara and creation. A life without a soul. An error. Your lack of a soul...it¡¯s why your body had no talent, your mind had trouble developing, and your comprehension towards the laws are incredibly profound. After all, in your eyes, the heavens are viewed through a clarity untouched by the taint of the soul cycle, untainted by mortal instincts deep within the soul.¡±


    ¡°Somehow, an artificial soul became your body¡¯s main soul. Someone or something placed something in you - that black hole, hid it from the outside world and left you alone. I don¡¯t know why, but...that¡¯s my belief. Because...that squiggly line...that¡¯s a newly created Spirit Form¡¯s appearance. An artificial soul. It¡¯s probably why your bloodline was capable of escaping your soul because it¡¯s not connected to it.¡±


    ¡°...¡± He was silent for a long time, a very long time. It was a lot to process. He had an artificial soul, his bloodline left his soul because it wasn¡¯t connected to it, and his soul was placed in a body without a soul originally. ¡°My memories?¡± His voice slightly trembled.


    ¡°As a True Spirit, I was only born because of my creator. When an artificial soul is being forged, the creator has to utilize their own soul flame, the very core of their soul, to do so. Like creating a mold for a sword. Even our gender and species is defined by theirs.¡±


    ¡°What you¡¯ve experienced is common amongst artificial souls. It¡¯s called Soul Bleeding. Quite often, the creator''s memories, instincts, and personality would bleed into the artificial soul. Their personality, beliefs towards certain things, and even their shape are injected into it.¡± As she explained, she recalled the memories of her creator that she experienced.


    Her last master didn¡¯t create her. She started out as a Spirit Form and developed, changed hands a few times, and had a new physical body forged many times with new masters wielding them. When her last master obtained her, she ascended to the True Spirit in his hands, under his dao. A feeling of great melancholy overwhelmed her as she recalled this.


    ¡°Haha, so...I¡¯m a fake soul?¡± He started chuckling to himself with a tinge of madness. Initially, it was soft, but it slowly rose in volume until it became a thunderous laugh. If you take this into consideration, then all of it made sense.


    A Non-Entity. An existence that was an error of the heavens, born to die, but stayed alive. Then, what was the black hole, and why was he created?


    What was the purpose of his existence?!


    A thought popped into his mind. ¡°What...happens if I die?¡± From his knowledge, artificial souls don¡¯t coincide with the heavens and thus cannot experience reincarnation. If they die, their existence truly vanishes.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t know. In truth, I¡¯m shocked by your circumstances. As a false soul with true intelligence, you shouldn¡¯t be able to cultivate your soul by the conventional standards under the heavenly law and avoid heavenly punishment. You should be traveling our path. However, it seems your soul is special and you can tread that path, even develop your own dao. It¡¯s possible, you¡¯ll reincarnate¡­¡± The uncertainty in her voice was heavy. This was a first for her and likely everyone else beneath the heavens.


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    An artificial soul that can cultivate the standard soul path! If others knew this, they would dissect him for study. Not to mention, he was a Non-Entity! His perception towards the heavens was untainted by mortal dust and the soul cycle! In a short sixty years, he¡¯s got insight into five, FIVE, different world laws. If anyone heard this, they wouldn¡¯t believe it.


    The reason why she knew of Non-Entities had to do with them often being used as Avatars! Because they don¡¯t have a soul, yet were pure in mind and sight. Experts would segregate a piece of their soul and place it within. They would then use its unique trait to enhance their comprehension of the laws.


    Unfortunately, they were far, far too rare. The heavens rarely make mistakes after all.


    The chances the infant''s body isn¡¯t burned or buried after birth due to the lack of a soul is already infinitesimal; Let alone obtaining the body.


    ¡°I see.¡± Yan Zaizen emotions calmed down. Learning he was an artificial soul came as a shock, and it made him question what part of him was truly his. Imagine finding out someone created you against natural law and was influencing your actions in ways you didn''t know, it was hard to reconcile with this.


    His eyes closed, his breathing steadied, and he floated in chaotic space for an indeterminate amount of time. Pinaka remained silent, sensing the fluctuations of Yan Zaizen¡¯s mental state. Only after quite a while did he open his eyes to reveal its amber-gold luster. ¡°I¡¯ve decided.¡±


    ¡°...?¡±


    ¡°To hell with it all! Artificial or real, I¡¯m still me. I was born from my mother, taught by my father, and lived under my name since birth. Perhaps, I¡¯ll learn more about why I exist or what''s this black hole in my soul, but until then, even if I never find out till death, I¡¯ll live my own life. Especially if this is my only one...¡± With that, he shifted into a seated lotus position in preparation to cultivate.


    ¡°Let¡¯s cultivate; the myriad realms await!¡±


    His aura was fueled by his resolve to live his own path. Even if he was some artificial spirit initially, what did that mean for today? At the moment, he had a real soul, a real body, and real strength. His existence may be unnatural and artificial, but his current life isn''t.


    Perhaps, If he gets stronger, he¡¯ll be able to learn who created him and why, maybe he¡¯ll figure out what this black hole is, and how it became his bloodline. However, if he doesn''t, then that''s fate.


    Pinaka saw his mental recovery and seemed visibly relieved, but internally, her mind was anything but. She only had one question...if Yan Zaizen could take the conventional path, to become a real soul, a real existence...was it possible for her as well? Could she...become a true existence underneath the heavens?


    A life, a family, a physical body and more? Could she have this?

 Chapter 167 - Cultivating the Heavens

    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes were tightly shut. His muscles were relaxed. Within chaotic space, there was only darkness. No air, sound, light, or smells. With his comprehension into the law of space, the ever-present ripping force no longer affected him.


    Therefore, Yan Zaizen was currently without his four main senses, but he could perceive so much more without them. In this state, his mind was free and open. It was as if he was floating not in chaotic space but the vast heavens itself. Raising his hand, he caressed the empty space.


    ¡°Space is always present but invisible, but at its most primal form, it is untouchable. It is stable to the utmost, housing all, soul, body, and mind as the greatest home.¡±


    CLENCH!


    Viciously clenching his hand, the surrounding space solidified. It turned into something touchable.


    ¡°Time is always present¡­¡± His mind calculated, interconnecting with the vast laws beneath the heavens. Since his last closed door cultivation session, Yan Zaizen had felt the law of time, but he couldn¡¯t interconnect with it. It was as if his mind couldn¡¯t grasp its ever-elusive concept.


    Chaotic Space, at its core, was the Imperial Law of Spacetime. However, unlike space which is defined by its stability, time here is defined by its instability. It slows down and speeds up erratically. He spent sixty full years here yet only two years passed in the myriad realms.


    ¡°Time is always present, but at its most primal form is untouchable but visible. It is chaotic to the utmost, being undefined and distorted. Unsuitable for all things. It progresses soul, body, and mind.¡± His thoughts were soaring in the proverbial clouds. He felt free and at ease.


    The concept of space and time was the same as yin and yang, life and death, creation and destruction. They denoted very, very different things yet one without the other can only exist as an incomplete whole beneath the heavens.


    Very slowly, his eyes opened. However, it no longer contained its amber-gold luster. Instead, it was filled with a chaotic dark-grey. If space was silver then, time was dark-grey. His eyes seemed to contain the very essence of time. One moment, they would give the feeling of hyper-acceleration while another would give the feeling of halting to the absolute slowest.


    ¡°What is time? Time is chaos and direction. What is space? Space is order and stationary.¡± His words were slowly mumbled. As the dark-grey started to vanish from his eyes, so did the vestiges of time.


    He found himself floating within a space, but this space was incredibly familiar to him. There were countless motes of light of varying colors dotting the area. Each mote contained a concept. A concept that was born within the heavens.


    Heavenly Domain of Law!


    When Yan Zaizen first entered here, he was in Han Genji¡¯s mountain home. At the time, it was all so indistinct, but as his cultivation continued to increase as well as the strength of his senses and breadth of knowledge, he perceived it with heightened clarity.


    His eyes were drawn to a familiar silver figure at the corner of his vision. Turning, he saw an ambiguous humanoid silver form that seemed to exude peak stability.


    ¡°Spatial Form of Infinite Stability.¡±


    As he looked at the motes of light surrounding it, he recalled Pinaka¡¯s words. The majority of concepts relating to space were beneath its feet. They floated around as if catering to its whim.


    ¡°A concept that governs a majority of other concepts within a heavenly law.¡± Then he looked towards the other batch of silver motes. They were surrounding a single figure as well, but they swirled around it in utter chaos, holding no specific pattern in their flight.


    ¡°Another? It¡¯s... Spatial Form of Chaos?¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked. It seems there were two sides to every coin. He started to feel that the heavens demanded balance. Space and time, life and death, yin and yang. Even within the law itself, there are two parts representing absolute difference and perfect balance.


    Turning away, he saw a dark-grey light thrumming in the distance. Unlike the other concepts, this one stood out as if calling for him. He felt chaotic time within this mote of light. Similar to before, it seems he needed to establish a connection with the concept. Afterward, he can house the concept in his soul and harness its power.


    Reaching out his hand, his body that seemed infinitely far away, appeared directly in front of this concept. His mind grasped at the concept. When it touched, he could feel his soul and mind become far, far clearer than before. A name appeared into his mind.


    ¡°Temporal Wind of Eternal Change.¡±


    His mind, soul, and thoughts returned back to his body. His eyes searching the surrounding space, but now, he could see faint dark-grey winds of time. They were wildly inconsistent, always shifting without order or timing.


    CLENCH!


    Clenching his hand, the dark-grey wind gathered towards his hand. As it did, the progression of his hand, its speed in movement or the pumping of his blood, started slowing down as if it existed on a different timeline.


    The dark-grey wind seemed to be the essence of time. If gathered, it slows down the progression of time, but the winds were incredibly sparse in areas. It seems this was why time was so fast here and slow in the myriad realms. In the chaotic space, it was in abundant and ever-present.


    ¡°I see¡­¡± Unclenching his hand, the dark-grey wind scattered, allowing his hand to return to normal. He felt that he had gained some insight into this. If the Nascent level allows you to exert minor control, Force level would enable you greater control, and Manifestation level allowed you to draw from the heavens and manifest it. He didn¡¯t know about Domain or Sovereign level, but he had some thoughts.


    Domain level likely meant establishing a minor heavenly space that only contains that Heavenly Law. From his assumption, Sovereign level could allow you to draw out a majority of the heavenly law''s power, if not all. It¡¯s probably why they can extract Regalias of Heaven.


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Temporal Wind of Eternal Change?¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice was shocked. Being interconnected with Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul, she lived with his conceptual laws, so she knew when a new one enters her domain. However, she couldn¡¯t believe it. With this, Yan Zaizen had developed four powerful concepts of World Laws. The laws of life, death, time, and space.


    If...he could also do soul.


    Just as she thought this, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes lit up in sky-blue iridescent light. Internally, his brain was glowing with profound soul fluctuations.


    ¡°Truly! A Non-Entity!¡± Pinaka couldn¡¯t help but feel amazed. She finally and truly understood why every expert wanted a Non-Entity as their secondary avatar. If their perception could be gained, even a tenth of it, the limits one could reach would be extraordinary. With their abilities to mentally perceive laws without any clouding thoughts or confusion was truly heaven-defying.


    ¡°Guess...that¡¯s why it¡¯s considered a heavenly mistake.¡± While she was lamenting at Yan Zaizen¡¯s unfair advantage, Yan Zaizen was already back in the Heavenly Domain!


    In front of him was a world of sky-blue light. He felt an extraordinary soulforce undulating from the area. There was a myriad of different types of soulforce intermixed within. As he weaved into the world of light, he could sense a familiar aura.


    ¡°Phantasm?¡± Looking around, he found a sky-blue mote that seemed to fade in and out of existence. It had an imperishable feeling to it. It was as if, as long as it wasn¡¯t destroyed, it would survive all time!


    As he continued to swim through the light, he felt empty somehow. Suddenly, his mind shook! He discovered something.


    There was no soulforce similar to Pinaka¡¯s! Intelligent and self-sufficient. The only one that came close was the aura that resembled Spirit Forms. It seems True Spirits truly do not conform to Heavenly Law! However, in that case, how do they exist beneath the heavens?


    As he recalled this, he remembered an important phrase that stuck with him: ¡°Below the heavens are the earths and skies, above the heavens are the earths and skies.¡±


    Recalling the Immortal Herculean Method description, how it covers five levels yet the second required an object that denoted the peak of heavenly law...he felt that he glimpsed upon the answer.


    ¡°Could it be¡­? Someone...created a new concept?¡± This was his first thought. A concept created outside of the 33 heavens but incapable of being accepted or rejected by them! They can only destroy if possible.


    He felt his horizons broaden. What was the world above the heavens?


    Just as his mind was slowly getting lost in unfathomable thoughts, a bright sky-blue light that seemed to embody everflowing spirituality attracted his attention from afar in the world of light.


    ¡°This is?¡± As his desire to get closer emerged in his heart, he felt the world warp and he arrived directly before a mote of sky-blue light. It seemed indiscernible from others, but also vastly different. With a reach, he felt his soul enliven.


    SCREE!!


    A clarion cry of all souls resounded suddenly, and he returned back to his body. He breathed out turbid air. This turbid air wasn¡¯t physically stored within his body but previously entrenched deeply in his soul. As it surged out of his body, it went from a small wisp to a stream to a gushing geyser of turbid air!


    It erupted from his mouth as if escaping from something within his soul. It looked demonic and if one looked closely, it seemed to contain a myriad of scenes and faces. This continued for thirty hours. For thirty full hours, in an amount that could fill a large lake, turbid air escaped his soul. However, as it entered chaotic space, it was ruthlessly shredded by the indiscriminate force.


    Various cries appeared like a bird of various types. When all this happened, Yan Zaizen was terrified. He had a feeling that the air just released was living! If given some time, they could grip his soul in unimaginably terrifying ways.


    A name popped into his mind after.


    ¡°Ever-Shifting Soul.¡± He murmured. Information about the law that was deep within his brain started to emerge. He discovered it was a concept of processing the soul by purification, modification, and transition. To purify the soul, to modify the soul to ready it for the final step, transitioning the soul to another entity.


    Essentially, with this, he could theoretically process his soul into a phantasm! He now understood why, in the Asura Phantom Realm, there was a hell altar and phantasms. It seems this orb allowed the Palace Master to become and create one without consuming millions of souls as a phantom to do so.


    With this law, you could even revert back to a normal soul or any soul under the heavenly law! The only flaw? It couldn¡¯t create a soul.


    Filled with curiosity, he checked his soul. He found his dark-amber orb sitting nicely in the center, but at his soul form¡¯s brain area, a sky-blue orb was radiating sky-blue light. He felt that his soul had been thoroughly cleansed of any and all impurities. However, when did he¡­


    Oh¡­


    ¡°Soul crystals.¡± It was likely the impurities developed from using soul crystals. While practicing his soul arts, he used a lot of soul crystals to recover his lost soul energy. ¡°Then...those things were?¡±


    He shivered, not wanting to think about it any longer. In truth, soul essence was produced by the soul of the living and dead. For example, the Dead Soul Desert¡¯s sand can absorb soul energy from others and form soul crystals. It¡¯s just in a neutral form that anyone could absorb for their own use. However, this soul essence leaves behind taint and filth in the soul. This could lead to many, many difficulties in soul progression and delay your ability to seek enlightenment.


    Taking a deep breath, he steadied his mind. Taking out a small, golden bottle filled with liquid, his gaze grew determined and heated. ¡°Heavenly Law Liquid!¡±

 Chapter 168 - Cultivate as a Herculean

    With the heavenly law liquid in hand, Yan Zaizen recalled the Immortal Herculean Method. The initial description immediately captured his heart: ''Become an Immortal Herculean! Exceed the heavens and shatter the skies!''


    At first, he believed it was to simply become strong enough to rend the skies, but after recalling the earths and skies above the 33 heavens mentioned by Pinaka, he felt this description had a deeper meaning. As for becoming immortal, at first he was skeptical, but after some success in the technique, he believed it thoroughly.


    The method detailed five levels with four stages of success each. The first level, Nascent Herculean Physique. The method requires only a strong will and sufficiently strong base body. Originally, Yan Zaizen qualified for the former but utterly failed at the latter. Fortunately, the Unyielding Flame of Life kept his life intact.


    After, he completed the transformation of a Herculean in the Deep Mines. At that point, everything changed about his physiology. He grew taller, more muscular, incredibly handsome and had four lungs. Many of his organs and cells drastically changed. The most notable was his healing rate. It increased by thousands of times.


    Afterward, the second level, Grand Herculean Physique required a regalia of the heavens while needing heavenly law liquid as a supplement through the stages. This level of requirement was near impossible for anyone to reach without stupendous luck. After all, only a cultivator who attained the sovereign level in their conceptual law can produce one. They also need to pay an extraordinary price to do so.


    As for heavenly law liquid, that could only be obtained through condensing the aura within the 33 heavens. To obtain this, one must overcome heavenly tribulation, find gathering points of heavenly aura, or reach the Heavenly Genesis Realm to slowly condense the heavenly aura. All of which was difficult to achieve or find.


    The third level, Celestial Herculean Physique. It explained reaching a sufficient point to unlock the eight celestial gates in the body, breaking past heavenly enforced limits. Typically, doing so would be the same as death itself. In truth, just like the soul, physical bodies have a heavenly law and myriad of concepts. All races have the eight celestial gates, but barely any could comprehend it, let alone open them.


    The fourth level, Rebirth Herculean Physique. From a single cell, one can reconstitute their entire physique. It''s not immortality, but it was remarkably close.


    The final and fifth level, Eternal Immortal Herculean. There was no physique as your body would transcend the concept of physical limitations. Immortality!


    "This method truly desires to exceed the heavens, even the third stage is going directly against it!" Yan Zaizen exclaimed in awe. When he first read this method, he was more than just skeptical, but now...he felt it was completely true and achievable.


    Lifting up the heavenly law liquid within his hand, he pressed his finger on the top of the bottle. Slowly, he lifted his finger to reveal an extraordinary drop of golden liquid emanating the aura of the heavens following along. This single drop contained an insane amount of power and energy. This drop alone can destroy the entirety of Presba.


    "Refine each meridian, the six yang organs, five yin organs, and the acupuncture points of the body by using heavenly law liquid." Yan Zaizen felt interested. Refining the body with the heavens to exceed the heavens, quite ironic. Refining the meridians completely was considered minor success. Refining the six yang and five yin organs was considered the major success. Refining 2,033 acupuncture points was considered perfection.


    "Such a profound method. Not even Heavenly Genesis cultivators would directly refine their bodies with it. The sheer amount of power would cause massive damage in an attempt. At most, they''ll infuse their vital energy or true-essence to dilute it to about one percent of a drop. Even then! They''d be risking their lives." Pinaka commented, her mind awed by the sheer audacity of this method.


    However, what could he do about this? The method had him refine a regalia to even reach this level. Now, it wanted him to use drops of liquid powerful enough to level an entire country, individually!


    Shaking off this mentality, he readied himself. "First, the twelve meridians."


    Time slowly, very slowly passed as chaotic space was filled with Yan Zaizen''s pained grunts and exhausted heaving. After two weeks, he finally refined a single drop. Two whole weeks! Unfortunately, his body was in shambles. Blood covered it from head to toe and his body had numerous lacerated opening as if energy just to erupted outwards.


    This was like putting a nuke inside your body. The strain could be imagined. Yan Zaizen''s eyes were no longer amber-gold but completely dark-amber. He was invoking his Mortal Dao of Sovereign Ascension to its fullest. The Dao of Relentless Pursuit enabling him to continue his struggles regardless of the cost.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.


    It was only with that did he continue. The pain was unimaginable as if every last one of your cells was exploding, every part of your body was ripping from the inside and your brain being pricked by a thousand needles. It felt horrible.


    "Another!" With clenched teeth, he declared. Another heavenly drop was pulled out and begun refining once more.


    It took him six months of constant refinement to finish and another three months to recover after. Only then did he start on the organs. He was shocked to discover that any part of him refined by heavenly law liquid would have three incredibly powerful energies surging within that part: Deathly, Lifeforce, and Soulforce. They amplified his strength and his vital energy was slowly changing as the three forces intermixed in unison.


    After his organs were refined, he discovered a fourth energy type being born as his vital energy continued to increase in density, volume, and intensity. It felt like it contained deathly, lifeforce, and soulforce energy but also was entirely different.


    The process of refining all the organs took twenty-three years. During that time, his comprehension into the three laws steadily increased. Both Unyielding Flame of Life and Siphoning Shadow of Death advanced to the minor-Manifestation level. With this, constructing a Heavenly Shrine was a certainty. As for Ever-Shifting Soul, it reached the major-Force level.


    Being a Non-Entity, he truly understood his gift. It was as if the heavens were as clear as the night sky in the country. The myriad of stars in that sky were the laws. As long as he put in some effort, he can zoom into any star he wished.


    As for that trace of energy that appeared, Yan Zaizen recognized it. It was a trace of samsara! The combination of life, death, and soul laws. When combined in unison, it produces the Imperial Law of Samsara. He recalled his glimpse into the laws in Grux. At that time, he learned that laws can be combined for strength like Archery of Pure Destruction or merged to produce a greater law!


    If it wasn''t for the life and death antagonistic relationship, perhaps he could''ve developed energy based on the Heavenly Law of Rebirth. Fortunately, it seemed the addition of the sky-blue orb has changed their relationship.


    "Samsara-based vital energy¡­" He felt increasingly interested in it. Unfortunately, he couldn''t control this energy. It stayed deep within his stomach, floating about as if it was independent. His stomach was also changing colors due to it, turning a dark-blue but then it would change to light-blue. It was like a clock, every twelve hours, it would change to the next.


    Ignoring that for now, he decided to continue cultivating. At this point, the loneliness of cultivation still didn''t affect him. Pinaka was absolutely shocked at what happened next.


    Three hundred and fifty-six years passed. During which, Yan Zaizen did nothing but cultivate, read, occasionally drank some wine, discussed some things with Pinaka or his parents, but besides that, nothing else. He stayed within chaotic space''s lifeless environment without a single tick of impatience.


    In total, this was nearly four hundred years!!! Yet, Yan Zaizen remained completely unfazed even amidst the horrible pain to refine each acupuncture individually. Typically, experts would only seclude themselves in cultivation like this for a short period of time, but Yan Zaizen had barely lived twenty years of his life outside.


    It was as if chaotic space was his home.


    In truth, Yan Zaizen didn''t mind. This type of cultivation was peaceful. Without people, without troubles, without conflict, simply him and his cultivation. No mocking gazes, schemes, or thoughts about the future.


    Not to mention¡­


    CLENCH!!!


    Clenching his fist, he could feel the epic power residing in his every cell, every bone, every fiber of muscle, and drop of blood.


    Perfect-Grand Herculean Physique!!


    Taking in a deep breath, the surrounding chaotic space was ruthlessly siphoned into his lungs, refined into deathly energy, sent to his heart to be converted to lifeforce energy, and then sent to every corner of his body. The constant refinement of the body with each breath felt exhilarating!


    As for his brain, as it was fed lifeforce, it would be purified and modified into soulforce, enhancing his cognitive functions. With every breath, his memory, processing speed, and sensory perception were amplified bit by bit!


    His life, death, and soul conceptual art have already equalized during this stay! They were at the major-Manifestation level! With this, creating a second-floor Heavenly Shrine was possible. However, what''s truly shocking was his time and space laws! As he stayed in the environment they originated from, they both ascended to the perfect-Manifestation level!


    "You''re already capable of building a third-floor Heavenly Shrine. Truly awe-inspiring." Pinaka praised. If anyone told her that someone not even five hundred years old comprehended FIVE World Laws, she''d look at them as if they were idiots.


    But now! Yan Zaizen talent was eclipsing the world already!


    "From my calculations, about eight years should''ve passed outside." Within chaotic space, time was slowed down or sped up. The turbulent time-flow enables Yan Zaizen to experience four hundred years in only eight. This may seem like a benefit, but he was still four hundred years older in both body and soul.


    Therefore, he could still die of old age if he exceeds his lifespan.


    "Thirty-one years left before the Dao Trials...that''s roughly nine hundred and thirty years." Pinaka calculated, feeling somewhat odd. Was Yan Zaizen planning on spending over a thousand years cultivating alone?! That''s¡­


    "I''ll leave in nine hundred years," he nodded rather casually. If anyone saw this casual attitude, they would be crossed between slapping him or gawking at him. To him, what was nine hundred years? If he breaks through the True Essence Realm, he can live twenty-five thousand minimum. That wasn''t even considering the fact he felt incomparably safe in chaotic space.


    It truly was his home.

 Chapter 169 - Already Chosen?!

    In a realm far, far away from Xiantu Realm.


    A realm with only a single planet, two suns, and nine moons. This planet was so enormous that it''s diameter exceeded ten billion li. The planet was placed directly in the center of the realm, rotating elegantly within as if it was a sovereign of the whole realm! It seemed like, unlike normal realms, the two suns and nine moons rotated around the planet''s axis rather than the other way around.


    The realm was called the Sirius Titan Realm(*). On one of its nine moons was a grand heavenly palace that exceeded the total size of Presba. It was black in color but had a golden luminance that exuded heavenly might. Above this palace was a single character written in heavenly language! It only illustrated one word: "Gigantus."


    Despite the name, not a single individual that roamed its halls were beyond seven feet in height. Yet, it was proudly displayed and seemed to radiate some profound bodily law. If Yan Zaizen had seen this character, he would have found its aura remarkably similar to the Herculean figure he saw before!


    In the outer halls of this palace, two elderly women were following a young girl in a hurry. The halls, even in the outer areas, were so wide that cities could be placed within.


    "Miss! Miss! Please, we need an answer." An elderly woman with grey hair but a good complexion said with a tinge of panic in her voice. On her grey outfit was a character written in basic language: "Yun."


    The other elderly lady, however, had a worrying look in her eyes for the girl. She had a cyan outfit with the character ''Xiuhei'' on it.


    The young girl, who looked about thirteen or fourteen walked ahead with indifference in her eyes. She was pretty and from her developing body, one could tell she''ll grow into having splendid assets worth being proud of. If Yan Zaizen saw this girl, he would be shocked!


    Ma Xiuren!


    It seemed she had aged seven or so years since their separation. For a cultivator, this wasn''t so strange but for someone who was three thousand years old woman who had a little girl''s body before, it brought a lot of questions.


    "..." Ma Xiuren didn''t answer. She continued walking the wide outer halls till she arrived at a mountain-sized metallic door. With a clenched fist, she threw an earth-shattering punch. It rumbled forward with immense power.


    Boom!


    An explosive impact resounded. It seemed her physical body and vital energy was far stronger than before! The metallic door burst wide open as if a mortal violently kicked in a normal door.


    BANG!


    The doors smashed heavily to the wall as they were sprung open violently. Ma Xiuren flew in without hesitation and the two elderly women followed along. As they followed, the grey-robed woman had a look of contempt and disdain in her eyes. As for the cyan-robed woman, she looked even more worried.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    The inside of the room was filled with people taking care of various duties, but when the door smashed opened, they all looked towards Ma Xiuren with shock and suddenly, a look of clear contempt and ridicule appeared on every worker''s face. As if they were united together in a planned course of action.


    Ignoring all the scorn and disdain she received, Ma Xiuren rushed forwards until she reached a tall, wide podium. A lazy looking middle-aged man stood behind the podium. He took a single glance at Ma Xiuren and seemed to have turned ten times lazier.


    Without saying a single thing, Ma Xiuren slapped a coin on the table. It had two sides depicting two characters, "Xiuhei" and "Heaven." After that, she simply left.


    However, the two elderly women looked at the token with utter shock in their eyes, no longer following Ma Xiuren any longer. The lazy looking man glanced at the token and his eyes widened in disbelief. With a voice filled with awe, he shouted, "You''ve chosen?!" The moment those words were said, the hundreds of people looked over in shock and widened eyes.


    "Who?!" He thundered, his eyes weren''t filled with disbelief or laziness any longer. Instead, it was filled with dense laughter and mockery as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.


    "Fine! One thousand years! After, no objections!"


    BOOM! BOOM!! BOOM!!!


    He slammed his hand on the podium three times. Each slam was louder than the last and it resounded for a hundred thousand li.


    "Hmph! Foolish!" The grey-robed woman snorted in contempt, directly departing.


    "Why¡­? Will it do any good?" The cyan-robed woman muttered, her voice filled with sudden weakness and exhaustion. "At least, it''ll finally end." With that, she directly left.


    -----


    In chaotic space, suddenly, Yan Zaizen felt lightning circulate throughout his body. "What?" Shocked, he analyzed his condition to find no abnormalities, but his instincts had just told him...somewhere...somehow, trouble was created.


    His eyes suffused with killing intent, immediately sending transmissions to Tao and Bai Lufeng. After learning that they hadn''t done anything, he felt odd. "Then...what was that?"


    -----


    In Presba, Basilisk Forest.


    "Wait! Please!" A well-built middle-aged man shouted in fearful hysteria. He had an arm recently severed, a fresh sword scar ran from the top of his forehead down to his lip. If it was just an inch deeper, one could see that his life would''ve been reaped.


    Wearing a blood-colored martial outfit with a black belt and shoes, a man in a crimson oni-mask stood before him. In his hand was a pure-black sword that seemed to contain an ocean of black liquid that gave off a heavy scent of blood.


    If Yan Zaizen was here, he could recognize the muscular man. The Earthly Titan Sectmaster! Currently, he seemed to be horrendously pale, suffering from massive blood loss. His cultivation seemed to have been ignited for power and was in a complete wreck. Even if he went all out, even an initial-Qi Unification Cultivator could kill him, let alone the blood-colored figure.


    With a cultivation at the half-step Origin Core, he was more than enough to end the sectmaster. And he did.


    SWISH!


    A swipe of his blade, without a single word, caused the sectmaster''s head to soar through the skies. His body went limp, but shockingly, not a single ounce of blood erupted from his corpse. As if all blood was already moved beforehand.


    After taking action, the young man looked towards the sky and a weight as heavy as the earth itself seemed to have been lifted from his shoulder. A hoarse but powerful voice resounded, "Now, I must do better!" His voice was as dense as steel.


    He took a step and vanished from the area. The corpse of the sectmaster would later be a snack for a lucky little serpent. Little did the man know, this snake would one day shake the entirety of the Fallen Stars Continent!(**)


    ---------------


    (*) Prologue. Our first mention?!


    (**) I wonder how many people got this? Only true fans will. Mhm. True. Fans.

 Chapter 170 - Twin Beauties

    In chaotic space, besides Yan Zaizen, two figures floated about. The first exuded a blood-red color, had a metallic body, muti-faced, and radiated a malicious and bloodthirsty aura. It was the Asura Golem! Beside it, with an examining gaze, Pinaka¡¯s soul form hovered silently.


    After recovering, she now retained the ability to appear as a soul form, in a similar way a phantom could. In the myriad realm, she could definitely be classified as a heaven-toppling, earth-shattering, nation-collapsing beauty. Her skin was as white as jade, eyes had a silver-blue color filled with vibrant intelligence, her hair was the deepest black imaginable, and finishing her beautiful ensemble of features, her robe was dark-amber radiating a sovereign¡¯s aura.


    Pinaka touched the Asura Golem with her hands, her eyes lit up with a brilliant light, ¡°I believe it¡¯s possible.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s had been cultivating in chaotic space for such a long time that he almost forgot about the Asura Golem. From what Pinaka informed him, this Asura Golem had an actual Asura soul. As she tells it, an Asura was an entity from hell. It was a specific race that inhabited hell amongst other soul-based races. However, they were essentially at the top of the food chain within hell, even considered royalty! To obtain an Asura¡¯s soul was the same as kidnapping a prince from a kingdom.


    It was insanely difficult!


    Yet, somehow, the Asura Phantom Palace Master achieved it.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Pinaka¡¯s gaze started to grow with confidence the longer she examined the Asura soul. Her intention was simple but also incredibly complex to do. Refine the Asura soul into a star! Yes, a soul star! To reach the Astral Soul Realm, one had to refine their Aurora, Soul Flame, and soul energy into a soul star. However, they would typically require a vast quantity of time and effort. Not to mention, it could lead to death if the soul flame collapsed during the process.


    Unless! You could refine a Hell Star. Unlike normal soul stars, a Hell Star was refined from the soul of a creature from hell, the stronger, the better. Because of a unique composition of a soul from hell, they could be perfectly utilized to replace the soul flame and Aurora! Essentially, all you needed was the proper method, the requisite soul energy, and an actual soul from hell to refine a Hell Star.


    ¡°If you could refine a Hell Star, the benefits you would receive couldn¡¯t be estimated. Not to mention, you¡¯ll still be able to refine your own Aurora Star. It¡¯ll be far easier to do so if you refined the Hell Star first.¡± When she initially saw the Asura Golem, she was in disbelief. However, she realized this asura was like a newborn child, quite literally. Despite being so young in comparison to other asuras, it was still this powerful!


    From this, one could imagine the strength of fully matured asuras.


    ¡°Okay.¡± After some consideration, Yan Zaizen nodded. Since the asura was already dao-linked to him, it shouldn¡¯t be hard to refine it thoroughly. As for this Hell Star, he wasn¡¯t exactly sure of the true benefits, even Pinaka wasn¡¯t completely sure, but to have two central stars in his soul would definitely lead to benefits. As for how much or in what direction? He was excited to find out.


    ¡°Good!¡± With bright eyes, Pinaka waved her hand releasing waves of her soul energy. It encapsulated the asura in an egg-like structure. ¡°We¡¯ll have to refine it completely; this will definitely take some time. Come.¡± Yan Zaizen followed along, his hands placed on the egg and sent his soul energy through. Surprisingly, the asura didn¡¯t beg or fight back. It seems its will truly had been completely shattered after becoming the soul of a golem.


    -----


    Fallen Stars Continent, Presba.


    In the Water Veil Sect, two beautiful young women faced each other in fierce combat. One was dressed in icy-blue, her aura suffusing the atmosphere with a chilly air. With each wave of the deep-blue sword, ice-attributed qi-essence would be viciously unleashed in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Her icy-cold beauty was exceptional and her cultivation was nothing to mock.


    The other, which exchanged blows with equal ferocity, had a soft almost ocean-like aura that seemed to emanate an ever-changing aura. Her hands held no weapon, but on her face was a silk veil that disguised her features, but radiated immense power. As they exchanged blows, they flew across the skies, not holding back a single bit, but incapable of overwhelming their opponent.


    ¡°Halt!¡± After several minutes of fierce combat, a soft but powerful voice resounded. The two ceased their exchange and dashed towards the voice with trained movements, as if they¡¯ve done this countless times before. They stood before an elegant woman that seemed to contain a fierce force within her body, and her gaze held an indiscernible emotion.


    This woman was Yao Wuhen, the Sectmaster of the Water Veil Sect!


    ¡°Lin Feilin, Ya Qinqan...both of your progress have been astounding.¡± She complimented as she praised these two girls. Lin Feilin¡¯s qi cultivation reached the mid-Qi Unification Realm, while her foundation was exceptionally stable, both her pathways and dantian reached the late-stage. While Ya Qinqan was the same! They were perfect equals in every way, from cultivation to comprehension into laws.


    While Ya Qinqan conceptual World Law of Water reached the initial-Force level, Lin Feilin was also exceptional! Her conceptual World Law of Ice reached the initial-Force level as well! Despite her cultivation being late, when Bai Lufeng and Tao arrived in Presba, they specifically sought her out and provided her with all sorts of conceptual methods and arts suitable for her, grand-tier elixirs and pills, low-grade essence crystals, and armaments!


    The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    This was under the direct request of Yan Zaizen. Due to this, she immediately caught up with Ya Qinqan in such a short period of time. Not to mention, due to Lin Feilin¡¯s relationship with Yan Zaizen, Yao Wuhen accepted her as a direct disciple, teaching her personally and advising her cultivation. With all this, it would be hard for her not to succeed even if she tried.


    It paid off, as when Tao arrived and saw the relationship between Lin Feilin and Yao Wuhen, he decided to reward her as an incentive for taking care of the Yan Clan and Yan Zaizen¡¯s Sixth Sister. Therefore, Yao Wuhen felt gladden by her decision. It truly was a smart one. As for the Yan Clan, Yan Zaizen also provided them with resources and advice: ¡®Qi Cultivation is impossible; cultivate the body and soul!¡¯


    Due to the Yan Clan¡¯s bloodline of mimicry, reaching the peak-Qi Unification Realm was as difficult as exceeding the heavens, let alone reaching the Origin Core Realm. Therefore, he left this for them and provided them with resources to allow them to explore this path. Perhaps, one day, they¡¯ll discover a way to initiate the Essence Path once more, but as of right now, they were completely unsuited for it.


    After that, Tao and Bai Lufeng left to handle their main mission - finding Yan Zaizen¡¯s impersonator.


    ¡°If you two can reach the late-Qi Unification Realm before the Xiantu Dao Trials, I¡¯ll allow you both to participate.¡± Yao Wuhen informed, but in truth, her senses were intently focused on Lin Feilin nearly ignoring Ya Qinqan.


    ¡°As you know, the Xiantu Dao Trials take place once in millennia, therefore, this is your only chance. If you miss this, you¡¯ll be forced to travel a much harder path!¡± Yao Wuhen informed. In truth, the Xiantu Dao Trials truly was special. It doubled as a trial by fire with immense opportunities and a selection! Not only for the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s dao candidate but for all those old monsters looking for good disciples to continue their legacy!


    It was for this very reason that Yao Wuhen¡¯s focus was mostly on Lin Feilin. It¡¯s highly likely that many, many people will follow suit after knowing about her relationship with Yan Zaizen. Wouldn¡¯t that be indirectly associating themselves with someone who could rival or even exceed the Xiantu Emperor? As a matter of fact, Presba Imperial Family came personally to Lin Feilin. They gave her gifts, invited her to wine, and more.


    Her status in the country was so frighteningly high that she felt a little overwhelmed. There were even a few young men attempting to capture her heart but was left with only the coldest of shoulders imaginable. If it wasn¡¯t for her status as Master, she felt that Lin Feilin wouldn¡¯t even give her face. There would be many True Essence experts willing to teach her their very legacies.


    After all, Yan Zaizen¡¯s name had already reached the entirety of the realm. Everyone knew of his achievements and many young women had him as their ideal man while young, hot-blooded men took him as their challenge or wished to be taken as his disciple. However, if any of them knew that Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t even a hundred years old, they would be frightened out of their minds.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Lin Feilin replied, her eyes icy-cold but her thoughts were still left with a rather surreal situation. A while ago, Yan Zaizen was weak and frail, passing out in Han Genji¡¯s cavern where she had to clean him up and place him into bed. Now, he dominated the entire realm with a name far-and-wide. Not to mention, the resources, treatment, and lifestyle she had were essentially that of a goddess.


    Even her master had fear at displeasing her. She could sense it acutely by her actions, whether they were unconscious or conscious actions, they were still revealing a simple fact: ¡®She was no longer a normal girl.¡¯


    She was even declared the next Clan Master of the Lin Clan. With a single word from her, a territory was etched out and they were thriving despite their small numbers. Marriages were happening that would¡¯ve been impossible and relationships were fostering. It truly felt surreal. One moment, her family was wiped out, her master was killed, and she was going to be married off to a man she didn¡¯t love. The next?


    Her family was already stronger than before, her master¡¯s death was avenged, she no longer had to consider other¡¯s opinion on marriage, and she had a profound status. Her every word was weighed by all thoroughly, considered complete, and agreed upon nearly unanimously.


    ¡°Yes, Master.¡± Ya Qinqan replied. To her, the sudden development of Yan Zaizen left her feeling odd in her heart. Others may not know of Yan Zaizen, but she truly did. He was nothing more than a talentless boy who foolishly yearned for her love. With everything he had, he helped her fiercely. He endured the ridicule of his clan so that she could rise. She abandoned him the moment she got the chance. Now, he was in the sky while she was in the dirt struggling for the acknowledgment of others.


    Life was strange.


    Life was cruel.


    ¡°We¡¯ll end today¡¯s training session. Dismissed.¡± Yao Wuhen declared, but a second later, she added, "Lin Feilin, I have something discuss with you. Stay behind.¡±


    Lin Feilin calmly nodded, as if expecting this. For the past few years, Yao Wuhen had been giving her private lessons and bestowing her full knowledge of cultivation onto her without restraint. A large reason for her quick development was thousands of years of experience being bestowed to her consistently.


    Ya Qinqan saw this and her eyes flickered, but she simply left. As she did, her hands clenched viciously. ¡°I¡¯ll show you all!¡±

 Chapter 171 - The Xiantu Realm Gathers

    ¡°HAHAHA! Done!¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s voice was filled with a thunderous jubilance. In chaotic space, Yan Zaizen floated about, but shockingly, there were two! One was seated in a lotus position, eyes closed, body radiating a vast and profound vital energy, and completely still in movement.


    The other was laughing as he floated about, his body was not fleshy but ghostly as it shimmered with radiating light. Its skin was sky-blue, its eyes were completely black, at his glabella was a swirling black hole, and within his translucent form was various uniquely colored shapes.


    A purple bow that radiated pure destructive force, a white flame, an inky, black orb, a sky-blue orb that emanated various spiritual auras, dark-grey gust of wind, and a silver miniature copy of Yan Zaizen floated about in peculiar patterns. A single dark-amber orb stood within the center of its torso as if it was the center of the soul itself!


    They represented Yan Zaizen¡¯s conceptual laws and Mortal Dao!


    Unlike before, his soul no longer had an aurora within. Instead, there were thousands of stars staying stationary. They were either silver-blue and crimson-red. However, near his dao orb was two particularly large stars that looked like miniature suns. They were the Aurora Star and Hell Star Yan Zaizen had constructed.


    ¡°With these, I can exist outside of my physical body.¡± Yan Zaizen commented, looking at his silent body with an odd light. In truth, when he initially learned that a profound soul cultivation base could lead to the external projection of one¡¯s soul, he felt it couldn¡¯t be real. Yet, here he was. His body was still breathing, blood pumping, and lifeforce exceptionally abundant, but his soul simply wasn¡¯t there.


    ¡°An Astral Soul can utilize Astral Projection. Unfortunately, it has its limitations.¡± Pinaka commented, standing beside Yan Zaizen¡¯s physical body. She was inspecting how it functioned and its characteristics of functionality. In truth, this was the first time she saw an Astral Soul Cultivator project themselves.


    Yan Zaizen lamented over the limitations. Firstly, staying outside for extended periods of time will cause your soul to degrade. Secondly, you have no mental connection with your physical body. You literally projected everything that is you outwards, therefore, your body could be possessed by others if you were to do so. At least, if they could. Thirdly, your soul has no defense outside of its soul energy. A body is like powerful skin, so it adds another layer of protection.


    After all, a soul was insanely frail. In this form, if he took a direct blow from a Qi Unification Cultivator, he would instantly vanish into death.


    Thinking up to here, he returned to his body quickly to avoid any unexpected occurrence. As he did, he felt a profound connection return as if two pieces of a whole was properly fit into a seamless whole. With a deep breath, his eyes opened. ¡°Astral Projection¡­¡± He muttered, reminding himself to never do such a thing unless absolutely required. If he did so recklessly, he may not even know how he died.


    He recalled the Phantasm from before. As Yan Zaizen struck a blow towards him, he stayed there complacent and willing to accept it all. Now, he died. Vanished like dust in the wind.


    ¡°Let¡¯s continue.¡± At the moment, he achieved an Astral Soul, but in truth, it didn¡¯t have many benefits. His current physical power already eclipsed what it could bring, and he wasn¡¯t skilled enough in soul arts to bring out the maximum potential of his soul realm. Therefore, he¡¯s decided to train in arts from henceforth. For the rest of this secluded cultivation, he¡¯ll train only in arts!


    -----


    Ten days till the Xiantu Dao Trials, a myriad of skyships of various sizes shrouded the sky. In Xiantu Continent, at the planet¡¯s outer orbit, several hundred thousand ships rested facing the Xiantu Continent.


    These ships represented essentially every grand-tier or greater force in the realm. They even included Xiantu Continent¡¯s own forces. Currently, the ships were waiting for something to occur with the utmost patience.


    On a cerulean blue skyship, Yao Wuhen stood at the helm. Her eyes gazed at the vast amount of skyships that littered the space and her eyes revealed faint traces of vigilance while her brows were furrowed. Behind her were all the talented elites of her sect beneath the age of four hundred.


    They were a bevy of beautiful and talented women and gave off a very charming sight. Within this group were Lin Feilin and Ya Qinqan. They stood out as exceptional among the group with the highest cultivation base at the late-Qi Unification Realm and the best physical appearance.


    ¡°Miss Wuhen,¡± a calm voice called out. The voice originated from a middle-aged woman dressed in white. On her robe was an insignia depicting a rainbow cloud that seemed to be soaring across the skies. She approached the skyship.


    ¡°Song Yu,¡± Yao Wuhen responded. Towards this Song Yu, she had a deep impression. This woman was originally an elder under her predecessor, the former Water Veil Sectmaster. After marrying up, she became the fourth wife of a True Essence elder of the Rainbow Cloud Palace. In her youth, she was most definitely beautiful to obtain his attention.


    Song Yu swept her gaze across all the talents on the skyship. Her eyes lingered on Lin Feilin and Ya Qinqan before slightly nodding. ¡°They¡¯re sufficient.¡± She commented, carelessly throwing a token towards Yao Wuhen. After that, she departed.


    Catching the token, Yao Wuhen¡¯s eyes lit up with a malicious light. It was as if received incredibly distasteful news. It was well-known that the Rainbow Cloud Palace¡¯s Young Palace Lord had a penchant for having talented female cultivators to dual cultivate with. The token held a message detailing to bring the top talents and top beauty to the Rainbow Cloud Palace¡¯s skyship.


    However, Yao Wuhen simply clenched her hands turning the token to dust. She directly ignored this. In truth, she had already received thirteen total orders similar to this. Some of the forces they originated from were known for their malicious means towards females. In truth, this happened quite often.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report itEven for a sect like White Crane Sect, various heavenly-tier powers would engage in an attempt to obtain a wife or dual cultivation partner. Unlike her force which was rather weak, the White Crane Sect could decline and they could only suck it up.


    However, they were far more brazen and threatening towards forces like hers. There were many powers that originated from the Fallen Stars Continent which had taken similar action.


    ¡°Ignore them.¡± Yao Wuhen directly informed her disciples. Her eyes were looking about as if searching for something. She wished Yan Zaizen would show up already. All she needed to do was a single action and from then to the death of Yan Zaizen, no power would dare have other thoughts.


    Not too far away, Tao, Bai Lufeng, and Wu Yuanxu were located on the Heretical Lightning Skyship. They weren¡¯t noticeable amongst the crowd due to the Heretical Lightning Skyship average worth in comparison to the other Skyships.


    ¡°Thirty-nine years¡­¡± Tao had an odd look in his eyes. Bai Lufeng¡¯s gaze flickered at Tao¡¯s words. Indeed, it¡¯s been nearly forty years since Yan Zaizen secluded meditation and the last time they saw him.


    At the moment, Tao had a mid-Origin Core cultivation base while Bai Lufeng had a peak mid-Origin Core cultivation, very close to late. To them, even with top quality resources and immense wealth in hand, it still took them forty years to refine it to this extent. They even had decent bodily talent yet it still required so long.


    ¡°He said he¡¯ll be here, I believe he will.¡± Wu Yuanxu was a lot more relaxed than Bai Lufeng and Tao. After all, Yan Zaizen could face the heavens and win. How many could say such things?


    In truth, the duo wasn''t worried about Yan Zaizen. They were worried about how much he progressed. After all, not counting accelerated time in chaotic space, Yan Zaizen reached his current level at 22 years old, if you added the present, he was 61 years old. If he only needed a few years to reach his current level, imagine nearly forty-years!


    While they were lost in their own thoughts, a young man radiating a terrifyingly oppressive aura. He moved through the skyship with a group of middle-aged and elderly members.


    He seemed to have a destination as he approached the Water Veil Sect¡¯s skyship. This caused all the girls onboard to frown and their eyebrows to twitch. As if his existence is to announce their most vulnerable thoughts, ¡°Yao Wuhen, no? Well, regardless, send your top ten members to my ship.¡±


    Just as he said this¡­


    BOOM!!!


    A grand explosion erupted, drawing everyone gazes, but what they saw was brutal. Despite being above the Xiantu Realm, apemen crushed a small skyship. They were quick, slaughtering all the males on the skyship and grabbing all females. They then returned to their ship with wide smiles.


    ¡°...¡± Yao Wuhen felt deep hatred for this shitty environment. This was the first preliminary test for the Xiantu Dao Trials. Essentially, if you don¡¯t have the ability to defend yourself, then that was your life.


    To be weeded out in such a manner was heavily favored towards females and not males. Mainly because, while men were immediately killed, women are given chances. It was a very unfortunate double-standard but many would likely argue that women have it worse.


    ¡°You have three minutes.¡± The young man spoke casually, as if giving them the choice of their own life or death. The young man glanced at Yao Wuhen and Ya Qinqan. They were extraordinary beauties. He made a mental note to obtain these two no matter what.


    Yao Wuhen looked at the young man and had a warm smile on her face. This caused the men in their group to feel startled. The young man regained his bearings quicker than others, directly taking that reaction as an expression of submission.


    ¡°Good. Since you¡¯re obedient, I¡¯ll take her first.¡± He pointed directly at Lin Feilin with a smile. However, Ya Qinqan and Lin Feilin were shocked. Not only them but the other elites as well.


    As if happy about their reaction, he inwardly nodded, ¡°After I¡¯m done, I¡¯ll return her safely. After, I¡¯ll choose another.¡± He kindly smiled, casually saying as if his words were imperial decrees.


    ¡°Choose.¡± A voice suddenly sounded from behind the young man. He was shocked that an unfamiliar voice spoke behind him. Suddenly, he felt a chill run down his spine. He slowly, very slowly, turned his head to see an unimaginably handsome face with a pair of brilliant amber-gold eyes that seemed to contain his life and death.


    The elders behind him were floating unconscious within space. They were all naked, their clothes were taken along with their spatial possessions.


    ¡°You!!¡± Shocked, the young man felt his world chaotically spin. This face was something embedded into his soul flame and it brought forth all sorts of emotions.


    ¡°Choose: To accept crippling or death.¡± Yan Zaizen said.


    ¡°I...I...wa-wait!¡± The young man stuttered his words, incapable of processing what was happening. However, Yan Zaizen gave him enough time. As always, if someone is unwilling to respond, Yan Zaizen would choose for them.


    He pointed his finger towards space and tapped. Suddenly, the young man lost consciousness. His dantian, pathways, and meridians were completely severed. The man¡¯s origin core was turned into dust.


    With another tap, his clothes vanished and he floated in space. After handling that matter, Yan Zaizen finally turned towards Lin Feilin. ¡°We meet again.¡± His expression was filled with warmth. To him, this was his Sixth Sister. He recalled what she did for him before. She was the reason he didn¡¯t give up the Immortal Herculean Method.


    How could he let anyone profane her as long as he exists?

 Chapter 172 - 1,417 Years! Yan Clans Ancestor?

    Lin Feilin¡¯s watched the entire event with shock. The young man¡¯s arrogance could touch the heavens but before he could take any action, Yan Zaizen appeared like a ghost exiting a painting. Without hesitation, he dealt with him accordingly.


    Yao Wuhen¡¯s previous warm smile was because she saw Yan Zaizen standing there suddenly, not because of the young man¡¯s words. With a step, she approached. With a dress that showed off her delicious curves and envious valley, she sauntered towards him with elegant charm.


    ¡°This woman truly wants to seduce me.¡± Yan Zaizen recalled his previous interactions with this woman. Each time, she¡¯ll purposefully display her beautiful features in a subtle way. Even her dress was more revealing than before. He had to admit, she had some good assets.


    Lin Feilin and the rest saw their master arrive in an elegant yet saucy manner brazenly amidst the eyes of countless watchers. They had varying thoughts.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that him?!¡± A trial participant shouted in excitement.


    ¡°Yan Zaizen! He¡¯s finally here!¡± Another called out with even greater excitement.


    ¡°...¡± Many female participants fixed up their outward appearances, taking stances and displaying more curves to attract his attention even if they were hundreds of li away.


    There were countless discussions about Yan Zaizen identity but many were absolutely excited. That was because this was the Xiantu Dao Trials! The gathering of talents for a selection of, not only the Xiantu Emperor dao bestowment but every other powerhouse. There were many times when old monsters would pick beauties as wives in this event, and many considered Yan Zaizen to be that.


    ¡°Mister Zai,¡± Yao Wuhen arrived before Yan Zaizen with a fairly close distance. To all, this displayed her level of intimacy towards Yan Zaizen, as if declaring who she was to all onlookers. If she took another step, she would essentially be touching him.


    Seeing her get to close, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t bother with her. After all, she smelled good. It didn¡¯t bother him what other thinks, if he truly cared, it¡¯s likely he would¡¯ve committed suicide in the Yan Clan.


    Lin Feilin eyes flickered when she saw Yao Wuhen display such a level of closeness to her Ninth Brother. Ya Qinqan only stayed silent.


    With a warm smile, Yan Zaizen took a step forward and the surrounding space rippled, both he and Yao Wuhen appeared on the Water Veil Sect¡¯s skyship.


    ¡°!¡± Yao Wuhen and everyone else watching were stunned. There were even a few that lost track of Yan Zaizen for several seconds. As for Yan Zaizen, he walked towards Lin Felin and grabbed her delicate hands with his own.


    Lin Feilin felt her heartbeat unceasingly, but she remained calm on the outside. She felt a smooth, white pearl transfer itself from Yan Zaizen¡¯s stronghands into hers. Looking at it, she knew it was a talisman.


    ¡°Good luck, Sixth Sister. Use it, if you must.¡± With those words, the surrounding space rippled slightly and he vanished.


    Reappearing in his previous cultivation room if Tao, Bai Lufeng, and Wu Yuanxu¡¯s skyship, he relaxed slightly. It didn¡¯t take long before they arrived with joyous expressions and inquisitive gazes. They felt that the current Yan Zaizen was unfathomable, but he acted the same towards them.


    After a round of talks and drinks, Bai Lufeng and Wu Yuanxu left, leaving only Tao and Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°How long?¡± Tao asked. Others may not know, but Tao knew that Yan Zaizen cultivated in chaotic space. The time-flow there was chaotic bur far, far faster than the outside world. A minute here could be a day there.


    ¡°1,417 Years.¡± Sipping from a cup, Yan Zaizen calmly replied.


    ¡°...¡± Tao was in disbelief but after a while, he regained his calm. To cultivate alone for nearly fifteen hundred years would cause a vast majority of cultivators to go utterly insane, but the man before him looked completely unfazed. As if those years were insignificant to him.


    ¡°Cultivation?¡± Unlike normal people, Tao wasn¡¯t scared to ask what others considered forbidden.


    Finishing his cup, Yan Zaizen proceeded to calmly explain. ¡°Perfection stage, the second level of the Immortal Herculean Physique. Condensed my Astral Star, achieving the Astral Soul Realm. Ascended to the True Essence Realm¡­¡± listing in summary, Tao listened intently.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    About three hundred years ago, Yan Zaizen had merged his Origin Core with his Unified Physique. His physique evolved, evolve qi-essence into true-essence that contains the complete essence of his bloodline. Although he was only in the Initial-True Essence Realm, the difference of his qi cultivation base before and now could be compared to a boulder and a mountain.


    This had occurred naturally. With his adaptable bloodline, stable qi foundation, the physique of a herculean, heavenly law liquid refined meridians, and time, Yan Zaizen seamlessly entered the True Essence Realm with no bottlenecks. However, entering the mid-True Essence Realm proved to be a little difficult.


    Even with the appropriate resources.


    Several hours passed before he finished detailing his cultivation. At this point, Tao was filled with awe and excitement. ¡°Leaps and bounds,¡± was his only comment.


    ¡°Tell me about the Xiantu Dao Trials.¡±


    ¡°Yes! After this time, I¡¯ve gained a lot more information. The Xiantu Dao Trials is held as a selection to find a candidate for the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s dao. It is set up into three stages. The first stage tests will and endurance with cultivation. It¡¯s based on age and was vastly important.¡±


    ¡°The second stage tests comprehension into the heavens. Due to its importance to reach the heavenly genesis realm. As for the third stage, it tests combat strength and battle intelligence. This is the test that has the highest amount of mortalities.¡±


    ¡°After, the Xiantu Emperor will pick one out of the remaining participants to be bestowed his dao. Then, the other old monsters looking for disciples or talented young husbands, wives, or suitable dual cultivation partners for their disciples or children would take their pick from the remaining participants.¡± Tao directly explained.


    ¡°Of course, not many accept becoming a wife, husband, or dual cultivation partner just because they¡¯re picked. Nothing is forced, at least, not openly. Your invitation will have you be a selector at the end of the trial.¡±


    ¡°Mhm.¡± He nodded.


    Just as Tao had finished a spiritual sense swept across the skyship with a transmission: ¡°You¡¯re invited to join the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s pre-trial banquet.¡± With that, the transmission ended.


    Shockingly, only Yan Zaizen seemed to have heard the voice as Tao remained completely unaffected. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving for now. When this is over, we¡¯ll leave this realm.¡±


    ¡°Wait!¡± Just as Yan Zaizen was about to depart, Tao shouted suddenly. ¡°We found your impersonator.¡± He declared confidently with a smile.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Zaizen recalled the matter of Princess Qin in Presba. He almost forgot about that with the vast passing of years, but when he did, his eyes flashed with killing intent.


    Witnessing this, Tao nodded. He left and came back with a youthful male with a weak aura. When the young man looked at Yan Zaizen, his weak eyes seemed to contain and unyielding attitude in the face of death.


    ¡°As I thought, Xin Guanyu.¡±


    At the entrance to Sky Night Royal City, Xin Guanyu was a guard. He had approached them for Yan Zaizen¡¯s name in a domineering fashion. Despite that, he didn¡¯t do anything but allowed them in. At the time, he felt like someone was attempting to scheme against him. He was right.


    ¡°He targeted you because of your unknown background, making it easier for the Imperials to believe it was a stranger. Unfortunately, you were a little outside his imagination. With his meticulous planning with this Divine Replication Orb, he would have succeeded if it wasn¡¯t for you.¡± Tao took out a small, white orb that seemed to radiate a law of mimicry.


    This orb was called this by Xin Guanyu, it was not its real name. ¡°It seems it can copy one¡¯s qi, soul, vital aura and change one¡¯s qi-attributes.¡±


    ¡°What?!¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice exploded from her resting state. She was in utter disbelief at the moment. Looking at the small, white orb, her eyes lit up. Yan Zaizen examined the orb as well and he was beyond shocked.


    The aura was insanely familiar. It was as if his very bloodline originated from this orb.


    ¡°Regalia of the Heavens?!¡± Pinaka shouted. This realm was indeed special, containing two regalia of the heavens.


    Yan Zaizen, however, had his own thoughts. ¡°This explains why the Yan Clan exists.¡± With a wave of his hand, the orb flew towards his palm. The sensation of familiarity was astounding. It was as if he was before an ancestor.


    ¡°Indeed, it seems the ancestor of your clan had arrived in this realm, within Presba area, refined a regalia of the heavens and even started a lineage.¡± She remarked. To refine a regalia of the heavens, one needs a sovereign level comprehension into the concept. Otherwise, it was impossible.


    Therefore, this had a high chance of belonging to Yan Zaizen¡¯s lineage ancestor.


    ¡°Where did you get this? If you tell me, I¡¯ll spare your life.¡± Yan Zaizen was direct, but Xin Guanyu stayed silent, his eyes revealing an unyielding resolve to carry the secret to his death. Obviously not believing in Yan Zaizen''s words.


    ¡°So be it.¡± A step and Yan Zaizen appeared directly before Xin Guanyu. He placed his hand firmly on his head, eliciting all sorts of struggling attempts from Xin Guanyu, but a second later it all faded as he dropped in unconsciousness. For a brief period, Yan Zaizen soul searched Xin Guanyu¡¯s soul flame.


    ¡°Could it really be such a coincidence?¡± During his search, he found out that Xin Guanyu had taken it from someone who took it from someone else. It¡¯s possible that thousands of years ago, during the chaos era, this was stolen from the Yan Clan.


    Now, it returned to the only person who could follow its legacy. It was like fate had a divine grip on these events. Regardless of what happened, this orb would always arrive back in its rightful hands.


    ¡°I see. Send him to the Imperials, let Princess Qin get her revenge however she sees fit. She deserves that much.¡± Yan Zaizen ordered and Tao nodded. With that, he left.

 Chapter 173 - Xiantu Emperors Banquet

    "Unfortunately, I can''t refine this into my physique." Yan Zaizen commented. He knew that after his cultivation passed the refining regalia stage, it''ll be impossible to do so again. His physique was finalized.


    "Not necessarily," Pinaka interjected. The unique characteristics of the Heavenly Law of Mimicry had high adaptability. It''s possible it could be refined even after, or even if he used it just to strengthen his bloodline via refinement and gain comprehension of the Law of Mimicry, it would be worth it.


    Yan Zaizen felt her thoughts from those words and looked at the white orb that seemed to contain nothing yet everything. Unlike regalia, bloodlines did not allow someone to gain a comprehension into a conceptual law. They only allow the execution of the core law with their energy.


    Thus, even to this day, Yan Zaizen has gained no insight into the Heavenly Law of Mimicry. A huge reason for this had to do with the lack of concept provided in the bloodline. Yan Zaizen felt he understood time for quite some while, but only after comprehending his own concept could he appropriately use it.


    Without establishing a connection with the heavenly law, you can not use said heavenly law. That being said, you can develop multiple concepts into the same law, it all relies on your abilities.


    "I''ll consider more on this later." Keeping the regalia of mimicry, Yan Zaizen exited the spatial void. He appeared outside a golden palace that seemed to have originated from the world of immortals. "Quite a place," he commented carelessly.


    "Indeed, it is." A voice resounded. A middle-aged man arrived with eyes of pure brown without a hint of pupils within. This sight was Yan Zaizen''s first. However, from the man''s aura, he immediately realized he was a Divine Beast in human form.


    "You can call me Eke, it''s a pleasure to meet you Lord Yan Zaizen." Eke ¡ª a rank two Divine beast ¡ª bowed in courtesy. His manners and actions were profoundly polished, allowing Yan Zaizen to realize that beasts weren''t so different from humans.


    He then recalled an interesting bit of information. It seemed that beasts and humans titles weren''t regarded by their race. This was a designation done for countless years ago and was still regarded today for simplicity sake. However, beasts and humans have long since intermixed their bloodline. Even he had a beast bloodline within him. However, it was dormant.


    A majority of his dominate identity, including his bloodline, was human-like. Therefore, he could only appropriately walk the human path. In truth, body cultivation was an exclusively beast path, soul cultivation originated from races who belonged to hell, and qi cultivation was universal. The intermixing of races over the countless years have enabled essentially 99.9% of the population in the myriad realms to choose any path.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    However, there was still the path most suitable for you. For example, this Eke was rank two Divine Beast. He refined his body with his origin source to reach this level and then strengthened it to this point. While the Essence Path refines origin source into cores, the Beastial Path refines it into their physical bodies, each rank is determined by how much they''ve refined their body and bloodline.


    "Please, follow me." Eke politely said, gesturing for Yan Zaizen to come along. Yan Zaizen followed. After all, Eke was equivalent to a first-floor Heavenly Genesis Expert, of course he wouldn''t be defiant with this extraordinary reception.


    They entered the palace, bypassing many guards and servers flying about at a rapid pace. Some were even panicked but kept working. "The banquet is quite busy, I hope you won''t mind." Eke said.


    Shaking his head signaling his lack of care, he continued onwards with an intrigued gaze. It was only when he arrived at the main hall within the palace that he was shocked. If the hall could be described in a short phrase, to Yan Zaizen it''d be: "Stupid Rich!"


    The materials that were the walls, floors, ceiling, pillars, tables, even the plates were constructed from high-grade essence crystals, and the food each seemed to contain faint heavenly aura that seemed prepared so meticulously that, if obtained by anyone waiting outside, their cultivation base will make a breakthrough with a single bite.


    The entire atmosphere was suffused with a mouth-watering smell of wine and meat. Having been in secluded cultivation for nearly fifteen hundred years, Yan Zaizen smacked his lips like a bum at an all-you-can-eat buffet. Not the standard food chain. The high-quality, hundred or two for entry locations filled with all sorts of extraordinary delicacies.


    He spotted white cake that seemed too moist and delicious that his mind went blank at the sight of it. Before he knew it, he ignored Eke''s urging to meet certain people and arrived before the table. Everyone was standing about with wine and plates floating around them with their various powers. Therefore, the table had no one surrounding it.


    A fork, his personal cake eating fork, magically appeared in his hand and he proceeded to enjoy. A single bite and he felt like he was in the clouds. It had the part amount of softness, sweet taste, and sublime texture. It went into his stomach where it was devoured by the samsara-based vital energy within. As it did, it was like it was eaten and enjoyed a thousand times in the countless reincarnation cycle.


    Yan Zaizen''s handsome face was filled with intoxication. He ignored the fact that everyone, EVERYONE, was looking at him with rapt attention. Either directly or his senses. It wasn''t long before he tried the wine, a drumstick of meat, and more cake. His expression grew increasingly gluttonous. Yet, he hadn''t even touched 0.01% of the total food here.


    Eke appeared beside Yan Zaizen, "Lord Ya-"


    "Is this all free?" Yan Zaizen directly interrupted, taking another bite with a sparkling gaze. Eke was shocked, but he nodded.


    "So I can eat as much as I want?"


    "Yes." Eke responded again almost as if it was an automated response.


    "Great," he looked at all the various cakes, meats, dishes of fruit and wine that seemed to be plainly spread out for thousands of meters, "Mine." With a wave of his hand, everything was directly stored within his Meteor Ring. From the wine to every last piece of cake.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."

 Chapter 174 - 33 Heavenly Steps

    The entire crowd went silent as Yan Zaizen shamelessly took every last drop of food. Each one of these individuals had profound backings or chances of becoming Heavenly Genesis experts, but their minds went blank.


    In truth, it wasn¡¯t like no one wanted to do it. They all would if they could, but taking personal face into account and the Xiantu Emperor, how could they do so? Fortunately, the servers immediately tried to replace all the taken food, but it was rather slow. Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t even pause, directly arriving towards a newly arrived emerald-colored cake and digging in.


    As for the food he just obtained?


    That was for later.


    ¡°...Lord Yan Zaizen, there are quite a few people who wish to make your acquaintance.¡± Eke regained his calm and urged once more. To him, Yan Zaizen was someone who reached or exceeded the Xiantu Emperor in power. He wouldn¡¯t stop him even if he decided to snatch his daughter. After all, each difference in floor-tier of the Heavenly Genesis Realm was massive.


    ¡°Mhm. Let me finish this first.¡± He enjoyed the cake as he wished, his hand reached out to grab newly placed wine jug, and he enjoyed that too. Each drop of this wine contained dense lifeforce and essence. If he were to give this to his aunt, she would regress ten years in appearance and live an additional ten years. Of course, to those like him, it¡¯ll be lucky if it gave him ten minutes.


    After eating for a while, he followed Eke towards a group of people. He was somewhat surprised to know that they were divine beasts as well. ¡°Mystic Wave Continent?¡± His thoughts recalled the Mystic Wave Continent and how it was regarded as home for beast-kind. Plagued by constant fighting and wars for resources and territories. After all, to refine their bloodline, they needed raw materials infused with attributed essence.


    Therefore, a territory that produces these resources were often fought over.


    ¡°This is Moana,¡± he introduced a young woman with pure pink eyes and mesmerizing dress. She had a foxy body and incredible curves, her hair was brunette and looked like soft fur. He realized that the lack of pupils likely had to do with their human transformation as each divine beast didn¡¯t have them.


    ¡°This is Grimm,¡± a burly man filled with dense muscles and draped in wolf fur. He gave off a very primal alpha type of aura, but his smile, or at least an attempt at one, felt off.


    Yan Zaizen then realized that Eke didn¡¯t work for the Xiantu Emperor. Instead, he was a divine beast who awaited his arrival and gave him a reception. With this, his opinion of the Xiantu Emperor dropped a notch. ¡°Can¡¯t even get someone to escort me?¡± He thought.


    The naming sense for divine beasts was odd, but he didn¡¯t question it. After all, typically only humans had the naming sense of clan and personal name, sometimes family if wished. Only because there are far too many humans.


    ¡°Greetings. Yan Zaizen.¡± He replied, giving them both an acknowledging look. Afterward, they started to talk and discuss. While they did, Yan Zaizen was interested in everyone else. Many seem to want to walk up to him, but because of Eke¡¯s initiation, they were hesitant. Mainly because Yan Zaizen walked in with Eke, causing intense speculations to be thrown about.


    Personally, he didn¡¯t care. He did see Wu Kun. Who, immediately exchanging glances, communicated to him in a brief exchange. It seems the Apex Essence Pill had brought him to the peak-True Essence Realm. With his comprehension of conceptual laws, he¡¯ll be able to reach the Heavenly Genesis Realm as long as he could obtain a dao.


    It was only after an hour did the Xiantu Emperor arrive. His golden hair, deep blue eyes, an elegant golden robe which exuded a heavenly aura, immediately stole the gazes of all. A smile filled with imperial presence was on his expression.


    As he took the center stage, he immediately gave an opening speech. It detailed his thanks for their arrival and various other things Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t particularly care about. In truth, he didn¡¯t even want to be here. If it wasn¡¯t for the expedition invitation, he would already be in another realm, exploring and having many adventures.


    However, the food helped ease his discontent greatly.


    Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.¡°Let¡¯s begin the Xiantu Dao Trials!¡± With that, he clapped his hands and the heavens seemed to tremble. At his heavenly aura fluctuations, everyone was stunned.


    ¡°Third-floor Heavenly Genesis Realm?!¡± The keener eyes immediately recognized the Xiantu Emperor profound ascension to the next floor. There were a few with eyes filled with discontent, others with praise and awe, and others with sheer fear shaking their bones.


    ¡°To think...he built his third floor. However, it¡¯s very recent and has yet to be fully solidified.¡± Pinaka voiced. Despite her background, a peak initial-stage Heavenly Genesis expert could be considered extraordinary even during the chaos era. If they have a profound backing, they could have their own minor realm.


    Unlike now, in the rebirth era, where anyone who built their second-floor can own a minor realm.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Yan Zaizen echoed her thoughts. Still, it was impressive.


    As space shook, above the Xiantu Continent, a single slit in space appeared. It wasn¡¯t long before, with the help of their seniors, all participants shot into the slit. This was the start of the Xiantu Dao Trials!


    Immediately, several large screens filled the Palace hall, revealing various angles within the spatial slit. From what Yan Zaizen could see, it was a sub-dimensional space, similar to the cultivation rooms in the Anima Syndicate.


    Within large, golden temple with four sides, each side had 33 wide, deep, and tall stairs. The entire temple was the size of a grand mountain. Each participant landed near it in vast numbers - about four hundred thousand. All of them were elites of their forces and ready to make a name on the stage.


    ¡°The first test will be the 33 Heavenly Steps, I see.¡± Eke said with an appraising gaze. Yan Zaizen had heard of this from Tao. It was a template that released faint heavenly pressure. They one ascends each step, they¡¯d have to overcome the pressure. However, to pass, they just needed to reach step 13.


    A voice explained the rules to all participants. No talismans, armaments, or pre-set formations were allowed. If one reaches the 13th step, they pass. If they reach the 14th step, they will be awarded one low-grade essence crystal. This continues to multiply by ten for each step until the 30th.


    By then, one could earn one quadrillion low-grade, or ten trillion mid-grade, or ten billion high-grade essence crystals. In truth, it may sound extraordinary, but a single drop of heavenly law liquid amounted to just that - ten billion high-grade essence crystals. A large reason had to do with the irrelevance of essence crystals for Heavenly Genesis experts. They¡¯ve exceeded the limits if the Essence Path.


    If you reach the 31st step, a peak sky-grade armament. 32nd, a pinnacle grade art. If one could reach the 33rd, they would immediately earn the right to the Xiantu Dao Trial, no longer requiring to participate any longer.


    Yan Zaizen looked at the screens and found Lin Feilin¡¯s figure. He also found Prince Renlong from the Imperial Grux Family, it seems he reached the initial-Origin Core Realm despite Yan Zaizen stealing his pill. There were also countless other talents and notable figures including Yan Qiu.


    ¡°You may begin.¡± The voice resounded, causing all participants to soar towards those incredibly large steps at different paces. At the moment, no one was thinking of fighting or schemes. Their only thought was reaching the 13th step!


    ¡°Hm?¡± Yan Zaizen caught the sight of a figure dressed in blood-red, donning an oni mask, and soaring towards the first step slowly. For some odd reason, Yan Zaizen felt a hint of familiarity with this person. His cultivation had already reached the initial-Origin Core Realm and his aura contained an astonishing amount of blood qi.


    ¡°I wonder who¡¯ll reach the highest?¡± Grimm said, his eyes filled with competitiveness. Both he, Eke, and Moana had their own group entering this trial. His question was towards the others, unwilling to lose to them in terms of disciples or children.


    However, Yan Zaizen exclaimed something almost instinctively that drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Isn¡¯t that?!¡±


    He slightly smiled, ¡°it seems...no matter the adversity, us three disciples will always rise given the opportunity.¡±

 Chapter 175 - Shin Xuanjis Past & Future

    "This is it." Shin Xuanji, dressed in crimson and donning an oni-mask, said indifferently. With a gaze unmoving on the Heavenly Steps, he recalled his journey since arriving here.


    Born in the Shin Clan, he was nothing more than an ordinary member. He had no great backing, extraordinary talent, or status within the clan. He was a maidservant''s son, bestowed the name of Shin due to his father who was nothing more than a low-ranking member of the sect.


    His life couldn''t be considered horrible, but it can''t be considered grand either. Growing up, much of his time was staying with the other low-status children doing various activities. They dreamed and talked about reaching great heights, everyone''s respect, immense wealth, and beautiful women. To him, those days of dreaming were his best childhood days.


    They all knew it was nearly impossible, but they still dared to dream.


    When he turned old enough to hunt, he was sent to handle a task far from the clan by his father. Then, it happened.


    Their eradication.


    It was sudden and when he learned of the incident, he nearly broke down. The only thing he could think about was revenge. With that, he came to a friend of his to seek refuge. However, he was betrayed as, in the middle of the night, a pair of assassins were sent to reap away his life.


    Luckily, he avoided being poisoned by his friend and stayed up that night after a nightmare. He noticed their approach, almost instinctively, he ran. They chased him for several days until he couldn''t run anymore. Without any qi left to fight, he was all but dead.


    Then, they showed up.


    Han Genji and Lin Feilin were traveling in the area. Lin Feilin was the one who took action, dispatching the assassins with exceptional ease. They saved him and accepted him. That''s how he became Han Genji''s disciple.


    Later, his master suffered a tribulation he could not survive. Escaping to the Earthly Titan Sect, he was tortured viciously for information. Luckily, the sect didn''t have anyone with a profound soul cultivation to soul search him. They had to use standard methods.


    With his knowledge and what he knew of his master''s operation, he drew out his tortured life for every second possible. A silver-blue figure appeared with a choice he couldn''t refuse. At the time, he didn''t understand why this figure wanted him to swear a soul oath to forget past grievances towards the Yan Clan.


    Now, he knew.


    Yan Zaizen, his Ninth Brother, had achieved an extraordinary cultivation base. He was almost sure that Yan Zaizen was dead and some old monster had taken his body. To avoid any guilt, he removed the threat that was Shi Xuanji. In exchange, he gave Han Genji face to help him overcome his current situation.


    With that help, he traveled with a single-minded goal for revenge. Luckily, the Earthly Titan Sect was weakened considerably by Yan Zaizen, so getting his revenge was going to be easier.


    After a decade of traveling as a wandering traveler, he met a force called the Blood Fiend Sect who were running away from enemies in their original country, arriving in Presba due to them bordering them. Somehow, he was accepted due to his age, cultivation, and perceived talent.


    He comprehended the Mortal Law of Blood and developed the Blood of Black Iron conceptual law. With it, he utilizes qi to create a very heavy blood qi that can consume other blood to grow denser. This achievement enabled him to become a disciple of an elder who took kindly to him.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    His rise was abrupt and even his loss of genitals was recovered by the former grand-tier force. He now had revenge in sight. Unfortunately, the enemies caught up and eradicated a majority of the sect. Besides a few others, his master and he escaped. However, his master suffered severe injuries while protecting him. The pills and elixirs he obtained from Yan Zaizen had already been depleted, so he couldn''t help.


    Fortunately, he survived but with a cultivation base and foundation decrease. Despite this, they had to hide from their enemies, living in the mountains with just him and her. It didn''t take long before the master and disciple relationship collapsed between them and became something more.


    Before he knew it, she had become pregnant. He was going to be a father! Decisively taking his former master as his wife, his mindset changed.


    His goals changed from getting revenge to providing for his wife and child. If Yan Zaizen had heard the story up to this, as someone who reads too many novels of rising after a tragedy, he would assume his family was killed with misfortune falling behind always.


    However, nothing like that happened. His wife gave birth to a beautiful daughter and they stayed in a first-tier force as a guest elder. Their life was smooth and without tragedy. It was he was discontent with this as his enemies continued to breathe and live.


    Leaving one day, he used his cultivation at the half-step Origin Core Realm and a sky-rank weapon to kill the Earthly Titan Sectmaster. During his way back, he felt his conceptual law of blood within his soul resonate with a something. Traveling, he found a black colored drop of blood within a hidden cave.


    He had stumbled onto a regalia of heavenly law! One that resonated with his own! With that, his laws grew by leaps and bounds, reaching the perfect-Force level in a short period of time. His cultivation reached the Initial-Origin Core Realm just before the Xiantu Dao Trials.


    He decisively decided to participate.


    If he could do well, the life of his wife and daughter would be greatly changed! He could also afford to help his wife restore her cultivation base and heal her damaged life source. He was doing this for them.


    Outside the Xiantu Continent, a teenage girl and middle-aged woman were looking at the large screens depicting the events in the sub-dimensional realm. They were on one of the many public skyships that carried hopefuls for a price.


    The girl had a very ordinary appearance in terms of countenance and body, but she had a very ''girl-next-door'' feel. The woman seemed to have heavy bags on her eyes, wrinkles forming on her face. If anyone with a decent cultivation would know her life source was damaged.


    "Mother...do you think Father will do well?" The girl''s tender voice resounded with worry.


    "As long as he comes back to us, that''s all that matters." One could see the level of worry in her eyes were thousands of time greater than her daughter''s. Her hand was already tightly clenched around her daughter''s hand.


    "..." The young girl may not be very smart, but she understood that her father was in danger. She bit her lips and replied by clenching her mother''s hand. "He will. I believe in him." She thought some more.


    "We believe in him."


    -----


    Shin Xuanji''s eyes lit with a decisive fire. His life has been filled with ups and downs, but he can not let his current up be brought down no matter what. Even if he can''t reach the 33rd step, he has to reach beyond the 13th!


    "You may begin." A grand voice resounded. The vast amount of participants dashed towards the heavenly steps with vigor and confidence. Some lagged behind, feeling overwhelmed by the situation, but they followed along soon enough. Shin Xuanji wasn''t a part of this group.


    He had already touched the first step and immediately felt the pressure they exuded. It wasn''t limited to just the body but also soul. "If...your soul is weak, it''ll weigh you down also." He made a note, but the pressure here wasn''t close to unbearable.


    Turning around, he saw many people with equal cultivation bases struggle greatly. There were even some who had a weaker cultivation base that had their bones creak with each step they took.


    "What?" He was shocked. Then, he realized after some observation. These people likely had ages nearing 400 yet a similar or weaker cultivation base than him.


    "Pressure experienced is different based on age...I see." After deducing this, he noticed there were already several people on the 3rd step. They had Origin Core Cultivation bases and relatively young ages. In his opinion, these people likely belonged to heavenly-tier forces.


    He heard quite a few comments resound about them, but he ignored them. Regardless of how famous they were, they didn''t matter to him. All that mattered was his next step towards his future.


    Kicking off the 1st step, he reached the 2nd.


    This was only the start!

 Chapter 176 - Ascending Heaven, Shocking the Realm!

    ¡°Ahhh!¡± A voice filled with horror shrieked with indignation and fear. The sound was so loud that many turned their head curiosity. What they saw caused their scalps to numb and their pupils to constrict.


    A woman was on the 3rd step...or what was originally a woman. Her cultivation base radiated an initial-Qi Unification aura, but her entire body was pressed down so much that she seemed flat. Her bones were crushed to powder, her blood spewed out violently, and her head seemed like it was smashed with a hammer as half of it seemed to have been pounded in.


    ¡°Holy sh-¡± A young man was about to scream when another similar sound resounded nearby. Turning around, the first thing he saw caused his eyes to tremble with intense disbelief and fear. An originally fat man was turned into a literal pancake. If one looked closely, they still wouldn¡¯t be able to discern arm from limb.


    The hearts of everyone nearby and even on the 2nd step raced at a rapid pace.


    Those two were dead after their initial scream.


    ¡°...¡± Lin Feilin was nearby, her eyes filled with wariness and fear. At this point, she was contemplating whether she should continue. This very thought crossed everyone¡¯s mind. However, someone from the fourth floor mockingly shouted.


    ¡°Fools! If you¡¯re too old, too weak, step the hell down or lose your worthless, little lives.¡± He coldly snorted, ignoring all the gazes and continued forward with little pressure. Quite a few had discontented gazes after being called fools and worthless, but no one said anything in reply. The scene just now left them visibly shaken.


    For many, his words enlightened them. The ages of these two were likely nearing the eligibility limit yet their cultivation were underwhelming. Those in a similar situation calculated their ages and cultivation base in an estimated comparison.


    About several ten thousand people just stopped. They returned to the base of the steps, watching others. Not all of them were old or weak, instead, they were going to calculate other¡¯s achievements and their own capabilities.


    This was smart. As long as there was someone around their age and cultivation base who could pass the 13th step, they would try. If they died in their attempt, they would just leave. What reason did they have to risk their lives?


    Lin Feilin couldn¡¯t do so. She was remarkably young and had a high cultivation base, she had a belief she could reach at least the 13th step in these circumstances. Not to mention, Ya Qinqan had already reached the 4th step. If she could do it, so can she. After all, she didn¡¯t want to be eclipsed by her rival.


    Shi Xuanji didn¡¯t even consider his failure yet. His intention was to experience the pressure personally, if it felt too heavy to resist, he would no longer ascend. His life was a priority after all. A young daughter and weak wife awaited his safe return.


    Outside, at the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s banquet, Yan Zaizen was watching with rapt attention. His hand, however, never stopped as he ate more and more cake. Eke, Grimm and Moana were placings bets on how far their disciples and descendants will achieve.


    ¡°One drop of heavenly liquid,¡± Grimm confidently bet on his most talented disciple reaching the highest step out of everyone else.


    ¡°I¡¯ll match.¡± Eke said, a soft smile on his face. If anyone saw this, they would see a sly old man.


    ¡°Hmph.¡± Moana coldly snorted. She wasn¡¯t confident enough to bet on any of her participants. However, she disliked being left out. Yan Zaizen found this funny as he discontented expression was cute, he turned towards Shin Xuanji with a smile. Many may not have noticed him, but he was truly decent. He was about seventy years old, had an initial Origin Core cultivation base, and a Perfect Nascent Soul. From his inspection, this test heavily relied on those three factors.


    With all this, he could easily match a heavenly-tier force genius. If given two hundred more years with proper resources, it¡¯s possible he could reach the mid-Origin Core Realm.


    An hour passed.


    Lin Feilin & Ya Qinqan: 10th Step.


    Shin Xuanji: 11th Step.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Zaizen was a little shocked by how Shin Xuanji exceeded the two beauties. Not to mention, he didn¡¯t seem too pressured. Instead, he was cautiously moving forward. ¡°That¡¯s odd¡­¡± Yan Zaizen felt something was off.


    ¡°You¡¯re considering just three factors, but the steps place pressure onto the physical body as well. It seems this boy is cultivating blood laws. That¡¯s a bodily law. If he reaches a high enough level, he can refine his body with blood qi in a similar fashion you can refine yours with life qi.¡± Pinaka commented. The moment she did, Yan Zaizen came to a realization.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Since body refinement can¡¯t be appropriately measured unless inspected deeply in person, he neglected it. He softly nodded in acceptance of his oversight.


    ¡°His blood qi is exceptionally powerful for his age and cultivation base,¡± Pinaka said once more with interest suffused in her voice. ¡°It seems to contain dense blood law energy, it may be at the perfect-Force level. It¡¯s possible...he¡¯s super close or at the Manifestation level.¡± Pinaka, as a true spirit, could best a sixth-floor Heavenly Shrine expert in deducing a laws aura in the soul even behind a screen.


    ¡°Oh?!¡± He was surprised.


    That was exceptional. Lin Feilin was slightly older but she only reached the initial-Force level. Laws were divided into four stages: Initial, Minor, Major, and Perfect. As for the Force-level, it depended on one¡¯s comprehension of the base law that the concept originated from. This was why Yan Zaizen¡¯s death concept rose in the Deep Mines. He comprehended deeper into death law rather than the concept itself.


    This was also why soul and time law was easy to rise to the Manifestation-level. He had direct links to time and soul law in the chaotic space and brain respectively. Unbeknownst to him, Shin Xuanji also had a regalia to ponder over.


    ¡°In that case, with a cultivation at the initial-Origin Core Realm, both of the first two trials will be easy for him.¡± Yan Zaizen commented, his eyes flickering with intense anticipation.


    ¡°Haha, so little? I, Xian Li, bets three drops of heavenly liquid!¡± A man bolstered with a bragging expression. It drew everyone¡¯s eyes as they realized who he was. This man was a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert and belonged to the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s direct force. It seems everyone was making bets in their own social circles.


    ¡°Oh? You scared? Do any of you dare to bet with me?¡± He traced his eyes around in disdain. He was fairly confident his disciple would take first place in his specific circle and many here. The confidence in his gaze was dazzlingly obvious.


    Yan Zaizen directly stepped forward, ¡°I¡¯m willing to bet, but I¡¯m curious if you dare.¡± He was softly smiling at this.


    When Xian Li saw who stepped forward, his arrogant gaze immediately dropped several thousand notches and turned immediately respectful. ¡°Sir Yan Zaizen, I do dare. I just hope¡­¡± his words trailed off purposefully. Yan Zaizen was chuckling inwardly.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Yan Zaizen waved his hand and a small, golden bottle filled with liquid appeared. In it was 73 drops of heavenly law liquid. ¡°How about this, I¡¯ll let everyone make a bet with me. If my choice loses to yours, I¡¯ll match your bet. If I win, it¡¯s mine. I¡¯ll even refrain from picking someone above a heavenly-tier force.¡±


    He looked towards the crowd and they were shocked, but many looked at the bottle with greed. A person stepped up, it was a beautiful woman at the peak-True Essence Realm. ¡°One drop.¡± She took out an even smaller bottle that contained one drop of liquid.


    Before long, he had many, many takers. A person asked, ¡°What if you run out of liquid Sir Yan Zaizen?¡± Yan Zaizen smiled, ¡°Depending on how much I owe, I¡¯ll owe that person a favor.¡±


    ¡°One hundred drops of heavenly liquid.¡± An old man near the Xiantu Emperor declared. Everyone¡¯s eyes drew to the old man and everyone was shocked. He was Mo, the second-floor Heavenly Genesis expert that serves the emperor only.


    Yan Zaizen smiled at this, nodding in acceptance. ¡°Any others?¡± At that moment, everyone realized the circumstances and felt this was an important time, not to mention Yan Zaizen was at a disadvantage. If he couldn¡¯t pick any from heavenly-tier forces, they had a massive advantage. Many believed he loved to recklessly gamble, and thus decided to take this opportunity.


    Before long, there was already over five hundred drops against him. ¡°Then, who will be chosen?¡± He asked curiously.


    ¡°If I may speak, Sir Yan Zaizen, you said we could pick anyone. What if two or more people pick the same person or you pick the person we¡¯ll pick?¡± Xian Li asked, his eyes shone with a sly glint.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bet against me, not against others. You can pick whoever you want, even the same. You can also pick first. As long as I lose, I lose.¡± These words caused many eyes to light up in succession. Many of those lights contained deep greed and contempt.


    ¡°Xiantu Yu,¡± one person who bet two drops called out.


    ¡°Xiantu Yu,¡± another called out, he bet five drops.


    ¡°Xiantu Yu,¡± even Xian Li called out that name, betting eleven drops.


    Everyone, literally EVERYONE, who bet called out that one name.


    Yan Zaizen was curious about who that was, but he simply kept his casual expression with a slight smile. ¡°I see. I pick Shin Xuanji.¡± Yan Zaizen calmly declared.


    Who?


    This name caused many to be confused. However, Yan Zaizen pointed towards a boy dressed in a blood-crimson outfit and an Oni mask. Then, he smiled. He knew that a first-floor Heavenly shrine required one hundred drops for each concept embedded within, outside of materials for the physical structure itself which were far easier to obtain.


    As for these drops, typically, they would take a century for a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator to refine one without support. With an average lifespan of one hundred and fifty thousand years, this wasn¡¯t much. However a hundred years was still a hundred years.


    He was making preparation for his future ascension. Not to mention, Pinaka had already given her guarantee towards Shin Xuanji. Out of everyone there, not a single person could match him in terms of potential. After all, the Manifestation level was typically something even peak-True Essence experts after tens of thousands had trouble reaching.


    Four hours later.


    ¡°Impossible! Could he be cheating?¡±


    ¡°Who is this boy?! He puts the Xiantu Yu, the direct descendant of the Xiantu Emperor so far behind?!¡±


    ¡°Holy...how can he be so young yet so¡­¡±


    Prince Renlong: Exit at 12th Step.


    Ya Qinqan: Exit at 17th Step.


    Lin Felin: Exit at 17th Step.


    Yan Qiu: Exit at 22nd Step.


    Xiantu Yu: Exit at 27th Step.


    SHIN XUANJI: EXIT AT 30th STEP!!


    With a single trial, a single step, he eclipsed all others! As the world was stunned, Yan Zaizen had a dense smirk of satisfaction on his face. With the greediest smile imaginable, he chuckled loudly.


    ¡°Time to pay up!¡±

 Chapter 177 - The Mortal Bridge

    Collecting all the Heavenly Law Liquid from the begrudged losers, Yan Zaizen felt amazingly refreshed and content. Earning so much with so little effort; profiting off others success. He couldn¡¯t help but think that his decision to help Shin Xuanji was worth it for this day alone.


    ¡°Five hundred and thirty-two heavenly drops. Such a huge profit¡­¡± Eke had eyes filled with awe and envy. Yan Zaizen had looks, power, and wealth. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact he was a divine beast, male, and had his own pride, he would probably be nipping at Yan Zaizen¡¯s feet at the moment.


    Just as his thoughts reached this point, Moana sauntered towards Yan Zaizen. Her every step caused her round bottom and foxy curves to be displayed to its fullest. ¡°Congratulations, Mister Zai,¡± she called out with a sweet voice.


    Yan Zaizen was taken aback. He was reminded of Yao Wuhen and how she used that exact form of address towards him. Typically, normal greeting or addresses would include his full name - Yan Zaizen - with the clan, his own, and family name. While intimate addresses of familiarity would be a title and personal name.


    Unless the title was an official one, such as a royal title like the Xiantu Emperor.


    He understood Yao Wuhen¡¯s intentions a little, attempting to get closer to draw further upon his influence, but seeing Moana, a divine beast that could rival a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert, do the same felt abnormal.


    ¡°You know¡­¡± Pinaka suddenly spoke, ¡°if you wished to dual cultivate with this fox, she¡¯ll do so in a heartbeat.¡± Her words were completely true. In truth, every woman, EVERY ONE, in this hall wouldn¡¯t object. Dual cultivation is dependent on body and soul cultivation bases, it does very little good for the Essence or Heavenly Path.


    However, having a stronger body leads to a better foundation and soul typically meant an easier time in comprehending laws and greater senses. With his profound cultivation base, it would be easy to lure them all, especially divine beasts.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled after realizing this. ¡°Thank you, Miss Moana.¡± His eyes lit up with an evaluating light, his eyes subtly checking her from head to toe, being sure to linger on her bountiful chest area. She truly was foxy.


    Seeing this, Moana got closer. They started engaging in vivid conversation. Before long, many started to engage with Yan Zaizen, asking him questions about Shin Xuanji or his true origins. No one believed the cockamamie background of originating from a second-tier force and being less than a hundred years old.


    Who would? Many believed he had posed as a youth who had died prior. In truth, everyone believed similar things. Even Lin Feilin and Shin Xuanji.


    Yan Zaizen was enjoying being surrounded by powerful, influential, and beautiful people while enjoying great wine and food.


    In a part of the room, Xiantu Emperor also had a bevy of people surrounding him. Many were shining his ego with flattery at his new breakthrough and grand reign. As for the Xiantu Emperor himself, his blue eyes contained traces of an emperor¡¯s warmth, but when he looked towards Yan Zaizen, his eyes would flicker imperceptibly for a moment before resuming conversation with others.


    ----------


    Shin Xuanji was shocked at his results. At the 30th Step, he stood with an exhausted expression. The 33 Heavenly Steps measured age, body, soul, and qi cultivation. Normally, Shin Xuanji should¡¯ve been weaker in all these aspects in comparison to those elites with Heavenly-tier forces.


    However, he was under seventy years, had a Perfect Nascent Soul, a body cultivation tempered by the regalia of heaven¡¯s aura and his own blood qi, while having an initial-Origin Core cultivation base. He truly had an exceptional foundation as a cultivator.


    In comparison, Xiantu Yu was two hundred years old, an Initial Aurora Soul, a body that could rival the mid-Origin Core Realm, and a late-Origin Core cultivation base. The two main difference that truly decided how far they¡¯ll reach was age and qi cultivation.


    Conceptual laws can be integrated with qi-essence to exhibit further power. While Xiantu Yu may have an advantage in raw cultivation base, he severely lacked in law comprehension. Shin Xuanji had reached the initial-Manifestation level while Xiantu Yu comprehended to the major-Force level despite the vast age difference


    This alone, by a single level, led to a massive difference in strength. If they were to fight, Shin Xuanji would obviously lose, but if they were testing potential? Shin Xuanji dominated unquestionably.


    After the first trial was over, a spatial slit appeared above the steps as the pressure from the 13th step upwards faded. ¡°All those who¡¯ve exceeded the 13th rise. All those who¡¯ve failed, LEAVE!¡± With a tyrannical tone, a grand voice resounded.


    Before long, all members reached the second trial. Shin Xuanji had his oni-mask on making his identity impossible to discover so the other participants could only speculate and throw curious gazes at him.


    Shin Xuanji ignored them all.


    In the second trial¡¯s sub-dimensional space, a single dilapidated bridge that connected to an ordinary looking gate at the far end. It was wide enough to contain a hundred people and gave off a rare feeling of heaviness. It seemed to extend exactly 999 steps forward, with the 1000th allowing entry into the gate.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°This is?¡± Shin Xuanji was shocked, his eyes scanning the bridge with a careful gaze.


    Ya Qinqan had succeeded, but she didn¡¯t feel proud. The other felt disadvantageous to those in her circumstance. She felt, if she was given her current treatment and a hundred years, she could conquer all 33 steps. ¡°Others just started sooner.¡± She rationalized, her belief in her potential never faltered.


    The voice explained the rules, ignoring everyone¡¯s thoughts. ¡°Traverse the Mortal Bridge, comprehend the mortal. As you do, the further you¡¯ll reach. Enter the gate before thirty days or fail.¡± With that, the voice went silent.


    Many in the crowd were shocked, but a few others had their eyes brighten. Yan Qiu in particular, the granddaughter of Broad Creed Palace¡¯s Yan Clan Ancestor, had her eyes shine so brilliantly that it could blind others. ¡°The Mortal Bridge! Stepping onto the bridge, you¡¯ll be given a random Mortal Law. The goal is to comprehend the law, develop a concept, and reach a sufficient level to enter the gate. However, the Mortal Bridge allows one to better perceive laws and concepts! It¡¯s an exceptional opportunity! A day here is like a year in the outside world.¡±


    ¡°1st to 332nd step is the initial stage of the Nascent level. 333rd to 665th step is the minor stage and 666th to 999th is the major stage. 1000th is perfection! Unless you master your concept, passing that last step is impossible.¡± She explained to one of her friends in the crowd.


    Shin Xuanji happened to be nearby, his eyes behind the mask flickered. With that, he directly stepped onto the bridge. Others followed without hesitation, after all, they were only given thirty days.


    As Lin Felin stepped on the bridge, she was stunned and warily smiled. The Mortal Law of Shield.


    Ya Qinqan had a solemn expression. The Mortal Law of Axe.


    Yan Qiu smiled softly. The Mortal Law of Softness.


    Xiantu Yu stared at Shin Xuanji, his eyes filled with competitive aggressiveness. The Mortal Law of Hair.


    Shin Xuanji only looked with an odd expression behind his mask. The Mortal Law of Bone.


    Various expressions filled the faces of the participants. Not a single one obtained a Mortal Law they knew. The bridge could read the soul and give one an entirely different law than you¡¯ve comprehended before.


    Day 1: No one comprehended their concept. Not a single participant took a step.


    Day 3: Xiantu Yu comprehended his concept before everyone else, the Hair of Steel Spikes. It was intermixed with his Metal Law, allowing it to be exceptionally powerful. It was similar to the Archery of Pure Destruction, containing both Mortal and World.


    Day 4: Xiantu Yu reached his 73rd step. His comprehension into his conceptual law was faster than all others.


    Day 5: Several other members comprehended their own concepts, taking their first steps. Yan Qiu was among them.


    Day 10: Xiantu Yu reached his 450th step, Yan Qiu - 378th. Ya Qinqan - 296th. Lin Feilin - 283rd. Shin Xuanji - 1st.


    Day 15: Many were shocked that Shin Xuanji didn¡¯t take a single step. While Xiantu Yu had already passed the 665th step, reaching 670th. Yan Qiu - 542nd. Ya Qinqan - 413th. Lin Feilin 407th.


    Day 22: Xiantu Yu - 880th. Yan Qiu - 732nd. Ya Qinqan - 727th. Lin Feilin - 733rd. Shin Xuanji - 1st.


    Day 29: Xiantu Yu - 999th. Yan Qiu - 1000th. Ya Qinqan - 1000th. Lin Feilin - 1000th. Shin Xuanji - 1st.


    At this day, Xiantu Yu¡¯s eyes were bloodshot. Dozens of participants had already passed, but he couldn¡¯t take that final step! He felt infuriated even if he had done better than 99% of the participants, this one step plagued him considerably.


    In truth, he made a crucial mistake. The merging of conceptual arts made it exceptionally difficult to comprehend. This could be seen by, despite being a Non-Entity, Yan Zaizen¡¯s comprehension into the Archery of Pure Destruction was the slowest.


    This was due to one fact: the synergy requirement of mixing two very different laws. Even to this day, Yan Zaizen has only reached the perfect-Force level. This made it countless times harder to master, adding the stressful atmosphere of a time-limit and personal pride, one could imagine how that would end.


    When others saw this, especially the high-ranking spectators, they could only shake their heads in disappointment. With his current mental state, it was unlikely that he¡¯ll pass this trial. The Xiantu Emperor¡¯s eyes when he looked at this son of his turned increasingly apathetic. This would be a major hit to his face if his own son couldn¡¯t pass his trial.


    As for Shin Xuanji, his eyes were in a misty haze. At the moment, he was comprehending the Blood Iron Bone. It intermixes blood with bone, especially his own concept of the Black Iron Blood with the bone equivalent. It was miraculous and he had a faint feeling that blood and bone were as complex as space and time despite being mortal laws.


    ¡°Last Day!¡± The powerful voice announced. Shin Xuanji snapped out of his state. He was confused for a second but then he realized the situation. He took a step, then another, and another. Before long, as if he was walking across a park, he passed all others.


    When he reached the 999th step, his gaze stopped at Xiantu Yu. It flickered with a trace of pity. Then, he walked the 1000th step.


    Xiantu Yu roared ferociously seeing the blood-red oni mask with eyes of pity looking at him. Looking at him?! At this moment, he drew upon his potential and mind, focusing entirely on the task at hand. He became lost in a miraculous feeling of absolute focus.


    In this state, he felt he could reach it! He could do it! The final step was within reach and all others could only envy his talent, not pity it!


    ¡°Time¡¯s up!¡± The voice announced. The bridge¡¯s amplifying effect abruptly ended. All participants left their state of comprehension. For those who passed the 1000th step, they had gleeful gazes. But¡­


    Their eyes drew upon a single figure that once held imperialistic aura so strong he resembled the Xiantu Emperor himself. He had eyes filled with a blankness. He stood there like a blind man with zero focus in his gaze.


    Yan Zaizen saw this and he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. Pinaka said with deep pity, ¡°To think he would recklessly dive into his concept like this...such potential, wasted.¡±


    In the cultivation world, one could undergo something called cultivation deviation. It¡¯s when you lose yourself in cultivation or cultivate improperly. Normally, if done for the Essence or Bodily Path, you could suffer severe injuries, only in worse case scenarios does one suffer death.


    However, laws are interconnected with the soul. If one experiences it during soul cultivation, they could lose themselves entirely. Never to return. It was far worse when trying to perceive the heavens. You can get lost in the Heavenly Domain. Unless someone can be equivalent or exceed the heavens to extract your consciousness, you were essentially dead.


    ¡°...¡± The crowd was silent. To think that the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s son...died...just like that?

 Chapter 178 - Slaughter Array

    Within the sub-dimensional space of the Mortal Bridge, a door formed from white light appeared. "All those who reached the 1000th step, PROCEED." The voice announced.


    A forceful gust swept the bodies of all those who have yet to reach the 1000th step towards the spatial slit. They were sent out. Out of the hundreds of thousands of people, only 103 remained. The bridge eliminated a vast majority of participants.


    This shocked everyone, including Yan Zaizen. From his understanding, this trial should have two things - high mortality rate and a decent number of those who passed the three trials. However, this trial was quite different. Barely any died while many, many were directly eliminated.


    Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but glance at the Xiantu Emperor. It seems this man had his plans. He had a faint feeling since arriving that this man was dangerous and very scheme-oriented. Yan Zaizen felt an innate sense of distrust and discomfort looking at him.


    Shin Xuanji and the others entered the white door. When they arrived at their destination, they recognized that they were alone. The world was a barren wasteland filled with dry ground, cloudy skies, and a chilly air. There was a grey sun that hung in the sky that released a frosty aura. It felt so cold that some had to use their qi-essence to abate the sensation.


    "Is this...another realm?" Shin Xuanji questioned as he looked around.


    "An array world?" Yan Zaizen was a little shocked as he saw the remaining participants appear on separate screens within another space. An array world was a sub-dimensional space that had been influenced by interconnecting formations. Typically, they were used for training, cultivation, growing herbs, or setting a specific environment to comprehend laws.


    After all, a sub-dimensional space was pretty empty. An array world would give it unique characteristics and make it habitable. Some even had their entire clans based in them or used to hide if calamity struck. It was like having a very, very small sub-realm for your own use.


    "To structure 103 array world''s, it''s quite extraordinary. The Xiantu Emperor''s abilities and resources are quite deep." Grimm commented from the side.


    "That''s incorrect. This is only one array world that was divided into 103 parts." Moana corrected. She was far more familiar with formations than Grimm. She could even be called a master formationist.


    Grimm coldly snorted. Getting corrected never felt good, but he kept silent. His mind still was in awe at the array world.


    "If I recall, this is the Slaughter World." Xian Li, who''ve stayed quite close to Yan Zaizen, said. "It is a training simulation for members of the Xiantu Emperor''s direct lineage. I think the Mortal Bridge is also a part of the Xiantu Emperor''s tools to help cultivators. To think¡­" he felt bewildered by what the Xiantu Emperor brought out despite their previous exclusivity.


    The Mortal Bridge was a grand opportunity to test your comprehension and experience enhanced clarity towards the laws. While on it, one day translates to one year of seeking enlightenment. Unfortunately, it only helps with conceptual laws and not the overall laws themselves, only helping till the perfect-Nascent level.


    "Slaughter World?" Curiosity filled Yan Zaizen''s gaze. Fortunately, his curiosity was sated by the grand announcer.


    "The Slaughter World has nine levels. Each level has thirty-three enemies. Pass all nine levels, complete the trial. You can choose to leave in the next five minutes, but if you do not, you will be unable to leave until the trial is completed or finished."


    "Thirty-three enemies? Nine levels?" Shin Xuanji was a little intrigued, but he remained stationary. All of the participants did. After all, they didn''t come here to quit.


    Within Shin Xuanji''s world, the first enemy appeared within the barren world from nothing. It was humanoid, dressed completely in grey armor, and held a single spear. Shin Xuanji observed this armored figure, realizing his qi cultivation base was only at the mid-Qi Unification Realm. His vital energy aura had the same intensity and his soul was at the Perfect Nascent Soul.The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    With furrowed brows, he felt that he understood something. Despite this, he was going to strike. Withdrawing his black blade, he readied himself.


    Shmmm!


    Then, thirty-two of the exact same shimmered into existence, each holding a different mortal weapon. Some held bows, some had lances, spears, tomahawks, swords, and even a whip. They had different weapons that went into thirty-three mortal laws, each with the same cultivation bases, same armor, and same ferocity emanating from their bodies.


    Shin Xuanji didn''t take this seriously. His origin core shined as his qi-essence infused with his origin swept out like a tide of black blood. Within a second, it swept his enemies and crushed them all under its immense weight.


    For an Origin Core expert, a hundred Qi Unification warriors were nothing more than ants beneath a boot. The difference in realm alone constituted this fact, adding his foundation, concepts, and armaments, this was nothing more than a slight breeze.


    After a minute passed, thirty-three more appeared. Their souls were stronger, their auras, both vital and qi, reached the late-Qi Unification Realm. "I see¡­" With another wave of his sword, the enemies were easily demolished.


    Third level, peak-Qi Unification Realm. Shin Xuanji could deduce the levels in the future. He faced them with ease. Fourth level introduced half-step Origin Core experts. Each armored individual started to radiate auras of laws, as if they had discovered and excavated their origin sources.


    It''s likely these levels were based on individual cultivation bases, likely relating to his qi cultivation base. This test specifically tested comprehensive combat strength.


    The fifth level was harder than any other level thus far. Shin Xuanji struck with ferocity, fighting the experts with a black bloody storm filled with immense weight. It crushed those unable to defend themselves.


    The sixth level had peak initial-Origin Core experts. Their great coordination was now capable of being properly exhibited. The difference in strength was slowly closing, forcing Shin Xuanji to expand more qi-essence to kill one.


    The seventh level was tougher, dealing with thirty-three mid-Origin Core experts left him sweating. It wasn''t to the point where he was in lethal danger, but it was exhausting. With a bodily strength, qi-essence, and soul tactics that rivaled mid-Origin Core experts, Shin Xuanji felt the pressure pile.


    He suffered his first injury. A light laceration on his left arm caused by a thrown dagger. Their tactics were intermixed with short, mid, and long-range attacks. They would put unrelenting pressure in close combat and long-range soul strikes.


    "Then...the ninth level is late or peak-Origin Core experts?" Shin Xuanji realized the danger in this trial. It didn''t test understanding in laws but comprehension into arts! Martial arts, qi arts, and soul arts. If you lacked any of them and placed in a situation you couldn''t adapt to, you''ll lose your life.


    To sharpen the blade by removing all impurities. To sharpen the person by removing all weaknesses.


    "Is this what it means to be a powerful cultivator?" The eight-level emerged, revealing peak mid-Origin Core experts. With a thunderous roar, Shin Xuanji waved his sword to produce an oceanic wave of black blood.


    It crushed towards the thirty-three, but besides a few, the others dodged. They proceeded to engage Shin Xuanju in all forms of combat. He suffered a large injury to the abdomen, a lance penetrated his stomach ruthlessly. If it wasn''t for his control of blood laws and strong body, he could''ve died. His soul was also battered by the constant bombardment of soul arts.


    Shin Xuanji now understood an indisputable fact - without profound arts trained to their peaks, you''ll always be at a disadvantage. This very lesson was why Yan Zaizen dedicated himself to arts for so many years. They were the foundation of any and all paths.


    His arts simply weren''t trained enough. He had a profound law cultivation, but in terms of utilization of that law, he hasn''t reached a high enough level. He simply was too young.


    A foundation isn''t just based on comprehension of the heavens or cultivation bases, but the application of those two things. This required time and effort, many geniuses may be able to have high realms or comprehension in laws, but they still lose to old monsters of equal cultivation. Why?


    Arts and experience.


    The ninth level started. Each armored expert radiated vast killing intent and cultivation prowess. They held their weapons with intense glares through their helmets. With a spark, they took action, not caring about Shin Xuanji exhaustion or precarious situation. They ferociously attacked, each aiming for a vital point or an area that would induce further weakness if struck.


    Shin Xuanji raised his black blade, his hazy gaze looked at the incoming enemies, but all he could see was his wife and daughter. His cultivation base erupted and he took a step forward. With a single blade, he intended to carve out a better life for himself and his family.


    He had to, he must.

 Chapter 179 - Decision

    A figure drenched in its own blood emerged from the slaughter world. In its eyes, an unyielding belief to never concede radiated. As it appeared, the many observers were intrigued. They examined the figure with rapt attention.


    ¡°I...did...it¡­¡± A tender, feminine voice resounded. Those eyes filled with unyielding belief trembled, returning back to a gaze as soft as water. Ya Qinqan was the first to defeat the ninth level and emerge.


    Her ninth level obstacle was thirty-three half step Origin Core cultivators. To overcome this struggle was beyond difficult for her. Her talent, foundation, nor cultivation was the highest possible, but she had one thing that kept her strong - her will.


    An unyielding belief and desire to succeed. With this, her comprehension in both her arts and conceptual law jumped an entire level. She experienced a baptism of combat and refinement of her will that drew out her greatest potential.


    ¡°To think...she¡¯s first.¡± Yan Zaizen was inwardly shocked. Ya Qinqan always had something special about her, not just her beauty, but this was the first time he personally saw it. As a spectator, he witnessed her entire struggle from start to finish.


    It was reminiscent of a hero overcoming struggles and rising above all. Regardless of the obstacle, regardless of the trial, they¡¯ll always overcome it.


    ¡°This girl has an exceptional will, natural battle instincts, and comprehension under pressure,¡± Pinaka commented, even she felt disbelief at Ya Qinqan¡¯s success. ¡°My former master once said that those with these characteristics are the worst to make an enemy of and the greatest to make a disciple of.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen stayed silent. His emotions were rather complex.


    After Ya Qinqan, another left the array. He was a burly man with no pupils in his eyes. He had a ferocity to him and his teeth were silver and sharp. He was a hybrid. His bloodline was mixed with a divine beast and human. If he was simply a divine beast, his cultivation would be at the True Essence Realm at the minimum. Only those hybrids can take human form without being Divine Beasts and typically traveled the Essence Path.


    His name was Coorg, the son of Grimm.


    ¡°Hmph, coming out second.¡± Grimm seemed displeased as he coldly snorted but if one saw his eyes, they would see it filled with deep pride. Several others exited, including Shin Xuanji.


    Unfortunately, Lin Feilin relied on external methods to protect her life and was taken out of the slaughter array. Others followed suit, leaving only six.


    Ya Qinqan, Coorg, Shin Xuanji, Yan Qiu, Xiantu Na, and Wu Zen.


    Xiantu Na was the third member of the top beauties in Xiantu Realm and the grandniece of the Xiantu Emperor. Wu Zen was the direct son of the Wu Clan¡¯s Ancestor and next in line to take the chief position in the clan.


    They were each bloodied from head to toe except Xiantu Na. She looked as if she wasn¡¯t touched once in the array.


    They were brought away by a mysterious force, cleaned up, and taken to the banquet. All of them were sent before the Xiantu Emperor and the others. The gazes of the top experts were honed on each of their bodies. They were analyzing their features and making considerations. Not as to who will claim the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s dao, but who they personally favored. With Xiantu Yu¡¯s fall, Xiantu Na was the only choice to them for dao bestowment.


    The Xiantu Emperor had a profound gaze as he looked at each one of them, his gaze not lingering on any. ¡°Congratulations for passing the Xiantu Dao Trials! Your success has determined your astonishing talent, will, and potential. You¡¯ll be rewarded accordingly and given the opportunity to join the Xiantu Guard.¡±


    When these words were said, the only one whose eyes lit up in excitement was Croog. As for the others, they add had varied expressions from solemnity to indifference. One could see that they hoped to be selected to possess the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s dao. If they had one, they could take their first step towards the heavens.


    ¡°As for my selection¡­¡± His gaze swept them all once more. This time, he stopped on Shin Xuanji for a moment, his eyes flickering, but it shifted to another. ¡°Ya Qinqan.¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Everyone was silent. Xiantu Na had a look of disbelief. Croog¡¯s eyes widened to the size of eggs. Shin Xuanji glanced curiously over and saw Ya Qinqan¡¯s intense reaction of stillness brought about by shock. Yan Qiu pouted her lips but she didn¡¯t seem to care much, her gaze subtly looked around for Yan Zaizen¡¯s figure. Wu Zen only closed his eyes, his thoughts kept hidden.


    The attendants at the banquet and selection were just as silent with similar or even greater reactions.


    ¡°Haha. Makes sense.¡± Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t shocked at his choice after seeing the earlier events. He looked towards the Xiantu Emperor and felt this man truly was interesting.


    ¡°His dao is the Mortal Dao of Belief. Ya Qinqan¡¯s determination, ruthlessness, and personal belief in herself led her to this moment. Typically, the belief in something or someone else, such as gods or idols, but to have the belief in yourself is definitely more suited.¡± Pinaka commented with a neutral tone, but she criticized, ¡°It¡¯s only a lower-tier Mortal Dao, not even a peak one.¡±


    Yan Zaizen looked towards Shin Xuanji. From his posture and aura, he had severe indifference towards the selection. It seemed more like a means to an end, but not the end all, be all.


    With a light chuckle, he walked over amidst all the surrounding gazes. He arrived next to Shin Xuanji and the others. The Xiantu Emperor¡¯s eyes were calm as he looked towards Yan Zaizen obvious sign of disrespect and disruption. As for Yan Zaizen, he didn¡¯t even consider the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s gaze.


    He had an instinctual feeling that this Xiantu Emperor and he would never be allies. They may not be enemies, but this man lived for himself and only himself. It¡¯s not that Yan Zaizen disliked this mentality, but it was those eyes filled with endless schemes of benefits that shook his mind.


    At first, he intended to travel with the Xiantu Emperor to explore some realm, but now that his cultivation had increased, his instincts were screaming fatal danger whenever he thought of it or looked at the Xiantu Emperor. It was as if he could hear the winds of time inform him that only danger and death awaited him.


    He didn¡¯t like this feeling. In the end, he decided to decline the Xiantu Emperor¡¯s proposal and leave. When he consulted Pinaka about this matter, she informed him that cultivators cultivate the very heavens. The reason why he could feel profound danger in combat, deadly crisis or a draw of some unknown force was due to this. The whispers of heaven.


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    Acting on and measuring this feeling could lead to both misfortune and fortune, death or life. Yan Zaizen decided to act on this feeling.


    ¡°Congratulations, Eighth Brother.¡± When those words resounded, everyone turned to Shin Xuanji. Shin Xuanji turned around to see Yan Zaizen. His eyes were calm and he remembered the brief moments he had with this man.


    The bath.


    The forest.


    The dungeon.


    Now, here.


    They may be short, but each had a profound effect and led to this very moment. If Han Genji never brought Yan Zaizen to the mountain at that time, he would¡¯ve been killed by the Earthly Titan Sect. In truth, unbeknownst to him, he also wouldn¡¯t have had his daughter or wife if Yan Zaizen never, unintentionally, slaughtered the elders of the Blood Fiend Sect.


    Fate worked in odd ways.


    Now, here he stood. Looking completely different, exuding an aura of exceptional power and profound status. The eyes of many looked at him with wariness, fear, respect, and desire. Yet, he only had a warm, calm smile on his face.


    Shin Xuanji placed his hand on his mask. Slowly, he removed it. As his face was revealed, Yan Zaizen lightly chuckled. The young man he saw in that bath once more was before him with little difference.


    ¡°I feel we¡¯re connected by fate, by a bond. What do you say, will you accept my Dao?¡± Yan Zaizen words shocked all who heard it.


    ¡°...¡± Shin Xuanji looked at Yan Zaizen with the most serious set of eyes imaginable. There was no excitement or any other emotion, but bone-crunching seriousness. ¡°How does it compare?¡± In truth, Shin Xuanji didn¡¯t know much about the dao, not many did. He only knew that it was needed to step towards the heavens.


    Seeing this, Yan Zaizen carefreely chuckled once more. ¡°In terms of the Dao, my Dao could be compared to the sun. His? A comet.¡± Yan Zaizen plainly said causing everyone to feel incredibly shocked. This was insulting one¡¯s dao! To think he would do such a thing right next to the Xiantu Emperor!


    When others expected the Xiantu Emperor to take action, he only stayed silent, observing it all indifferently. This immediately triggered all sorts of thoughts in their minds. The first and most prevalent: ¡®he doesn¡¯t dare to act!¡¯


    ¡°...I accept.¡± Shin Xuanji answered calmly. With his intelligence, he felt that this ¡®Ninth Brother¡¯ of his had a strength that vastly exceeded the emperor. If that was the case, then he¡¯ll accept.


    Ya Qinqan bit her lips, her initial shock wearing off as she watched this exchange. To her, this was a grand moment. Her grand moment. Then, Yan Zaizen shows up and pretty much tells everyone that her success, the dao of the emperor, was trash.


    In truth, it was in comparison. Yan Zaizen had a peak upper-tier dao. Mortal Daos were divided into three tiers, lower, middle, and upper. Yan Zaizen¡¯s dao was formulated from multiple peak lower-tier and middle-tier daos in the most perfect and synergetic way possible, reaching the highest standard.


    With it having multiple daos embedded within, it was easier to bestow it to others. As long as they held a compatibility to a single aspect of his dao, it was possible to obtain the entire thing. Not to mention, it was hundreds, if not thousands, of times more powerful than a lower-tier dao.


    ¡°I believe, in the future, you¡¯ll structure your own dao.¡± As he said that, he placed his index finger on Shin Xuanji¡¯s glabella. A light of dark-amber emerged on the point of contact, exuding an aura of peak sovereignty! All those who bore witness, including the Xiantu Emperor, had their souls tremble.


    Dao Bestowment!


    The action of bestowing a dao was easy if one trains in it. With Pinaka¡¯s help, his application of Dao Bestowment was phenomenal. After all, he intended to bestow it to Tao.


    Shin Xuanji felt something enter his soul but didn¡¯t resist. If Yan Zaizen wanted to harm him, he could¡¯ve killed him before or any second before now. A warmth filled his soul as a dark-amber diamond formed in his soul form, floating stationary at its center. It exuded an aura of unyielding confidence and tyrannical ferocity.


    His eyes flickered with dark-amber light, but his expression remained calm. If Shin Xuanji had a dao that resonated within him, it was either Original Warmth or Somber Calmness. One is a characteristic of never losing the piece of yourself despite tragedy and the other was a calmness in one¡¯s heart, even if you feel fear, hatred, or weakness. You¡¯ll remain calm in the darkest of times.


    It was this type of calmness that led Shin Xuanji to persist in leading the Earthly Titan Sect for three years in lies. As for his warmth, that was gained from his own family, something he lost before.


    The action happened quickly and everyone was absolutely shocked. Typically, a bestowal required weeks of struggle and there¡¯s a chance it may fail if the person is incompatible. Yet, this wasn¡¯t the case. It took seconds and formulated perfectly.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± Shin Xuanji said, his tone filled with gratitude. This single word contained thanks for everything, including saving him before. Shin Xuanji felt that he owed Yan Zaizen too much.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Yan Zaizen looked at the Xiantu Emperor. The Xiantu Emperor returned his gaze. As they clashed, Yan Zaizen had a feeling that this man was a walking calamity. However, this gaze pretty much informed the emperor that Shin Xuanji was now under his protection.


    He turned away, he gave Eke¡¯s group a warm smile of thanks. Taking a step forward, he left as if he entered an imaginary painting, vanishing from everyone¡¯s gaze.


    ¡°He¡­¡± A guard was stunned. The hall had spatial arrays to prevent spatial void manipulation, but Yan Zaizen simply vanished. They didn¡¯t know that he entered chaotic space and not the spatial void.


    As Yan Zaizen reappeared, he was on the desk of the Heretical Lightning Skyship. His gaze flickered. ¡°Eighth Brother¡­¡± He had a faint feeling that the myriad realms will need someone like him one day.


    Bai Lufeng was at the helm looking outwards. He felt a familiar aura and turned to see Yan Zaizen. With a smile, he asked, ¡°Where shall we go?¡±


    Tao arrived on deck at about the same time, feeling a familiar aura arrive as well.


    With a smile, he looked towards Tao, ¡°The myriad realms awaits.¡±


    A light shined in each of their eyes. A light of adventure.

 Chapter 180 - The Border Expanse

    Within the Xiantu Continent''s outer orbit, a pink skyship floated quietly. It was surrounded by countless others and despite its color, it was quite unassuming. Three beautiful women, two mature and one young, looked outwards from the deck.


    Each had varying expressions but they were filled with a solemness. If Yan Zaizen saw them, he would immediately recognize them. The young lady was Qiao Qinya, the daughter of Xinya. He had met her in Sky Heart City in Grux before he returned to Presba.


    Beside her was two ladies, both twins that were near mirror images. The only exception was the color of their outfits. They were Xinya and Chenya. Xinya was dressed in a light blue and Chenya had a dark orange outfit. They had similar designed, but were modest and showed very little skin or assets. Despite this, their countenance was astonishing and mesmerizing indicating they weren''t average in any area.


    Qiao Qinya had her brows furrowed as she watched the events with her mother and aunt. The events at the banquet weren''t shown, but the 33 Heavenly Steps, Mortal Bridge, and Slaughtering Array were shown completely. The events left many shocked, especially Xiantu Yu''s cultivation deviation.


    When she looked at the screens, her gaze was looking for Yan Zaizen''s figure. She believed that Yan Zaizen should be participating. However, as she watched more and more and came to a realization that he wasn''t there, she was shocked. Looking towards her mother, her gaze was lost and misty.


    Xinya shook her head slightly, "As I said before, it''s possible it wasn''t him." Earlier, when Yan Zaizen left Sky Heart City, Qiao Qinya was worried that Yan Zaizen was the person that was prophesied.


    At her birth, her aunt, Linya, comprehended a glimpse of heavenly destiny. During which, she prophesied that a young man who will be her future spouse shall stir the very heavens with his achievements and talents. Unfortunately, the only clue she had was one fact: This person will participate in the Xiantu Dao Trials during her generation.


    This was her generation.


    "Then...who?" Her eyes looked at the scene, feeling lost and chaotic. To have, at birth, be told that your future had been set felt infuriating, but if this person could truly stir the heavens, then perhaps he was worth it.


    Perhaps.


    -----


    Yan Zaizen and crew was soaring through the Xiantu Realm heading away. On the deck of the ship, Yan Zaizen held a white orb in his hand with an unfathomable expression. This was the Regalia of Mimicry.


    "Are you sure?" He asked.


    "Almost certain," Pinaka responded.


    Yan Zaizen had suspicions but he wasn''t certain but he recalled Shin Xuanji''s age and law comprehension and couldn''t help but believe in the possibility. Shin Xuanji had a Regalia of Blood in his possession.


    Pinaka''s ability to sense laws and her personal understanding exceeded many, and when Yan Zaizen was personally interconnecting his dao to Shin Xuanji''s soul, she was almost certain that Shin Xuanji had a regalia within his body. Specifically, it was a drop of black blood in his heart.


    Its aura was constantly strengthening his blood and aiding his comprehension into the conceptual law. This was far too different than Yan Zaizen''s Immortal Herculean Method. It wasn''t merged into his body, it was within his body. Stored there safely and quietly.


    "Regalia of the soul, blood, and mimicry...This realm doesn''t seem ordinary." Yan Zaizen mentioned. Specifically, the Fallen Stars Continent was unordinary. Not only did it have two regalias, it also had the Deep Mines that seemed endless with endless materials within.


    Even today, Yan Zaizen had deep curiosity towards the Deep Mines. His instincts faintly screamed danger whenever he would send his spiritual sense inside. Even from here, his spiritual sense could reach and cover half the continent, and yet when he reached the Deep Mines...he quivers uncontrollably.


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    "One day, I''ll see what''s so special about the Deep Mines." Yan Zaizen promised himself, but at his current age, his current cultivation, he had very little desire to do so. Initially, he was willing to accept the Xiantu Emperor''s proposal, but his instincts just sensed something off about the situation.


    It''s possible his intention or goal wasn''t the Deep Mines. It could''ve been something different altogether.


    Putting all these thoughts to the back of his mind, Yan Zaizen stared back at moons and planets in the far off distance. The Xiantu Realm was his home and now he was leaving it. Turning to look at the vast blackness of space, Yan Zaizen felt the endless possibilities.


    Checking his parents'' corpses, Yan Zaizen''s eyes glimmered with sadness but also expectation. He had a feeling that one day, a day that may not be too far away, he may be able to revive them in body and soul. If that day happens, he''ll be able to see them again.


    This wish was deeply embedded in his heart.


    They continued to fly for several days in the Heretical Lightning Skyship before they reached the edge of the realm territory. What lied ahead truly left one feeling the inconsequential size of their existence - The Border Expanse. It truly was an expanse of empty space.


    "The Border Expanse, the space between realms." Softly muttering, Yan Zaizen felt astonished in his heart. From what he researched, the Border Expanse was a vast amount of literal nothingness. In it, there was no air, essence, moisture, or heat. There was only faint dim light from other realms and empty space.


    It was an uninhabitable location that couldn''t give birth to standard lifeforms. However, it could give birth. Somehow, the Border Expanse can give birth to unique creatures that weren''t beast, human, or spiritual lifeform. Instead, they could be called void creatures.


    Their shapes were random and their abilities even more so. Some are as weak as a mortal but others can be as strong as the heavens itself. However, they could only exist within the Border Expanse. They were like fish in water, take them out of it, and they''ll die. However, the Border Expanse wasn''t completely empty.


    The Border Expanse actually was similar to a realm, having people live there and work. They were pirates, scavengers, and runaways. Many individuals would take it as their profession to hunt travelers, who are loaded with preparations for long travel and take their possessions. Quite often, they''ll take more than just that.


    Scavengers would look for broken sub-realms or planets that floated within the vast space looking for treasure. These planets would turn into floating asteroids and comets one sees from the myriad realms. Most of their profits were taken from broken skyships that were destroyed in combat by pirates or corpses that floated endlessly after death. The corpses were often sold as puppets or for other means.


    Runaways escaped their realms to hide in the vast expanse, hiding like rats and avoiding pursuit. Oftentimes, these people would become pirates for a living. They survived by stealing what belonged to others.


    Tao arrived next to Yan Zaizen, "The Border Expanse...the start of our journey." His voice contained excitement as he looked at the dark space. Yan Zaizen nodded slightly.


    His sense checked on Bai Lufeng who went below to ''cultivate''. Currently, Guan Yao was listlessly in a cage while Bai Lufeng was curled up in a fetal position. His hands clenched tightly around his knees and his eyes filled with agitation.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes flickered. Tao only experienced a brief period of servitude, but Bai Lufeng essentially experienced the torture of the body, soul, and a collapse of his psyche. Even if Yan Zaizen healed it, pieced what could back together, and saved him, this wasn''t something to shrug off easily.


    It was over forty years ago and yet¡­


    Tao could sense Yan Zaizen''s worries. As someone who stayed with Bai Lufeng for those forty years, he knew better than anyone the shift in personality that event caused. "He needs time." Saying this, they both remained silent.

 Chapter 181 - An Inch Away

    Several weeks later, Bai Lufeng started to pilot the skyship through the vast expanse of dark space. As he did, his eyes revealed a rare calmness. The empty space and dim lighting felt soothing to him. There was no one around to be seen or heard. This feeling was cathartic. It made him take the helm and the major role of pilot.


    Just him and the endless space.


    "The Elysian Realm¡­" Bai Lufeng muttered. The Elysian Realm wasn''t a neighboring realm of the Xiantu Emperor, it was actually a little further than that by several decades of standard travel.


    In the Elysian Realm, there was a rumor about a unique location. This location connected to hell, the realm of all souls, and as long as you''re willing to pay a price, you can talk to the dead. Many would travel far and wide to arrive there. And, unlike Xiantu Realm, it was a fifth-level heavenly-tier force.


    After hearing about this, Yan Zaizen decisively decided that it''ll be his first location. Tao and Bai Lufeng also wanted to check out the rumor. Imagine, a location that allowed you to talk to the dead. Who wouldn''t wish to travel there?


    However, they''ll still need to pass the Deluge Realm. It was rumored to house all sorts of unique beasts and even different human races. When Yan Zaizen learned about this, he was shocked. Humans were classified as a large, large group of varied species in a similar way beasts were.


    There were humans who were born with wings, third eyes, gills, and even four or six arms! Shockingly, they weren''t beasts or hybrids but variants of humans. The difference between a beast and human, despite both being able to take the form of the other, had to do with their internal systems.


    Divine beasts had different types of hearts, lungs, brains, and different species within its classification. They even had different digestive systems. Humans were similar and could easily be differentiated. Humans synonymously share core traits while beasts do as well in their race line.


    For example, a humanoid race with wings would be the same internally as any other humanoid race, classified as the same species. A divine beast bird would have wings, but their traits would only be shared with other birds. A divine beast serpent would be fundamentally different, yet still classified as a beast.


    The only true similarity amongst races of humans and beasts were distinguishable auras. With this, you can tell if someone is a beast or a human regardless of race.


    This characteristic is why hybrids were different. They have the aura and bloodline of beasts and humans, capable of cultivating both paths.


    Yan Zaizen was quite excited to see other races of humans. He recalled how the female cultivators of his race were lackluster in the Essence Path, he wondered if other races have similar peculiarities or restrictions.


    Bai Lufeng was quietly looking at the dim, dark space, traveling according to a compass set to the Deluge Realm.


    "Hm?" His eyes caught glimpse of movement. Spreading his senses outward, he discovered nothing. It was still only dim, dark and empty space ahead. Several minutes later.


    Swoosh!


    A faint swooshing sound resounded. It felt remarkably close. Bai Lufeng''s ears perked and his eyes widened in an attempt to visually see what that was. He spread his sense out the furthest he could but discovered nothing in the empty space.


    "What¡­?" Bewildered, he decided not to take chances like before. He called Tao. Tao arrived with a solemn gaze, looking outwards from the helm, his senses spread outwards. However, he found nothing as well. He was about to dismiss Bai Lufeng''s belief and return to cultivating.


    Wait.


    He turned to the left to see a skyship soaring in the distance. From where he was located, it was like a small dot of light in the vast darkness. It seemed to be of a lower quality than the Heretical Lightning Skyship, but it was traveling at full speed.


    Before long, three more lights that were moving faster appeared. They seem to be chasing after the skyship in front. As if noticing them, the fleeing skyship suddenly shifted directions, coming towards the Heretical Lightning Skyship.


    When Tao and Bai Lufeng noticed this, their expressions darkened. They pondered whether they should inform Yan Zaizen or not, by the speed difference and distance, it''s unlikely the fleeing skyship will arrive where they were before the chasing skyships catch up.


    Bai Lufeng quivered for some odd reason. At the corner of his eye, he could''ve sworn that a shadow passed by. He recalled memories of debating to inform Yan Zaizen or not before. This lead to his capture and subsequent torture.


    Immediately, Bai Lufeng transmitted a message to Yan Zaizen. Several seconds later, he arrived with a sleepy and lazy look on his face. Looking outwards, he could see the lights in the distance.


    "Young Lord, what should w-"


    Suddenly, Yan Zaizen''s eyes widened in absolute shock. "STOP!!!" He shouted loudly, causing Bai Lufeng and Tao to jump in fright. Tao took the helm and immediately ceased movement with zero hesitation. Bai Lufeng barely got out of his fright before Tao took action. He, however, didn''t feel embarrassed at his startled response. After all, it was too sudden.


    "How...do they not see this?!" Yan Zaizen was shocked as he asked himself. In his vision, the dim, dark space wasn''t dim. Instead, there were dozens, perhaps hundreds, of planet-sized fat, purplish creatures illuminating a faint light.


    They were like puffballs, hairs as thick as trees, and teeth as large as mountains. They didn''t have eyes, only a single mouth with thin, crusty lips. They were truly spherical in shape, but shockingly, they were moving at insane speeds despite their vast sizes.


    They were circling around both the Heretical Lightning Skyship and the other skyships like children at a playground. They bobbed up and down, weaved left and right, and avoided touching the light like they were playing a game. If it wasn''t for Yan Zaizen eyes being particularly special, all he would see was tree thick hair.


    Yan Zaizan was shocked in fright, but his eyes revealed a trace of calmness. He had the faint feeling that these creatures could kill even the current him. He swallowed a wad of saliva and looked at the approaching ships.


    "What the fu-?!" Pinaka was aghast. Despite having lived for a very long time and traveled the vast realms, this was the first time she saw these creatures. It was only because she saw them through Yan Zaizen''s eyes. However, her or Yan Zaizen''s spiritual sense couldn''t detect them.


    After some close inspection, Yan Zaizen came to the conclusion that these creatures didn''t have mass or matter. They were like ghosts the size of freaking planets. The only reason he could see them likely had to do with the soul-based regalia refined into his brain. Pinaka could only see them because she was connected to Yan Zaizen''s senses.


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    "What is it?" Tao asked, curious if someone they knew was on the skyships. However, Yan Zaizen didn''t even respond. Instead, he looked to the left and right in curiosity. Those planets were just hovering and floating around the skyships. They didn''t attack and would actively avoid coming into contact with them.


    "Wait¡­" Yan Zaizen saw something abnormal in the distance. There was a purplish mouth-ball that was stationary. The rest were in constant motion, but this one stood still. It also had a faint redness to it as well as being dozens of times smaller. Its mouth was closed, looking just like a hairy ball with thin lips.


    This abnormal ball was located fairly close to the skyships coming their way. Yan Zaizen noted that they wouldn''t come into contact with it. However, his instincts told him something would happen.


    Just like he imagined, the skyships were hundreds of thousands of il away, but the moment they broke past it, a faint swooshing sound resounded. He trembled slightly at this sound.


    Bai Lufeng abruptly said, "That sound, I heard it before..." When he said this, Yan Zaizen looked at him with curiosity. Just as he was about to ask a question, the small hairy mouth ball trembled. Its mouth opened wider than all the others and then, with a speed that left Yan Zaizen absolutely terrified, shot towards the four skyships.


    In a second, it closed the distance.


    In another second, it was already beside one pursuing skyships. In the eyes of everyone else, they just saw a skyship''s light disappear. However, Yan Zaizen''s eyes revealed a different reality. The disbelief and shock were mounting to intense levels.


    "It...how?" The abnormal mouth-ball ate one of the skyships. Not only that, it''s black tongue licked its lips in delight afterward as if it just enjoyed a delicious meal.


    Afterward, the mouth-ball trembled and turned into a normal mouth-ball the size of a planet and lost its redness. This transformation happened in the time it takes to snap one''s finger. Then, it started to playfully circle around the remaining skyships like the others.


    Just then, another mouth-ball appeared out of nowhere and gulped another skyship. This time, it was the fleeing one. Yan Zaizen trembled. He didn''t even notice the other one approaching!


    He heavily gulped. It must''ve been quite a distance away when it started its pursuit. Considering they were chasing and fleeing, they could''ve met another one.


    For some odd reason, he felt a sensation of someone or something breathing down his neck.


    "What? Two disappeared?" Tao said in disbelief. The other ships noticed this and stopped. Then, a third odd mouth-ball appeared, but it stopped before consuming another. It just waited there, silently, patiently, as if waiting for its prey to move before taking action. The chills that ran across Yan Zaizen''s spine when he saw the odd mouth-ball just linger left him feeling insecure.


    Wait.


    "It...stopped...when the ships stopped?" Yan Zaizen''s mind was far more efficient at picking up information and piecing them together. Tao and Bai Lufeng turned towards him with questioning gazes, but they also had a deep fear in their eyes at the sudden disappearance of the two skyships. After all, the Border Expanse was a mystery to many.


    Yan Zaizen recalled the events thus far.


    The skyships passed the odd mouth-ball.


    A weird sound resonated, resembling swooshing.


    It chased after them, consumed a ship, and transformed.


    Another appeared, consuming another one.


    A third appeared but didn''t consume the others when they stopped moving.


    Yan Zaizen was thinking...he recalled Bai Lufeng''s mention of hearing the sound before. The sensation of having something or someone breathing down his neck.


    With widened eyes, he had an itchy desire to turn around. Slowly, very slowly, he turned. As he did, his pupils constricted to its absolute limit as, an inch away from their ship, there was a squirming hair as thick as trees and purple skin with a tinge of redness. Upwards, a set of teeth the size of mountains were frozen.


    He didn''t know how long it had been there, but from the distance, it stopped from the others¡­


    It''s possible...it was right next to them just as they stopped. A split second, maybe far, far less away.


    "Escape..." his voice came out as an inaudible whisper. He was calm, but his heart was filled with intense, dreadful fear.


    Bai Lufeng and Tao was ignorant, they both asked, "What?"


    "ESCAPE!" Yan Zaizen slammed his palm on the skyship. His true-essence erupted with everything he had, covering the skyship completely and thoroughly. With a popping sound, the skyship merged into chaotic space.


    While in chaotic space, Yan Zaizen''s shock didn''t cease as his eyes flickered with silver light. Observing outside, the mouth-ball released a vast, thunderous, swooshing sound from its mouth. Instantly, the planet-sized balls went absolutely batshit crazy suffused with intense madness. It released an odd screech that sounded like rushing water and widened its mouth to seemingly impossible limits.


    A split second later, the two skyships vanished in the bellies of two planet-sized mouth-balls nearby. Even the smaller mouth-balls were consumed. Before long, the planet-sized mouth-balls seemed like they were given the signal to commit mass cannibalism and self-genocide.


    With powerful chomps, they started to devour each other. After several minutes, there was one left...and it was the size of a small mountain. Yan Zaizen looked at the ball for a second, but before he could get a good look, it vanished.


    He didn''t know if it traveled at a speed he couldn''t see or if it entered a different dimension. Regardless, there was no longer any mouth-balls in sight.


    "Such...abnormal...creatures¡­" In his complete confusion, he said weakly. Death was so close yet they didn''t even know. Actually, he wasn''t sure getting eaten lead to death, but he knew it wasn''t good.


    At least, they survived this.

 Chapter 182 - Thank You

    After exiting chaotic space several million li away, Yan Zaizen explained what he had just witnessed to Tao and Bai Lufeng. When he did, their expressions were painted with fear and their backs with cold sweat. They knew odd creatures existed in the Border Expanse but this was ridiculous.


    ¡°At least, it¡¯s over now.¡± Yan Zaizen said with a sigh of relief. Bai Lufeng and Tao nodded, thinking about how close they were to an unfortunate fate. Luckily, Yan Zaizen was quite capable and handled the situation with swiftness.


    ¡°Deluge Realm will take about eighteen years to reach, I¡¯ll cultivate on the deck to handle any other odd events.¡± Yan Zaizen announced. Neither of them had objections to this plan. If anything, they felt safer knowing Yan Zaizen was watching.


    With that, they continued their journey through the Border Expanse. They even saw a floating nude corpse. It was a lycah woman. Her body was covered with lacerations and ravaged marks. Her eyes displayed intense unwillingness and horrific pain. When they saw this, they couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. Regardless of where one goes, the cultivation world will always be cruel.


    He stored the corpse in the Meteor Ring, he¡¯ll have a proper burial for her body when he finds it appropriate. He could at least do this much.


    Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to twelve years.


    Yan Zaizen had been cultivating his qi cultivation base, but he discovered, after reaching the True Essence Realm, each step takes an immense amount of time and effort. Even with the resources obtained from the Asura Phantom Realm and Wu Clan shopping connections, his progress was as slow as a snail. After merging his Origin Core with his dantian and undergoing an evolution of the dantian, qi pathways, and meridians, he understood that each stage was a minor evolution to better suit true-essence storage and quality.


    Despite this, he had already reached the peak initial-True Essence Realm. However, taking that next step proved to be incredibly difficult. He figured it had to do with his meridians having been refined by heavenly liquid. Because of that, he had a rather difficult time ascending.


    Inversely, his accumulation of essence or conversion to true-essence was ten thousand times faster than normal. He felt if he hadn¡¯t refined his meridians, he would¡¯ve ascended to the peak stage already. Unfortunately, this was the path he took due to his unfamiliarity.


    Pinaka did suggest that this was beneficial in the long run as the heavenly liquid will funnel into the dantian and qi pathways, bettering the quality of his true-essence, circulation, and reserves. It would also allow his body to contain a trace of heavenly aura, enabling an easier foundation to build a heavenly shrine.


    He agreed with this, obviously seeing the benefits. It¡¯s possible that his true-essence quality exceeded even peak-True Essence experts at the moment. Unfortunately, quality wasn¡¯t the only thing that made the Heavenly Genesis realm powerful.


    ¡°Young Lord!¡± Bai Lufeng shouted. Yan Zaizen opened his eyes to see an approaching skyship in the distance. It was small and coming towards them with swift speed. As a smaller vassal, it was even faster than the Heretical Lightning Skyship.


    Getting up, Yan Zaizen had a curious gaze. It wasn¡¯t long before the skyship was in close range. It looked as if it had been battered by attacks, its formations were in disarray, and there was only a single person onboard.


    This person was a woman. She had ripped clothes that exposed her soft skin, her body dripped with sweat, and her expression was pained but filled with brisk hope. She stopped nearby, her breathing labored as she waved her hands for Yan Zaizen and crew to stop.


    ¡°Stop.¡± Yan Zaizen ordered. Bai Lufeng halted the skyship near the other. His eyes looked at the female onboard and realized she wasn¡¯t their type of human race. Instead, her soft skin was blue. Her long waist-length hair had a deep blue-green color that looked mesmerizing. If it wasn¡¯t for her current haggard appearance, she could be called a beauty regardless of race.


    ¡°Please, Help!¡± She said in a voice filled with weakness and excitement. Yan Zaizan motioned for Bai Lufeng to open the shields. The skyship the woman was on didn¡¯t seem like it was going to last much longer. The woman used her late-Origin Core cultivation base to fly over. As she did, she seemed weak and her cultivation base radiated odd fluctuations.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered.


    When she boarded, she looked as if she had found hope. Her gaze was looking at Yan Zaizen with thanks. She could see he was the leader on the ship, his cultivation was the highest as well.


    After some questions, Yan Zaizen learned of who she was and her current predicament. Firstly, she was a part of the main humanoid race in the Deluge Realm, called the Gunyu Race. Her group of cultivators from her sect was killed by a group of bandits. She was chased by this group of cultivators lead by a True Essence Expert. They pursued her through the Border Expanse with full intention to kill her, not wanting to leave witnesses.


    After she explained, she essentially begged for Yan Zaizen to shelter her. Hiding her in the ship so she can avoid pursuit. Yan Zaizen looked at her deeply and agreed. Before he did, he asked if the incoming enemies would be able to outrun the Heretical Lightning Skyship. Her eyes flickered and she said no.


    Afterward, she was stowed away on the ship by Bai Lufeng.


    However, Yan Zaizen had a slight smile on his face. When Bai Lufeng returned and saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s smile, he was bewildered. ¡°Young Lord, what is it?¡± He was truly curious.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to get a faster skyship and a payday.¡± Yan Zaizen was happy. However, Bai Lufeng was confused.


    Several months passed, Yan Zaizen calmly cultivated as they made their way to the Deluge Realm. Suddenly, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes opened and his smile returned. ¡°She took long enough.¡±


    Stretching his muscles, he looked at the dim, dark space. He started to countdown in his head.


    5.


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    4.


    3.


    2.


    1.


    Just as he finished, a spatial ripple emerged nearby. It was far bigger than any spatial ripple Yan Zaizen could create. When he saw this, his eyes lit up with excitement.


    Bai Lufeng¡¯s eyes widened, but then he recalled what Yan Zaizen had said before and made a realization. A smirk appeared on his face, one befitting the arrogant Bai Lufeng of old that enjoyed watching people overestimate themselves.


    Tao came on the deck with the Gunyu woman. The woman wore a shocked expression, while Tao¡¯s brows were furrowed. When he turned to see Yan Zaizen, he couldn¡¯t help but shake his head. He went back to his room, unwilling to deal with this mess.


    The Gunyu woman saw Tao just return without care, her heart shook a little. She saw Yan Zaizen¡¯s smile and Bai Lufeng¡¯s smirk, and her originally shaking heart went cold. She had a faint belief...that she had messed up.


    Immediately, a skyship three times the size of Yan Zaizen appeared. It was completely black and seem to merge invisibly with the Border Expanse like a backdrop of a painting. It was a skyship that could produce and travel through a spatial tunnel.


    It was a realmship!


    With this, traveling to different realms were simple. What took twelve years, could¡¯ve taken twelve days. The entire myriad realms were open for exploration. This was something even the Xiantu Emperor didn¡¯t have!


    On the tip of this newly arrived realmship, a burly, tall man released a heavenly aura equivalent to a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert. He was also of the Gunyu race. His blue skin and beefy body felt oddly mesmerizing to look at. His eyes released a domineering and disdainful light.


    On the skyship, the Gunyu woman eyes, despite her earlier feeling, revealed a vicious light and cold sneer. She crushed a talisman and suddenly, the Heretical Lightning Skyship formations all collapsed simultaneously. A deflating sound echoed as all the formations of the skyship deactivated. With this, leaving with the skyship was no impossible.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s smile didn¡¯t cease despite this. This Gunyu chick was tampering with the formations of the ship in secret this entire time she was here. She was a master formationist. However, despite witnessing it all, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t stop her. Instead, he let her continue and waited patiently.


    He had to admit, her act was greatly done, but she made three crucial mistakes. Firstly, Yan Zaizen spiritual sense was at the Astral Soul Realm. He could easily tell her injuries were self-inflicted. As for everything else, the weakness, expressions, and such. They were real and thus incapable of being seen through.


    The second mistake? Underestimating Yan Zaizen¡¯s cultivation base.


    Third? Making the decision to board and target Yan Zaizen, this malignant star, skyship.


    Before the man could say a word, Yan Zaizen¡¯s smile grew as big as the crescent moon revealing spectacular pearly whites. His eyes contained an intense greed that caused all those to look at it feel insecure. Some even touched their spatial possessions instinctively.


    He looked at the beefy man and said, ¡°Thank You.¡±


    -----


    Outside the Deluge Realm, the surrounding space rippled. From this ripple, a realmship appeared.


    ¡°We made it.¡± Yan Zaizen looked at the sun, moon, and many planets from afar. He was at the helm of his brand new, happily-gifted realmship. He caressed his new ship and felt nice. With a wave of his hand, he held a small water-attributed, one-floor Heavenly Shrine. It was surrounded by Yan Zaizen¡¯s vital energy.


    ¡°This should sell for quite a lot in a realm of water, right?¡±


    Bai Lufeng couldn¡¯t stop laughing, his hands held his sides, and his eyes formulated tears.


    Earlier, literally just a few days ago, Yan Zaizen had taken every last thing from those wannabe scheming robbers, clothing and all. After soul searching the captain, he obtained the method to pilot the ship. After, Yan Zaizen sent them far, far away using spatial laws and told them to walk back home.


    Ruthless.


    The chances that they could last in a space without essence and no skyship or possessions were disgustingly low. Even traveling to the nearest realm, Deluge Realm, would take an early-stage Heavenly Genesis cultivator centuries.


    Bai Lufeng couldn¡¯t stop laughing looking at their varied expressions. Each of the crew members was looking at that woman who brought them there with eyes that could maim and kill. As for the captain, his heavenly shrine was forcefully taken and his cultivation regressed back to the peak-True Essence Realm and it was slowly weakening.


    He was beyond weak and immediately entered a coma. Losing one¡¯s heavenly shrine does heavy damage to the soul, because their concepts were directly linked with it, and body. It¡¯s like having your arm removed brutally from your torso. However, to do so, one needed to have a strong enough soul cultivation to segregate the shrine and cultivation base to subdue and prevent the cultivator from commencing self-detonation.


    However, Bai Lufeng didn¡¯t care. Robbers deserve to be robbed.


    Tao was beside Yan Zaizen, he couldn¡¯t help but softly remark, ¡°You sure your Dao isn¡¯t the Dao of Greed & Robbery?¡±


    ¡°Hehe. Maybe it is?¡± Yan Zaizen deviously chuckled while brushing the bridge of his nose with his index finger.

 Chapter 183 - Deluge Realm

    "Woah!" Yan Zaizen enthusiastically exclaimed. His eyes were suffused with child-like astonishment and curiosity as he entered the true borders of the Deluge Realm.


    It wasn''t just him, Bai Lufeng and Tao had similar looks of amazement. The moment they entered the realm, it was like diving into the ocean. There was a faint blue layer that separated the Deluge Realm and Border Expanse. As they entered, their originally dim and dark lighting turned exceptionally bright and blue.


    Yan Zaizen waved his hand in the air and felt a slight resistance. The moisture in the air was really, really dense. It was like the outer space of this realm was frozen rain. Instantly, Yan Zaizen and the others were wet from head to toe as if they were underwater.


    "...That''s?!" Yan Zaizen''s amazement led him to look towards the sun of this world. It was big. Very big. And blue. Very blue.


    The flames that were originally orange-red in the Xiantu Realm was blue-green. It looked like an oceanic world on fire. Looking closely, he felt like he could see through the sun itself.


    "Aqua Solar Fire?!" Tao had read about it but seeing it left him breathless. Aqua Solar Fire was similar to Yang Solar Fire, or the fire that originated from the sun. This fire could even be comprehended and was exceptionally powerful amongst fire concepts.


    Similar to the Yang Solar Fire, Aqua Solar Fire originates from a sun and emits light, warmth, and radiates profound energy levels. However, unlike Yang Solar Fire, it emits aquamarine light that colors the entire realm and releases dense moisture. Not just heat, but it actually radiates moisture throughout the realm.


    The feeling of being instantly wet and being drenched in water almost immediately was similar to how, if a normal sun was present, a person would instantly feel heat and warmth.


    Yan Zaizen truly felt that the world was filled with infinite possibilities.


    "Look!" Bai Lufeng dashed towards the railings and pointed at the six planets that orbited the sun. Their orbit was odd and it had one peculiarity that made it even more abnormal. There was a large, very large singular moon within the realm. This moon rotated around each planet in a cycle, as if it didn''t have a set orbit.


    The planets themselves were water. Simply water. They were all bluer than the bluest of blues. The realm had water worlds as planets. From what he could see, there wasn''t a single trace of land on their surfaces.


    "The Deluge Realm is known for their planets and vicious floods that add layers upon layers of additional water to their planets each year. It''s said, at a specific cycle, the moon and sun correlates in a way that it gathers moisture in a Lunar Eclipse. After the cycle passes, the world is washed anew with a grand flood of the entire realm. If a solar eclipse happens, the flood gets so bad that the nearby Border Expanse floods as well for millions of li." Tao said in wonder. The Deluge Realm was truly a piece of excellently crafted work beneath the heavens.


    Yan Zaizen recalled the Gunyu Race. From what he understood, the Xiantu Realm''s human race was called Lycah. They were rather weak, ordinary, and didn''t have any special features at birth. They had odd bloodlines intermixed with a vast quantity of other races. In truth, Lycah was a derogatory term which meant ''basic''. At least in the universal language, it sounded similar.


    Despite this, they were known as a humanoid race with vast potential in terms of adding other bloodlines and developing. They were also the most common humanoid race in the Rebirth Era. Supposedly, the ruler of this era was a Lycah.


    Gunyu, however, were a race of people with gills that weren''t gills and lungs that weren''t lungs. They could breathe air, water, and essence. As for Lycah, if they didn''t have a high cultivation base or water-based art, they can drown and suffocate. Despite their adaptability, they still can''t live in the Border Expanse without their essence. Like all other races, they''ll die.


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "From what I read, Lycah, Gunyu, and beasts suitable for water are the main population of the world," Tao informed, playing around with the dense water in the air to form characters. Bai Lufeng and Yan Zaizen were doing the same. It seemed they were even having a competition as to who can write their names more quickly.


    Yan Zaizen won.


    "Lycah? Could they even survive in this environment?" Yan Zaizen commented. Currently, his physique allowed him to exist even in chaotic space without air so living here wouldn''t be an issue, but that''s because his body was no longer a Lycah but a Herculean.


    "It seems there''s a qi-art that''s pretty common that allows even Qi Foundation cultivators to extract air from the water." Tao didn''t need air to breathe. The moment he underwent Qi Unification evolution, his body could survive in any environment with simply qi-essence alone.


    "Six planets¡­" Bai Lufeng muttered, they had different sizes but looked the same blue color. If it wasn''t for the fact they had different sizes, he wouldn''t be able to tell them apart. "Where do we go?"


    Yan Zaizen''s ears perked when he heard that. A smile crossed his face. "When I soul searched that Gunyu Heavenly Genesis pirate, I gained some information. The Deluge is holding an auction!" His voice contained some excitement. Mostly because he can sell the heavenly altar.


    "Hm?" Yan Zaizen placed his hand in front of his face and his eyes flickered. As if in a trance, he muttered, "...To contain light, warmth, moisture, and energy. Bestow this to the world, echo out a living breath."


    Suddenly, his hand shone with an aquamarine. Tao and Bai Lufeng were shocked, their gazes focused in on Yan Zaizen''s glowing palm.


    Boom!


    The water in the surroundings gathered, merged with his true-essence, and formulated a mini-sized Aqua Solar Sphere. Emanating warmth, moisture, blue light, and bursting energy, it stayed perfectly formed in his palm.


    "!"


    "!"


    They both were shocked as they eyed the miniaturized sun. As if to compare, they looked at the blue sun in the distance and back. With each time they did, the shock in their eyes grew.


    Yan Zaizen exited his daze and saw the sun. He felt a little bitter. Not because he just comprehended a water-based concept, but he did so unwillingly. There wasn''t even a Heavenly Domain where he could investigate the laws. It was¡­


    "Sudden Inspiration?" Tao said with wonder. Typically, the event would happen from time to time. One moment, you are walking down the street, the next, you conceive an idea worth billions. However, in the cultivation world, it generally indicated an advance in understanding arts or laws.


    "Yeah. Haha." Yan Zaizen awkwardly chuckled. He waved his palm, dispersing the miniature aqua sun. He could feel his understanding of the concept Aqua Solar Sphere increase with each passing second in the Deluge Realm. However, he was shocked that he didn''t comprehend Aqua Solar Fire. If he did, it could burn energy to produce moisture and water like the Unyielding Flame of Life.


    "The gifts of a Non-Entity¡­" Pinaka softly commented. She felt bad for all others in the world. Yan Zaizen will likely have many, many more of those moments while others could only dream of them.


    Ignoring Pinaka, Yan Zaizen picked out the planet the auction will be held in and drove down. Tao and Bai Lufeng were lamenting over how talented Yan Zaizen was in comparison to themselves.

 Chapter 184 - Rain Flow City

    Entering the planet''s atmosphere, Yan Zaizen was once again amazed. There was literally no land. All the cities were underwater. Even though he searched the pirate captain''s soul, experiencing it first-hand left one breathless.


    The realmship penetrated the water, but when it did, they felt an immense pressure suddenly. The barrier around the realmship held but the water was let in. It seems the shielding was semi-permeable and allowed water without essence in. This was likely a special feature the Gunyu race enjoyed.


    As for the water, the moment it filled the shield, it felt like a mysterious force was pressing against their bodies. It felt heavy and crushing.


    "Gravity?" Yan Zaizen curiously asked.


    "Hydrostatic Pressure." Tao corrected, "The dense water places force on other objects. It''s noted that just ten inches of water here is like a li of distance in normal water." After describing that, he had to circulate his qi-essence to deal with the pressure. Bai Lufeng followed. Soon, they dived down.


    Yan Zaizen felt a little pinch, but it wasn''t incredible. However, he was shocked to discover that this distance would flatten a mortal''s body into nothing.


    "The Gunyu has a naturally adaptable body to the environment. They can swim in this pressure. Their physical bodies are unnaturally strong at birth as well. They could rival Essence Formation cultivators strength at birth." Tao added.


    "Interesting!" Essence Formation was the third step in the Essence Path. To be born with a body of that strength was an extraordinary advantage. Not close to divine beasts but still an advantage if compared to Lycahs.


    It wasn''t long before they reached the actual city. It was completely made of sapphire jade that seemed to contain flushing water. To those unfamiliar with it, it felt like the city was swirling in a toilet. It wasn''t long before they grew used to the circulation and saw the city for what it was.


    It was grand, had tall buildings with odd spirals, wide areas littered certain locations, and streets as wide as a river. it was like a country underwater. It was also based in the water without a foundation. Despite that, it was completely stationary. "Rain Flow City, the capital city of the Deluge Realm." Yan Zaizen stated, then continued, "The Shangyang Auction held once a century, hosted by Yu Shi - The Realmlord of Deluge Realm - is located here."


    Unlike the Xiantu Realm, the Deluge Realm was more developed and had a third-floor Heavenly Genesis expert at the helm. If it wasn''t for the Xiantu Emperor''s recent construction of his third-floor, they could never compare.


    Yan Zaizen felt boundless respect for anyone who can control a realm. He was unsure of his current strength, but he knew that any individual that can claim a realm didn''t comprehend a Mortal Law, but a World Law. The difference in strength was easily understood. For example, Guan Yin comprehended the saber law, a Mortal Law, but she truly wasn''t much. The saber law wasn''t even a peak Mortal Law.


    As they arrived at the barrier entrance to enter the city, they awaited reception from a guard. Yan Zaizen noted that the streets and open areas were empty. There didn''t seem to be anyone outside, not even kids.


    Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!


    In a literal second, the realmship was surrounded by tens of thousands of Gunyu race warriors. They had sapphire armaments and held spears with emerald tips. The tips radiated a profound pressure that caused Tao and Bai Lufeng''s hearts to beat rapidly.


    They encircled the realmship in a formation, activating various silver light talismans that seemed to constrict the surrounding space. With this, they prevented the realmship''s spatial shifting abilities.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    Yan Zaizen could feel profound cultivation bases from each member and not a single one was less than mid-Origin Core Realm in either body or qi. There were several dozens at the True Essence Realm, there was even one at the late stage.


    "Power down your formations!" The late-True Essence expert shouted fiercely. Yan Zaizen was shocked but then quickly understood. The realmship originally belonged to a first-floor Heavenly Genesis pirate. He had to be incredibly famous if he pirated nearby with that cultivation base.


    The realmship must''ve been identified the moment they entered the realm. He wondered why, despite traveling so far and so deep, there was no Gunyu swimming around. Furthermore, there was no one outside the barrier. It was as if they cleared out all to prepare for a grand event.


    His thoughts weren''t wrong.


    They cleared out all the citizens and guests, readied the formation and laid in wait. The pirate captain was infamous for his devious schemes and brutal methods. He also owned a realmship thanks to a fortuitous encounter that left many with deep envy. Not even Shi Yu, the Realmlord of Deluge Realm, or the Xiantu Emperor owned a realmship.


    "Young Lord, I think they¡­" Bai Lufeng cautiously looked at the group. For some odd reason, he felt fear in his heart as if he was being watched by an all-mighty existence. He felt insecure and moved closer to Yan Zaizen. Only then did the feeling lessen.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled. He looked at the deep ocean sky, waved his hand to produce the water-attributed, first-floor heavenly shrine. Holding it up, he continued looking up at a specific location, "This realmship is now mine. I took it. I''m here for the auction. Will you let me enter?" Yan Zaizen words caused all the surrounding warriors'' hearts to tremble.


    Yan Zaizen had a profound understanding in spatial laws. It wasn''t hard for him to isolate space and prevent the realmship from spatial shifting for a brief period of time. As for the captain, he may have constructed a World Law heavenly shrine, but he was nothing before Yan Zaizen''s fist.


    It wasn''t even a battle. It was a kidnapping. He was grabbed like a child, suppressed like Dong Long in the Asura Phantom Realm, and mercilessly soul searched against his will.


    Others may have trouble handling him, but Yan Zaizen didn''t even give the man time to speak, let alone escape or even beg.


    A swirling force formed at the spot Yan Zaizen was looking. A grand whirlpool the size of a mountain was produced. Out of this whirlpool walked an elegantly dressed young man with blue-skin, greenish hair, and deep blue eyes that seemed to contain the entire ocean. If one looked too deeply, they''ll feel like they were spiraling. It was a similar feeling as looking at Rain Flow City.


    The man carefully examined the heavenly shrine within Yan Zaizen''s palm. It was about the size of a tennis ball. When he felt its aura, his gaze flickered unfathomably. A warm smile surfaced on his face, "Greetings, my honored guest. Apologies for the theatrics." With a wave of his hand, the tens of thousands of guards retreated as quickly as they arrived.


    "Apologies for not informing you earlier. I had my reservations about disturbing you." Yan Zaizen words were filled with lies. In truth, he had suspicions of who this young man was but not a certainty.


    "I see. Next time, you don''t need to hold such reservations." He calmly waved his hand, opening a large hole in the city''s barrier formation and motioned for Yan Zaizen to enter.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t stand on ceremony. He placed the heavenly shrine away and motioned Tao to pilot the ship. They entered the city quickly.


    Bai Lufeng couldn''t help but sigh. "With strength, the world opens. If it refuses to, you can force it." He thought in melancholy. If he had such power, he would never have suffered, his family would still be alive, and he would have countless options available in life.


    After entering, Yan Zaizen exited the realmship. With a slow speed, he flew towards the elegant young man who entered as well. When the young man saw Yan Zaizen approach, his eyes flickered but maintained his smile. He calmly awaited Yan Zaizen arrival.


    "Yan Zaizen." The moment he arrived, he introduced himself.


    "Yu Shi." Yu Shi calmly responded.


    Now, Yan Zaizen knew this was the Deluge Realmlord, the third-floor Heavenly Genesis expert. He sent a transmission for Tao to wait.


    After some discussion, further explaining the captain''s fate, they settled some matters. With a final nod, Yan Zaizen left. Yu Shi eyes narrowed looking at Yan Zaizen''s back then at the realmship. After a brief period, he took a step and the surrounding water swirled. He entered, disappearing as if he entered a spatial slit.


    When he arrived back on the realmship, "Let''s go. The Auction starts in ten days. We''ll explore the city until then!" He had an excited gleam in his eyes. Bai Lufeng and Tao were curious as to what they discussed, but they stayed silent.


    They knew that whatever just happened, their trip just got so much easier.

 Chapter 185 - Exotic Society

    Rain Flow City was about the same size as a continent in the Xiantu Realm. Its surface area was enough room for several countries, but it was purely a city. The entire city was formed with countless buildings as far as the eye can see. They ranged from two stories to skyscrapers that reached tens of thousands of feet high.


    After the incident outside passed, the citizens of Rain Flow City exited from their respective hiding locations and resumed their normal agendas as if nothing occurred. Yan Zaizen and crew was quite shocked to see the sudden resuming of activity.


    "They haven''t even looked at us," Tao highlighted. The citizens didn''t seem to care about the realmship or their existence. They proceeded to move along as if they were inconsequential. Yan Zaizen didn''t mind this, looking at the vast number of people moving about.


    Just as Tao said, Lycahs had a dense population in the city. The pressure within the city was at the absolute lowest, being as heavy as a normal pool. Furthermore, the essence density in the water was quite thick. It was suitable for any race to live in.


    Yan Zaizen kept the realmship in the Meteor Ring. "Each culture and inhabitants are different. It''s possible these people often keep to themselves, or simply wish to avoid trouble." Yan Zaizen remarked, landing at a fairly bustling street. Tao and Bai Lufeng landed near him. They realized his words were likely correct. Besides some minor glances of curiosity that''d fade as soon as it emerged, many would simply continue onwards with their daily lives.


    The streets were remarkably quiet filling with swooshing sounds of water. Any conversation that took place seemed to be transmitted through qi or soul energy. After all, they were underwater. If they talked underwater, it would simply be a jumbled mess.


    Everyone on the streets kept a certain distance, about four feet, from anyone not a part of their circle. Furrowing his brows, Yan Zaizen felt the society within the Deluge Realm truly was very, very different than the Xiantu Realm.


    Looking up, he could see countless people swimming in the city. Rain Flow City, after all, was immersed in water. Even at this moment, Yan Zaizen was submerged. Those above were traveling at high speeds with high cultivations. Witnessing this, Yan Zaizen inspected the individuals that were on the streets walking as if they were on the ground. His eyes shone with a brilliant light of realization.


    The ones who were walking on the streets had low cultivation bases. They were around the Qi Foundation to the Essence Formation Realm. The ones swimming swiftly above had cultivation bases at the Qi Unification Realm and higher. They included Lycah and Gunyu.


    "Seems like there''s some fundamental hierarchy enforced in the city," Tao assumed, realizing that the buildings structures were quite odd. Every building was two story, but the first and second story was far apart. The buildings were taller than average and the first door touched the ground like a normal entrance, but the second was higher up.


    The individuals on the ground walked through the first floor calmly while the one''s flying took the higher second story. There were some buildings with even nine total entrances, each higher than the last. Carefully looking at the residents swimming above them, they found that there seemed to be some invisible road or layer in the water.


    Just above them were initial-Qi Unification experts, above them was mid-Qi Unification experts, and so on.


    "You''re right." Yan Zaizen felt somewhat uncomfortable. As they traveled above, they didn''t even look down as if the people below them were non-existent. "For now, let''s just check out the sights." Yan Zaizen declared causing both Bai Lufeng and Tao''s eyes to shine brightly with excitement. They moved forward with high hopes and desire.


    Ten days later.


    "Well, isn''t this boring as all hell?" Yan Zaizen''s eyes flickered as he sat at a restaurant located on the ninth floor of a skyscraper. Bai Lufeng and Tao weren''t here. In truth, they were here, they just were on a lower floor. Because of their low cultivation bases, they were prohibited from dining at his level. As for him? Because his cultivation base was TOO high, he couldn''t dine with them.


    Their excuse?Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    It''ll make those with lower cultivation bases feel ''uncomfortable'' and ''pressured''.


    Yan Zaizen understood the logic but was still dissatisfied. With a higher cultivation base, people had a formless authority over weaker existence. It seems the society was constructed to prevent this exact scenario. Only in certain areas will you be able to interact with cultivators at your realm, but that was just in your realm. This didn''t even factor in comprehensive combat strength or talent, simply cultivation base.


    He was of the mind to simply say ''screw all'' towards the rules, but he wasn''t here to disrupt the order of their established society. In his mind, he wasn''t important enough to have the world focus on his every whim or desire, nor did he have the intentions to make it so. If he did use his cultivation base to oppress ordinary citizens, wouldn''t that only highlight why this society needed to exist.


    "To each their own." He remarked, his mind filled to the brink with boredom. In the Rain Flow City, True Essence cultivators typically hid like tortoises in their shells. Interacting with any of them would require going to their place of residence. Therefore, with the Origin Core experts denying interaction with him for society standard reasons, Yan Zaizen felt quite lonely.


    If it wasn''t for the Shangyang Auction, he would have regretted arriving in the realm. At least, he''d regret staying for ten days. As for Bai Lufeng, he felt the most oppressed. Because of the society''s rules, he couldn''t lure lower realm cultivators to his bed. His dream of sleeping with a harem of Gunyu women was shattered as he was left with Origin Core cultivators that didn''t even treat him seriously.


    Tao was the most bored. Rain Flow City''s society wasn''t one that emphasized academics. Their lack of scholars left him even more bored than Bai Lufeng and Yan Zaizen. As for the libraries, he needed to receive special permission to enter, and he couldn''t receive it even with Yan Zaizen''s support. The rules were so airtight that Tao felt suffocated.


    Essentially, abusing one''s cultivation base for an easier path was literally an impossibility. Their earlier assumption of life being easier for them was nothing but a delusion on their part. Yan Zaizen had only discussed some details regarding the Shangyang Auction and putting up the Heavenly Shrine. Besides that, there wasn''t much to gain from it.


    After their lonely dining experience, Yan Zaizen and the others departed the restaurant with long faces.


    "At least...the Auction starts today." Yan Zaizen begrudgingly muttered. Tao looked hesitant for a second, but then abruptly said, "I think, we should depart directly. Elysian Realm is a pretty long ways from here." Yan Zaizen''s eyes revealed excitement.


    Indeed!


    In truth, with the realmship, it would only take about a month to arrive in the Elysian Realm from the Deluge Realm. Realmships penetrated spatial void, tunneling through it rapidly with astonishing speeds, and allowing them to soar through the Border Expanse without worrying about encountering odd creatures like those planet-sized mouth-balls.


    Yan Zaizen, with his cultivation base and comprehension into spatial laws, could do something similar, but the exertion that would be placed on him would be massive. At one time, Yan Zaizen was thinking of constructing his own realmship. To do so, one needed to reach a comprehension into a spatial void concept at the Domain-level.


    Currently, Yan Zaizen''s conceptual law, Spatial Form of Infinite Stability, had already reached that. After his cultivation session of nearly fifteen hundred years, all of his laws, besides Archery of Major Destruction, reached the initial-Domain level.


    Nascent level was determined by the depth of conceptual comprehension. Reaching the perfect-stage of the Nascent Level indicated peak comprehension of one''s conceptual law.


    Force level represented true law energy integration. The conceptual law starts to develop the essence of their true law. Reaching the perfect-stage indicated peak integration of true law energy, allowing the conceptual law to maintain a strong connection with the heavenly law.


    Manifestation level represented the ability to draw upon that connection and enhancing the conceptual law to extraordinary levels, capable of manifesting true law centered around the concept. Essentially, it was a level that focused on enhancing conceptual strength.


    Domain level represented establishing a true connection with the heavenly law. When brought forth, the conceptual law could carve out an area of space beneath the heavens that solely belongs to it, capable of pushing out or destroying all others laws inferior to its own. Temporarily, the conceptual law could become the ruler of that space beneath heavens.


    Sovereign level turned the conceptual law into its own true law. No longer requiring the support of the heavens and even has the ability to create its own false heaven where it reigned king. At this point, one could forcefully integrate with the Heavenly Domain and excavate a piece of true law that resonates with their concept, capable of creating a Regalia of the Heavens.


    The realmship required a heavenly formation and comprehension that reached the domain level. It''s because of this requirement that the Xiantu Emperor and Deluge Realmlord didn''t have the qualifications to own a realmship. Also why, despite the former pirate captain being a menace with a low cultivation base, one where Yu Shi needed only a breath to eliminate, could roam freely and do whatever he wished.


    The moment he met Yan Zaizen, he met the bane of most realmships - someone who comprehended spatial laws to the domain level.


    "Let''s hope we make a delicious profit from this heavenly shrine. Let''s go!" Yan Zaizen and crew departed with high expectations.

 Chapter 186 - Shangyang Auction, Different Rules?!

    The Shangyang Auction was held in a wide, rectangular building that seemed to float within the sky at a certain height without a foundation. It stationarily lingered in the water like the Rain Flow City did in this world of water. It gave one a strange sensation of surrealism.


    The building was so wide that it seemed to stretch for several li in all directions. The altitude of the building indicated that only those at the Origin Core Realm or higher could attend. This seemed to be generally accepted. The normal citizens below didn''t seem too bothered or hyped by this event. Instead, the ones with the qualifications to enter just do so soundlessly and without disturbance.


    There wasn''t a single guard, simply a single entrance. This entrance wasn''t a door but just a tall and wide opening.


    "This place is truly too different from Xiantu Realm," Tao commented. He had read about different societies and cultures, and even in the Xiantu Realm, they had different religions and beliefs, but this was by far just...different. Everything felt so alien yet so familiar. The auctions held, restaurants, myriad of different forces, the cultivators air of supremacy, and more; yet all of this just made things even harder to adjust.


    "Yeah¡­" Yan Zaizen tried not to think about it, only arriving at the entrance and entering. He was curious how different the auction would be from what he was familiar with. In the Xiantu Realm, those with different statuses were located at better locations. They were also given the choice to remain anonymous if they so desired.


    "What!" Bai Lufeng, Tao, and Yan Zaizen were shocked as they entered the entrance. Their beliefs about auctions were completely overturned.


    When they arrived, they saw people just idly floating about. There seemed to be nine levels of altitude, with the lower one indicating initial-Origin Core Realm. The highest level had experts who emanated traces of heavenly aura. There was no seating, no arrangement, just levels. Everyone just picked a spot and waited. Even the Heavenly Genesis experts just calmly floated in their designated areas, unbothered by all.


    At the center of the building was a deep blue platform that rippled and fluctuated with a swirling aura. No one was within ten thousand feet of this location, causing Yan Zaizen to realize it was the auction platform.


    Looking around, Yan Zaizen was curious. No one came to receive them. No one came to introduce the rules. There was simply an entrance and nothing more. The choice of remaining anonymous was completely impossible in this setting. After all, there was only a wide open area and nothing else.


    "The Deluge Realm''s societal standards and approach towards specific activities are just FAR too different. Aren''t they scared of¡­" Yan Zaizen was truly about to question the mentality of those who designed this auction, but then he came to a realization. There''s a low chance anyone would be able to fight within the city. In that case, buying whatever you want, whenever you want, without caring about others were possible.


    Thinking up to here, he decided to forgo his previous criticism.


    "I guess...we''ll have to separate¡­" Bai Lufeng dejectedly said. In truth, Tao''s cultivation base was actually higher than his own, being at the late-Origin Core Realm, while he was still at the mid-Origin Core Realm.


    Due to the events at the Xiantu Continent, Bai Lufeng''s cultivation speed slowed down to a snail''s crawl. There were even a few times he severely injured himself due to memory recalls at key moments. Therefore, if they were to find spots accordingly, he would be placed at a lower location than the other two.


    Even when they dined in restaurants, they had to do so separately.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes flickered but he wasn''t having it. They had been segregated too much the last few days and it felt beyond boring. "Don''t resist," Yan Zaizen waved his hand and drew Tao and Bai Lufeng into the Meteor Ring. With a step, he arrived at the initial-True Essence Realm''s level. When he arrived, he felt a ripple wash over him.


    He furrowed his brows. "It seems like they make sure you''re located where you should." The ripple earlier had faint traces of spiritual sense, but it seemed to originate from a formation rather than an actual person. The society standards were heavily enforced.


    After getting into position, Yan Zaizen closed his eyes. His spiritual form appeared in the Meteor Ring, with a thought, his spiritual form took the form of a physical body representation. Therefore, he wasn''t a walking figure of multi-color lights but looked as if he had a body of flesh.


    Tao and Bai Lufeng had expressions of comfort. They were staring at the two stars above the Meteor Ring. One was the Aurora Star. It was large, grand, and released an aura that soothed the soul. The other was the Asura Star, it had a very violent, vicious, and malevolent aura but it was like a far-off star in comparison to the Aurora Star.


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    "Astral Soul Realm¡­" Tao understood that the Meteor Ring projected a manifestation of Yan Zaizen''s soul cultivation, so he wasn''t stunned, but Bai Lufeng''s eyes seemed to be lost in bliss as he stared at the star that seemed to emanate warmth. He had a desire to embrace it with his everything. The star gave him the feeling that, if he entered, everything in his life would be complete.


    Woosh!


    Yan Zaizen shifted near Bai Lufeng and Tao, "We''ll view the auction here." He waved his hand, projecting a screen of the deep-blue platform in the center of the building. Bai Lufeng remained stationary as he stared at the star, while Tao had already broken out of his stupor after a flash of dark-amber light flickered in his gaze.


    With a pointed finger, he placed it at Bai Lufeng''s glabella. A flash of dark-amber light that originated from his bestowed dao erupted. Bai Lufeng''s eyes regained its normal clarity. "I¡­" He looked lost, his gaze flickering with dark-amber light. Only after a few seconds did he regain his calm.


    "The Aurora Astral Star contain Yan Zaizen''s Mortal Dao. The influence at the projection is hundreds of times stronger than normal. Keep your wits about yourself." Tao chuckled, recalling Lin Feilin in Presba. Yan Zaizen had mentioned if his dao was the reason she was influenced towards him. At the time, Yan Zaizen hadn''t finished his Mortal Dao nor did he fully unleash it, yet Lin Feilin was like a baby chick to a father hen.


    She gravitated towards his warmth and tyrannical authority. Bai Lufeng just experienced this but several hundred of thousands of times greater. If it wasn''t for the fact that Tao possessed Yan Zaizen''s dao, even he would be greatly affected.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t mind Bai Lufeng''s reaction. In truth, he was looking at Bai Lufeng to gauge his reaction. Currently, Bai Lufeng''s still had cracks in his psyche, evident by his cultivation speed and slight shifts in personality. Pinaka theorized that if Bai Lufeng obtained Yan Zaizen''s Mortal Dao, it''s possible those cracks in his psyche would be filled up. Yan Zaizen had other thoughts; therefore, he didn''t bestow Bai Lufeng with his dao.


    "The auction is beginning," Tao pointed out. Their gazes drew to the projected screen to see a young gunyu woman swim on stage with a smile. When she arrived, she didn''t speak, instead, she sent out a wide soul transmission to all participants.


    "Greetings all!" After the initial greeting, she proceeded to explain the rules and details of the auction. She alluded to some fascinating items being placed in this auction. The rules of this auction caused Yan Zaizen''s group expressions to turn ugly. Bidding was done differently. Very differently! There was no intense competitions or continuous bids, but only a single bid.


    You can only bid a single time on a single item. This bid can be placed at any time during the hour representation of the said item.


    If someone bids higher than you, you''ll lose that item.


    At the end of the auction, the winning bidder will be sent a soul transmission to inform them of their successful bid.


    It''s like...this entire city were overt in their attempts at avoiding potentials of conflict.


    Holy shit.


    Essentially, bid high or don''t bid at all.


    Not to mention, there''s no way to know who wins a particular item since all bids are done by soul transmissions to the auctioneer. Afterward, the item would simply be won and moved on. At the end of the auction, you would pick up your items. When the auction concludes, the prices at which the items were sold would be released to the public for perusal.


    A deep, long sigh filled with depression was released from Yan Zaizen. Tao and Bai Lufeng felt odd in their hearts. Was this how the myriad realms were? The variety and possibilities scared them.


    Yan Zaizen felt saddened by the fact he couldn''t attempt to buy everything in a tyrannical fashion. In Sky Night Royal City, he couldn''t do so because a ninety-nine percent of the items were his own. In Rain Flow City, he couldn''t do so because no one would even know he bought it. He couldn''t flaunt his absurd wealth obtained from robbery and extortion. He felt depressed.


    He received a soul transmission. This transmission resounded like a grand voice within the Meteor Ring, "First item: A grand-tier pill that can be considered at the peak of the tier. To be precise, it''s at the apex! An Apex Essence Pill. Please, make your bid.

 Chapter 187 - Bidding and...?

    "..." All three of them felt odd. For some reason, Yan Zaizen felt a sensation of D¨¦j¨¤ vu. If by some chance, the next hundred items were things he already had, he felt that he would go literally insane.


    "It seems they don''t list any minimum price¡­" Tao stated, trying to shake off the feeling of familiarity of events. The Shangyang Auction does not list minimum prices due to their unique rules. You list, what you believe, an appropriate price you can afford. If you get outbid, then it''s your loss for not valuing the item enough. It also tested your knowledge of the items worth.


    For example, an Apex Essence Pill''s value was about four million low-grade essence crystal in worth. In comparison, a drop of heavenly liquid was worth one quadrillion low-grade essence crystals. To Yan Zaizen, this pill''s value was insignificant. Heavenly Genesis experts could, on average, produce one heavenly drop a century, so their wealth allowed them to buy many, many things.


    Despite this, what they needed the most for cultivation was heavenly liquid, so obtaining it or using it to purchase things was unlikely. As for the bets at the Xiantu Banquet, a majority of those bets were one to three drops.


    Yan Zaizen checked his current wealth. After the Xiantu Banquet bets and robbing the pirate group, specifically the captain, the number of heavenly drops he possessed was seven hundred and six. The captain had one hundred and three drops on his person. This was already a staggering amount of wealth. As for the other things, they probably would be worth a few heavenly drops.


    As for the Apex Essence Pill, he had already obtained three in the Asura Phantom Realm, one of which he sold to Wu Kun, and several he obtained from the pirates. In total, he already had eight. Therefore, the pill wasn''t valuable to him one bit.


    After an hour exactly, the next item was brought forth. Looking at the auctioneer, beside her was a blue longsword that radiated sharp ripples. "Next item: Sky-rank, mid-grade, water-attributed longsword named Ripple Wave Blade. This weapon has the rippling sword conceptual law embedded into the Spirit Form, making it highly complementary to sword cultivators who practice similar water laws!"


    "..." Yan Zaizen grew bored. This very item wasn''t unique, he actually obtained one just like it from the pirate group. Tao and Bai Lufeng''s eyes, however, were shining. They were both sword users and thus felt incredibly fascinated by the sword. With their realms, handling a blade of this level wasn''t even possible, at least, they wouldn''t be able to bring forth its full strength without true-essence.


    Sky-Rank armaments had Spirit Forms that contained conceptual laws and formations that complemented them. However, to fully bring out its full potential, one needed true-essence. The higher the grade, the more this was the case. Not to mention, a single usage of a low-grade, sky-rank armament could drain about ten to fifteen percent of an initial-True Essence experts true-essence. If they tried to, they''d be sucked dry without even getting off a single strike.


    Spirit-Rank armaments had True Spirits with intelligence, they were mostly independent and relied on their own strength. For example, Pinaka could kill two-floor Heavenly Genesis experts by herself, even without Yan Zaizen''s help. All Yan Zaizen can do is direct and merge his strength with Pinaka''s, enhancing both of their capabilities. Therefore, even a Qi Foundation cultivator could wield a Spirit-Rank armament as long as the spirit was willing.


    "Next item: ¡­" As the auction continued, Yan Zaizen felt relieved. He didn''t have some of the items shown which dissipated that uncomfortable feeling. Unfortunately, they weren''t useful to him. Bai Lufeng and Tao didn''t even consider asking for anything. Everything in the auction thus far required a True Essence Realm or higher to use, so having it wasn''t important for them at the moment. As for pills, elixirs, and crystals for cultivation, they had Yan Zaizen who had the fattest of wallets right next to them, did they need any?


    "Next Item: Divine Aqua Stone. A heavenly material useful in constructing heavenly shrines related to water-based conceptual laws! Please, make your bid." The auctioneer announced. Yan Zaizen''s eyes lit up as he saw this. To build one''s heavenly shrine, you typically needed heavenly-grade materials or materials that contained traces of law energy born naturally beneath the 33 heavens.


    He had comprehended Aqua Solar Sphere conceptual law by accident, but with his unique circumstances, reaching the manifestation level was only a matter of time.


    In the Heavenly Path, one can construct multiple heavenly shrines. Doing so was rare, mainly because the difficulties in building one was already profoundly high. The comprehension of laws, even a single one, could take far, far too long for advancement. Furthermore, even if you built multiple shrines, your lifespan wouldn''t experience an increase. Therefore, doing so was considered foolish unless one had astounding talents. After all, regardless of your race, as long as you belong to a certain species, you''re subjected to lifespan limitations.


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    Therefore, Gunyu, Lycah, or any other humanoid race had similar lifespan limitations at birth. Only when their body cultivation, soul cultivation, and qi/heavenly cultivation increases would this change. Thus, having 33 first-floor heavenly shrines would still leave you with an average of one hundred and fifty thousand years of life for a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert.


    It was a division of limited time that simply wasn''t worth it. However, Yan Zaizen currently had space, time, life, death, soul, archery with destruction, and now water laws. He had already reached the requirement to build heavenly shrines for all except water law.


    "How much do you think we should bid?" He turned to Tao. Furrowing his brows, Tao was thinking of a good price to obtain the object. However, heavenly-grade material was astoundingly difficult to obtain. After all, they were used in pills, elixirs, heavenly shrines, armaments, talismans, and even formation flags. They had boundless uses and thus were quite pricey.


    He also had to consider how much this single material would lead to the completion of a water-attributed heavenly shrine. From his understanding, it''ll likely complete about ten percent of a first floor. With all these variables to consider, he felt a little overwhelmed. This bidding method was astonishingly difficult to deal with. If he bid too low, then the object was lost. If he bid too high, then they would lose a lot from the deal.


    Even after thirty minutes, Tao couldn''t decide. Bai Lufeng was shocked. Was deciding a bid so difficult? Is this why bids were an hour apart? Yan Zaizen, on the other hand, was quite patient. To him, he already had water-attributed heavenly material from the pirate captain. This was a decision of whether he should prepare more for later.


    After a while, he decided to simply make a mid.


    The average value of something like this was about 30 trillion low-grade essence stones.


    "300 trillion low-grade essence stones." He sent the soul transmission. It resounded within the Meteor Ring causing Tao and Bai Lufeng to be shocked.


    "Are you sure?" Tao asked cautiously. That was ten times the average price. It''s unlikely anyone would buy such a thing at that price. With this, he was confident that Yan Zaizen would win this completely.


    "I''m sure." Yan Zaizen smiled. If this was normal bidding standards, he would probably be putting on an arrogant expression, flourishing his sleeves, and shouting domineeringly for someone to challenge him. However, he''ll have to settle for a self-satisfied chuckle.


    The bid concluded.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    All three of them were shocked.


    Typically, when a bid was won, the auctioneer would send a soul transmission to the winning party. However¡­


    "Where the hell is my message?!" Yan Zaizen''s handsome face was ugly to the extreme. He bid ten times, TEN TIMES, the market price. How the hell did he lose? Who was the bastard that bid higher than that? Were they insane?!?! Did they want to fight?! COME AT ME!


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes were filled with anger and battle intent, as if he was personally insulted.


    Tao and Bai Lufeng looked at Yan Zaizen and realized that...maybe...just maybe...auctioning this way truly did avoid trouble. With Yan Zaizen''s temperament, it''s likely he''ll rob the person who outbid him in a split second. In hindsight, it was probably for the best that Sky Night Royal City''s auction was mostly Yan Zaizen''s items. After all, anything he considered his was his reverse scale.


    Yan Zaizen felt dissatisfied but felt helpless. He just cursed bad luck on whoever took his item, this included eighteen generations of their family.


    In the auction room, Yan Zaizen''s real body took out a moist, succulent velvet cake atop a golden plate to comfort himself. Projecting a shield to push away the water, he began to eat in frustration. His eyes darted about as he stuffed his face, as if trying to discreetly discover who outbid him.

 Chapter 188 - Bai Lufengs Plea!

    ¡°Bull! Total bull!¡± Yan Zaizen had already gone through seven different types of cake. Every time a bid for a water-attributed heavenly material went up, he would bid an absurd price, but every time, without fail, he would not obtain any message of winning. Which meant, he lost every last one of his bids. At the moment, he was stressed.


    The atmosphere was different than one filled with intense bidding and slinging insults. It was an atmosphere of the unknown. However, even he was unwilling to throw money at things and suffer an intense loss. How sad would that be? After all, he loved obtaining things. But he loved his money more. In the end, in the cultivation world, it¡¯s possible he¡¯ll obtain these things using...other methods.


    Moreover, he could probably just find a greater realm and buy these things for less than the auctioned price. Unlike others who would take millennia or centuries to travel to other realms, he had a realmship!


    As the auction continued, he just simply stopped bidding on heavenly materials.


    ¡°Next item: Our first heavenly-tier pill! Seventh State Earth Pill! This pill will allow you to reach the seventh state of self-enlightenment. If appropriately used, it could support you in enhancing your soul cultivation!¡± The auctioneer transmitted, her voice contained traces of excitement.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s brows furrowed. He had heard of these pills. The seventh state was essentially overt awareness of the seventh sense. If the five senses were physical, the sixth was instinctual, then the seventh was personal awareness. It¡¯s one¡¯s perception of themselves rather than what they hear, see, feel, taste, or touch, but who they truly were.


    Essentially, this seventh state wasn¡¯t much different from enlightenment, except it only helped with understanding yourself through introspection. The eighth sense related to the heavens and how it''s perceived, typically relating to laws and concepts. In records, it''s stated that all existences have nine senses. However, no one knows what the ninth sense is.


    ¡°The Seventh State has three pills, Earth, Sky, and Heaven,¡± Tao explained, ¡°Each was heavenly-tier, but the Earth Pill was only low-grade in quality. Even if you obtained it, or any of the others, it didn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be able to progress in soul cultivation, simply be an additional support. It¡¯s quite similar to the True Sublimation Pill.¡±


    Yan Zaizen nodded. Tao¡¯s words were the truth, even if he obtained it, it didn¡¯t mean he would or could make a breakthrough in his soul cultivation. It just meant that entering the state would occur. The greater the grade of the pill, the greater the immersion.


    However, Bai Lufeng¡¯s eyes flickered at this. To him, this pill was vastly important. He had a deep, deep heart demon embedded in his psyche. This directly impacted his soul. If he could enhance his soul cultivation, perhaps the hindrance would be alleviated or removed! Right now, he needed to face his demon through introspection and this could help it.


    Yan Zaizen knew this, but he didn¡¯t say anything. Instead, he glanced at Bai Lufeng who was fidgeting.


    The market price of this pill was absurd.


    ¡°...three quintillion essence crystals¡­¡± Tao muttered, causing Bai Lufeng to fidget even more. This was equivalent to three heavenly drops. THREE! This was three centuries of a Heavenly Genesis experts effort. That was just the base price.


    ¡°Haaaaa¡­¡± Yan Zaizen deeply sighed. Bai Lufeng wasn¡¯t like Tao to him. Tao was a brother who he swore to travel the myriad realms with at their lowest. He would fight the very heavens for him fearlessly, but Bai Lufeng...he was more like a weak soldier who had very little use. He couldn¡¯t even pilot the realmship. If it wasn¡¯t for the fact that he¡¯s been loyal to Yan Zaizen since joining, he would¡¯ve left him in the Xiantu Realm.


    Bai Lufeng knew this. He felt awkward and guilty just wishing to ask. All those years ago, Yan Zaizen could¡¯ve killed him but instead, he let him join in their adventures. When he was kidnapped and tortured, Yan Zaizen saved his life. Yet...he desired much but could only offer little.


    After a while, Yan Zaizen rationalized.


    In the Border Expanse, those mouth-balls could¡¯ve taken their lives. If it wasn¡¯t for Bai Lufeng informing him, it''s possible they could¡¯ve ended up in the belly of those things. In truth, this was the case. If Tao had experienced Bai Lufeng¡¯s feelings, his unreasonable confidence would¡¯ve led him to disregard it. Only Bai Lufeng, who learned his lesson in the Xiantu Realm about not immediately informing others, would¡¯ve taken such a course of action.


    ¡°Five heavenly drops.¡± Yan Zaizen directly announced, causing Tao to softly smile. Bai Lufeng was shocked. His gaze towards Yan Zaizen contained profound, immeasurable thanks.


    After an hour, ¡°Mister, you¡¯ve won the bid for the Seventh State Earth Pill. Your assigned lot number for all purchases is 181. Thank you for your purchase.¡± The auctioneer¡¯s soft, delicate voice resounded in the Meteor Ring. So, it seems that they truly did send messages. However, this left him disheartened. He truly lost all his previous bids.


    The bids continued.


    ¡°We have a very special item! A dual cultivation cauldron, a hybrid of a Divine Beast - The Pale Arctic Wolf - and a human of the gigantus race!¡± The Auctioneer¡¯s voice was filled with brilliant excitement, and even her eyes were shining with profound light. As she did, a silver-bar cage was rolled into sight. It contained a naked woman.


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    When Yan Zaizen and the others saw this woman, they were immensely shocked. The most notable feature of this woman was her ample, vastly ample, bosom. Despite her curvy figure, long legs, soft jade skin, deep-white hair that reached her feet, what stood out was her chest! Her figure was slightly thick, filled with delicate musculature that didn¡¯t take away from her soft skin or seem overly manly.


    She laid on the floor, her legs bent. To her left leg, a single shackle was seen that extended to the center of the cage. Her naked body seemed untainted, but her long hair was in disarray. If it wasn¡¯t for the water occasionally moving it to the side, it would be impossible to see her body clearly.


    ¡°Breasts¡­¡± Tao¡¯s eyes revealed a deep light of perversion. Bai Lufeng, however, was trembling intensely as he watched the woman, naked, and attached by the leg to the center of the cage. His hands couldn¡¯t stop trembling, and his eyes started to lose focus. Memories were exploding in his mind, and he felt his body go unbearably cold.


    Internally, he could remember the screams of himself and others as they defiantly desired life.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s brows furrowed. Slavery wasn¡¯t uncommon in the cultivation world, at least in the Xiantu Empire. This was obviously represented by Grux, a literal slave-based country, but this was the first time he saw a human being auctioned as a cauldron. Her cultivation was at the peak-True Essence, but it had a faint heavenly aura.


    ¡°Her heavenly shrine was taken?¡± Yan Zaizen noted. He was shocked to learn she was a gigantus. Shouldn¡¯t they be giant? She was about his height, if not a few inches lesser. He wasn¡¯t familiar with foreign races, so he was quite curious about them. Despite this, he had little intention of buying this woman.


    He could tell her body¡¯s vital energies reached the Heavenly Genesis realm in intensity, likely the first-floor. She would be an absolutely heavenly-tier dual cultivation partner. Not to mention, she had two unique bloodlines. The children''s she could have would be extraordinary. Some may even use her as a breeding machine.


    What truly shocked him was why the Deluge Realmlord was auctioning this woman off. If he used her for his own uses, his cultivation would still benefit.


    ¡°FREE HER!!!¡± Bai Lufeng shrieked. His mental state wasn¡¯t sane. Yan Zaizen saw him and waved his hand. Immediately, Bai Lufeng lost consciousness. Furrowing his brows, he couldn¡¯t help feel sympathetic for her, but it wasn¡¯t to the extent he would pay, likely, over a hundred heavenly drops for her because of it.


    Tao was silent, looking at the unconscious Bai Lufeng.


    ¡°!¡±


    ¡°AH!!¡± Bai Lufeng abruptly jumped out of unconsciousness, lunging towards Yan Zaizen. In his eyes was a madness that felt ridiculous and scalp numbing. There were even tears dripping from his eyes. Yan Zaizen was deeply startled. Just as he was about to send Bai Lufeng into a deeper state of unconsciousness, ¡°PLEASE!! SAVE ME!!!¡±


    Thumm!


    His heart skipped a beat looking at those eyes filled with despair and urgency. Tao¡¯s mind was visibly shaken, he trembled at the sheer pain from those words. Biting his lips, he looked downwards. He couldn¡¯t imagine how it felt to live in darkness, being tortured in body and soul, and taunted by your captors. To wish to be saved but having such a wish unfulfilled day in and day out.


    Even suicide wasn¡¯t a possibility.


    ¡°Haaaa¡­.Calm down.¡± His eyes flashed with dark-amber light. Bai Lufeng visibly calmed down at that, his body shrouded in the profound warmth of his original existence. Like a child in his father¡¯s embrace, Bai Lufeng ceased any further outcry.


    ¡°Two hundred heavenly drops.¡± Yan Zaizen bid. If he didn¡¯t do this, he would feel guilty, not towards the woman, but towards Bai Lufeng. If he was lucky, perhaps, this may be cathartic for him. If so, then it¡¯ll be worth it. Even though it didn''t make much sense, but his instincts whispered to him slightly that buying this woman had benefits, he just didn''t know how.


    An hour later. ¡°Mister, you¡¯ve won the bid for the Hybrid Cauldron. Your assigned lot number for all purchases is 181. Thank you for your purchase.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen looked at Bai Lufeng with flickering emotions. While Bai Lufeng was standing there absentmindedly.


    Pinaka¡¯s voice sounded so that only Yan Zaizen could hear, ¡°In life, wealth is temporary. Remember this.¡±


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen understood her. In this world, at this moment, he had only two friends. A brother who he met at the precipice of death - Tao. A soldier who¡¯s loyal - Bai Lufeng. If Yan Zaizen hadn¡¯t risen so quickly in strength, Bai Lufeng still would¡¯ve stayed with him. Despite his weakness, he decided to travel to the myriad realms. Bai Lufeng was willing to explore the vast dangers that await.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I will never regret a choice I made.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flashed with dark-amber light.

 Chapter 189 - Lang Xue

    After that bid, Yan Zaizen didn''t feel like bidding on anything else. He just continued to drink some wine while he watched the proceedings. Bai Lufeng had long since broken out of his stupor, his gaze had hints of shame. Having lost his mind just earlier, he felt that he was burdening Yan Zaizen and Tao. He grew up in Grux, a slave-centric country, and yet...the moment he saw someone enslaved, he flared up with unstable emotions.


    This led to Yan Zaizen bidding two hundred heavenly drops for a person. The amount of wealth may exceed his eighteen generations life worth and then some. Tao didn''t say anything, just watching Bai Lufeng. Deep within Bai Lufeng''s eyes, there was a stable sensation of comfort. Despite his eyes of shame and guilt, his measured distance between Yan Zaizen grew even closer.


    At this moment, Bai Lufeng''s subconscious actions revealed his deep relief and profound gratefulness. Yan Zaizen noticed this too. He could tell that parts of Bai Lufeng''s psyche had stabilized, the cracks were mending.


    Sometimes, seeing someone avert an unfortunate fate you suffered helped. This was one of those cases.


    Just this alone was worth two hundred heavenly drops. After all, with his strength, what were two hundred drops? Just temporary drops in the ocean of his future. The realmship was worth nearly a hundred thousand heavenly drops, so he didn''t feel like he lost much. After all, it''s not like he can''t earn more using...particular methods.


    The water-attributed heavenly shrine he placed on auction was soon presented. He wondered if he could make up his losses.


    The Shangyang Auction came to an end. The heavenly shrine was sold for one hundred and fifty-three heavenly drops. This made up some of his loss, it made him feel slightly better.


    After claiming the two objects he won, Bai Lufeng was placed in the Meteor Ring to refine the Seventh State Earth Pill. With his current mental state, it was probably better for him to do so sooner rather than later.


    Yan Zaizen and Tao left the water planet and entered the Deluge Realm''s outer space. Personally, Yan Zaizen felt unreasonably uncomfortable in the Rain Flow City with their societal standards. After Yan Zaizen gave Yu Shi his goodbye, they departed quickly. At the moment, they were lingering within the realm''s frozen raindrops. On the deck of the ship was the woman with mind-boggling sized breasts.


    Yan Zaizen clothed her in whatever he could find, but she was pretty much in an half-conscious state. To prevent any perversions, Yan Zaizen had Pinaka place those clothes on her body. Tao only clicked his teeth at this. However, his eyes never left her chest.


    "She truly has an unreasonable set¡­" Yan Zaizen commented, looking at the white-haired woman laying on the deck.


    "And they seem so firm and perky, should that even be possible at that size?" Tao, as a scholar, felt that his understanding of anatomical physiques was severely lacking at the moment. Yan Zaizen chuckled lightly, "There are races with six arms, wings, and even gills that aren''t gills, lungs that aren''t lungs, and here you are questioning if a big chest is possible."


    Rubbing the bridge of his nose, Tao awkwardly smiled. Attempting to change the subject, "what will we do with her?" This question caused Yan Zaizen''s brows to furrow in contemplation. Obviously, Yan Zaizen wasn''t the type to indulge in things she was bought for. His expression suddenly turned depressed.


    He recalled that he was already fifteen hundred years old yet still a virgin. Not only that, he''s condensed his Astral Soul, reached the True Essence Realm, and has a body cultivation that could rival those who harness the power of the heavens...and yet¡­


    Rubbing his chin, Tao suggested, "You could use her to become a man, you know." After those words were spoken, his eyes traced the white-haired woman''s outline once more. She had long legs, long white hair that reached her feet, soft jade-like skin, and a toned body with the right curves and thickness. Not to mention, her breasts were so full that even if Yan Zaizen used his two hands, he probably wouldn''t be able to grasp one completely.


    He was curious about how she looked. With her white hair, her facial features were obscured. Even in the water, all they could see were traces of her countenance and nothing more.


    "I have principles, you know. Willingly or never," Yan Zaizen declared proudly with his chest puffed out. He wanted love and willingness in his man-becoming-moment. With a slave, it''s nearly impossible to get one of those things, let alone both. He also wanted it to be mutually consensual. The discomfort of forcing a woman to become his would feel horrendous. It could shatter his pride as a man, perhaps even his Mortal Dao.


    Tao absentmindedly nodded, obviously predicting Yan Zaizen''s response. After all, he knew Yan Zaizen''s standards were simply unreasonable. He may say he wanted two things, but he wanted so much more. Beauty, talent, wealth, personality, and such. If you added those in, it''s unlikely he''ll find someone. After all, anyone with such would have incredibly high standards as well. The chance they didn''t already have someone in mind made it even more difficult.


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    "Urgh¡­mhhm," The white-haired woman softly moaned. Tao jumped, his heart racing. He stepped back towards Yan Zaizen, looking at the woman with deep curiosity and interest. He knew that Yan Zaizen didn''t restrain her true-essence or vital energy, and albeit she may be weak at the moment, she could easily kill him in her current state with a slap. After all, her body was still physically strong.


    Pushing her hair away, her snowy-white eyes opened to see Yan Zaizen and Tao dozens of meters away from her. She was initially confused, her mind trying to recall her circumstances, and then, as if the situation dawned on her, she shot upwards and bared her sharp canine teeth. She was about to strike when a profound sensation of weakness and emptiness erupted from both her soul and body.


    Yan Zaizen was shocked. This woman''s eyes weren''t like a divine beast. She had pupils. Not to mention, she had white eyes, but they were a clearer and denser white than the normal whites of a person''s eyes. They were like pale, white snow. He couldn''t help but feel mesmerized by them.


    "My...my heavenly shrine!!" The woman shrieked, holding her dantian with heavy despair. Her eyes turned towards Yan Zaizen to reveal a deep killing intent, but she knew that in her current state, killing Yan Zaizen would be impossible, let alone escaping. "Where''s my heavenly shrine?!" She weakly roared, her sharp canines were bared in full.


    Looking at her appearance, she truly was a beauty. She had sharp eyes and a slightly curved nose that made her look cute as a puppy. Her pearly white teeth were perfect with a pink tongue and slightly red, puffy lips. They seemed to elicit a desire to kiss them deeply.


    "Haaaa¡­" Yan Zaizen sighed. If he wasn''t such a gentleman, wouldn''t this woman be his?


    "You were captured by someone else. I bought you for two hundred heavenly drops at the Shangyang Auction. I have no idea where your heavenly shrine is, nor do I have any intention to harm you. I don''t even intend to keep you as a servant. In fact, you can go." Yan Zaizen pointed towards the side of the realmship at the end. His explanation was rapid-fire and filled with helplessness at the situation.


    The white-haired woman''s eyes flickered, clearly trying to process what Yan Zaizen just said. She looked towards the side to see the outer space area of the Deluge Realm. She looked at the realmship beneath her. Turning, she saw Yan Zaizen and Tao looking at her with varying expressions. Yan Zaizen looked tired while Tao tried to keep his emotions hidden.


    Understanding her situation, she checked her newly given clothes. They were incredibly tight around the chest area. After all, it was difficult to find clothes that fit her. Yan Zaizen found what he could.


    Squinting her eyes, she took a deep breath, sat down, closed her eyes, and started meditating. She wanted to figure out her current bodily condition. Only after a few minutes, did she open her eyes with profound sadness. Her heavenly shrine was taken and her soul was damaged as a result. To heal this, she''ll likely be wasting an extraordinary amount of time, not to mention, with the extraction, her current remaining lifeforce was severed by twenty percent permanently. Even if she somehow regained her shrine, this lifeforce will not return.


    Originally, Lang Xue was a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator with a Perfect Aurora Soul and first-floor Heavenly Genesis rivaling body cultivation. Now, her body''s vital energy was severely weakened and her heavenly cultivation was stolen. If she could recover, she''d only have the strength of a late-True Essence Realm in both body and qi cultivation.


    "We have to go, so, can you leave?" Yan Zaizen was getting impatient. If it wasn''t for the fact she was a beauty, he would''ve already thrown her overboard. Her fate would then be her own. If she gets captured again, what was it to him? It''s not like he would treat her like a slave or give her to Tao. After all, his purpose was to free her for Bai Lufeng, not protect her for life or even for a minute.


    Lang Xue''s brows furrowed in agitation. She was a beauty and in a weak situation, but this man, regardless of how handsome he was, wanted to do away with her at the earliest second. She felt deep grievance. Also, she didn''t understand why Yan Zaizen saved her just to let her go so carelessly. What was the point in spending two hundred heavenly drops?!


    "My name''s Lang Xue." Introducing herself, she brushed aside strands of her white hair, "you saved me, so I owe you. I''ll repay your heavenly drops and give you other things if you can help me and bring me back home." Her words were filled with an alluring tone that could elicit a man''s inner fire.


    "..." Yan Zaizen was silent.


    "!!!" Tao''s inner fire blazed.


    "What do you say?" Her smile was filled with confidence despite her weakness. If someone saw her, they would feel all sorts of emotions.


    "No." Yan Zaizen waved his hand with furrowed brows, a burst of true-essence surged outwards and sent her overboard before she could even speak. "Let''s go." He turned away, heading to the helm.

 Chapter 190 - Infernal Soul Oath

    Yan Zaizen had an instinctual feeling that her words invited danger. He didn''t know what she was talking about, but her actions had a hint of deep manipulation within. As for repaying him? He didn''t think, for a second, he would see a single drop returned. His instincts were essentially alluding to him that fact. Therefore, with a wave, he sent her packing like all the other scheming girls who boarded his ships.


    "Ahhhh!!!" Leng Xue shrilly screamed after being launched away. At the moment, she had barely any true-essence or soul energy. Her vital energies were barely enough for simple movements. If she fell, she would descend through the realm into the Border Expanse infinitely. The moment she entered the Border Expanse, she wouldn''t be able to draw any essence from the heavens...she would die.


    Her heart went cold at this realization. The handsome young man from before truly wanted her to leave, either willingly or not. She was beyond confused by his actions. Her mind was so inflated with confusion and frustration that she shrieked loudly, "why did you save me if you were going to kill me?!"


    "Oh?!" Yan Zaizen''s suddenly realized his actions. He hadn''t given her the spatial ring he prepared. She did so many things, said so many things, that he just felt so uncomfortable that he threw her off quickly. Tao ran to the railings, looking at Lang Xue fall through the frozen rain-filled outer space. At first, he was planning to help her, but a spatial ripple suddenly appeared below her. She went through it.


    THUD!


    Her body slammed heavily onto the deck of the realmship. A grunt was released and her breathing was labored. She felt a heavy sensation of deadly crisis just now...her heart just couldn''t stop racing.


    "Apologies, here." Yan Zaizen threw over a spatial ring filled with sufficient resources to recover as best she could. He didn''t intend to protect her, but he didn''t want her to die by his hands either. The spatial ring landed right next to her, causing her eyes to hone in on it despite her deep frustration. She realized what this was and grabbed it, after briefly scanning it, her eyes widened in shock.


    "This is it?!" She questioned in disbelief.


    "Yes." He waved his hand once more, sending her overboard. She screamed once more in indignation and grievance. If she could, she would claw Yan Zaizen apart limb by limb. Tao coughed a little, feeling pity for Lang Xue''s fate. If it was any other man, she would''ve been a cauldron, but Yan Zaizen wanted her off his ship faster than light itself.


    "WAAAAAAIIiiiittttttt!!!!!!!!!!" She thunderously shouted with all her energy. Her voice was getting softer and softer as she dropped. Yan Zaizen just realized that...in Deluge Realm''s outer space, there seemed to be some gravitational pull. Normally, objects would float in outer space due to the lack of a gravitational pull, but this realm didn''t work like that.


    He looked at the frozen rain once more, his brows furrowing. How come the rain was frozen in an outer space with a gravitational force? How come he was wet if the rain was frozen? Initially, this didn''t dawn on him, but now it was starting to make him feel uncomfortable.


    Tao discovered this too, looking at the frozen rain. Even if he drew characters in it, they still remained. Yet¡­


    "This realm is abnormal, not just its society but its laws as well," Yan Zaizen murmured in confusion.


    "Wait! I came to this realm to find an object! I know where it is, but I was captured by the Realmlord!! PLEASE!!!" Somehow, she gathered her remaining soul energy and sent Yan Zaizen a soul transmission. Yan Zaizen still wasn''t willing until she said some other words, "Not only are there other heavenly objects, there may even be a Regalia of the Heavens! I SWEAR!"


    "Oh?" Yan Zaizen''s interest was piqued. With a snap of his fingers, a loud thud once again resounded. Lang Xue''s body slammed onto the deck of the ship.


    Lang Xue''s long, white hair was chaotically disheveled. Her breathing was heavy and filled with frustration. She looked exhausted and even weaker than before. When she looked towards Yan Zaizen, her eyes flickered in rage. However, she knew that she had to do this otherwise she would just be recaptured by the Realmlord. It''s not like the resources in the ring was sufficient for her to make it to the next realm.


    "I''ll split the heavenly treasures with you, eighty-twenty if you let me obtain them!" After a while, she gritted her teeth and said.


    "Hm?" Just as he was about to wave his hand once more as a negotiating tactic and to get more information, his brows furrowed suddenly. He looked upwards. Her last words weren''t said in soul transmission, but in her actual voice. It seems it was heard by others who were discreetly watching. His eyes narrowed as an intense killing intent started to suffuse within them.


    For less than a thousandth of a second, he felt murderous, malicious, and vicious killing intent from above. It was so strong that even Pinaka felt it despite its briefness. "The Realmlord¡­" She mentioned, obviously knowing who had been watching.


    Yan Zaizen didn''t like being spied on, his voice filled with tyrannical ferocity as he said coldly, "Yu Shi, may I ask why you''re watching me?" The moment he said that, Lang Xue revealed an intense fear in her eyes. She looked at the space Yan Zaizen was gazing at and felt her heart tremble.


    In empty space, the frozen rain started to spiral rapidly formulating a portal of sorts. From this portal, Yu Shi calmly walked out. Yan Zaizen''s eyes grew colder. He knew that Heavenly Genesis cultivators can use their true-essence to rip open space and view anything with their heavenly sense, but this person was doing it in such a difficult to perceive fashion.


    If Yan Zaizen''s spiritual sense wasn''t at the Astral Soul Realm, he wouldn''t even be able to discover him. Similar to how, when Guan Yin was observing him, he didn''t discover it.


    The elegant Realmlord, Yu Shi, walked out dressed in a sapphire-blue robe. His eyes contained an unfathomable emotion and his face held a soft smile. When Lang Xue saw this, her heart started to drop to arctic levels of coldness and despair. This man''s eyes seemed to desire the world.


    To become a Realmlord, you needed several requirements. One, a World Law based heavenly shrine. Two, your own Mortal Dao. Three, a force that could govern a realm. After all, a single person, regardless of strength, can''t govern an entire territory alone nor can they profit off its benefits to the maximum.


    This man''s dao was Mortal Dao of Desire. He may seem calm, elegant, and warm, but he contained an intense desire towards a specific thing that exceeded all else. The most often focus of this dao...power. It''s not so easy to develop the Dao of Desire. After all, Yan Zaizen desired power and many other things as well. Which dao wielder didn''t?


    The level of intensity to develop the Dao of Desire must be stupendously ridiculous. It was a peak lower-tier Mortal Dao. Despite this, it was a troublesome dao. Imagine what bestowing desire into people could do.


    "Oh, Yan Zaizen. I wasn''t watching you, I was looking for her." He warmly pointed towards Lang Xue. "You see, there''s been a mix-up. She wasn''t for sale. As a token of my apology, I''ll repay what you bid and double it." His words were spoken casually, as if it was nothing. However, Yan Zaizen eyes grew colder. He could perceive the frozen rain was being galvanized somehow. They were faintly trembling.


    "Apologies, but I bought her, so she''s mine. What''s mine shall never be someone else''s. You can leave." Yan Zaizen tyrannical declared, waving him off. Witnessing this, Yu Shi''s originally unfathomable eyes turned cold and malicious. "Are you sure?" He asked with a tone that could freeze ice. The deep murderous aura was rolling off his body and his heavenly aura was on the verge of eruption.


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    "Yes. I am." Yan Zaizen immediately retorted. He waved his hand, placing Lang Xue and Tao in the Meteor Ring. Afterward, he waved his hand again, the realmship and Bai Lufeng was stored next.


    He soul transmitted to Xue Lang while projecting his perception to her, "Tell me now! What are you talking about?! What treasure?!" He knew that Yu Shi wasn''t going to let him go. If he sold Xue Lang originally, then he didn''t expect her back. The fact he was watching Yan Zaizen discreetly indicated that he was there for him. Only after realizing that Lang Xue had something to offer did his plans change.


    In that case, it''s likely he intended to attack Yan Zaizen from the very beginning for his realmship. It''s even possible there''s an ambush outside the realm. After all, Heavenly Genesis experts could cause planets to collapse if they fought without care. Yu Shi obviously didn''t want his realm to be affected, but he slipped up by revealing himself too early.


    Lang Xue was panicking. She didn''t want to be taken by Yu Shi. She thought for a second on what she should reveal.


    "TELL ME EVERYTHING!! NOW!!! OR I LEAVE YOU!" Yan Zaizen thunderously shouted. He didn''t have time for this.


    Outside, Yu Shi coldly smiled. Suddenly, the six water planets started to glow faintly with aquamarine light. Yan Zaizen saw this and immediately reacted, he was going to escape. There was no need to fight Yu Shi in his own home.


    He took a step forward. Spatial ripples formulated in front of him, he was going to shift through the spatial void.


    Yu Shi chuckled maliciously, "You think I wouldn''t predict this?" The aquamarine light started to ripple outwards and came in contact with the surrounding space. Suddenly, all space was locked. Even the spatial ripple Yan Zaizen formed with his true-essence collapsed.


    Yan Zaizen''s brows furrowed. This was to prevent the realmship from departing, so it was more than enough to stop Yan Zaizen. After all, a realmship required a Domain level laws, and his spatial laws only reached that limit.


    "You!" Yan Zaizen clenched his teeth, he suddenly felt a sensation of danger. Although, it was only a small amount. With his true-essence erupting once more, he attempted to enter chaotic space. The world warped oddly like he was entering a painting. A ripple of aquamarine light rippled outwards in response.


    POW!!!


    An explosion occurred where he was and he was sent flying several li. His expression turned uglier. This formation created from six planets targeted spatial laws, not simply the spatial void. He wasn''t hurt by the resulting rebound, but he cursed his low cultivation base.


    If he had a spatial-attributed heavenly shrine, even a first-floor, he could easily break this damn formation. His understanding of the laws was great, but his medium to utilize it wasn''t. If it was vital energy or soul energy, he could easily leave and come as he damn well pleased.


    "TELL ME NOW!!!" Yan Zaizen shouted in frustration causing Tao, Bai Lufeng, and Lang Xue to jump up in fright. To Bai Lufeng and Tao, this was the first time Yan Zaizen seemed urgent. Was he truly in danger?


    "Okay, okay! There''s a sub-realm in the Deluge Realm! I know where it''s located, but when I arrived, the Realmlord spotted me and took me captive. I also have to key to open it! With it, the entire sub-realm is completely mine. In it, there should be a Regalia of the Heavens! It should be saber-based, but there should also be a vast amount of heavenly materials and resources left!"


    "How?!" Yan Zaizen asked. It didn''t seem realistic. The Asura Phantom Realm had resources because it was a lure, but what about other sub-realms? Why would they have resources?


    "It''s an inheritance sub-realm! I earned it!!!" She shouted, clenching her fists and teeth. One could see that she was unwilling to share this information or give Yan Zaizen any of it. In truth, if the Deluge Realm had anyone at the Astral Soul Realm, they would''ve searched her soul. Unfortunately, a Perfect Aurora Soul can''t be searched without a higher soul cultivation base.


    When Yu Shi saw Lang Xue, all he saw was a payday. He desired it. The two hundred heavenly drops were beyond worth it. He also desired the realmship. This was why the Dao of Desire was so troublesome, it instilled a compulsive need to do anything and everything to obtain what you want regardless of who they offend. It was different than greed or lust.


    "Swear a soul oath, we split it evenly!" At the moment, Lang Xue didn''t know that Yu Shi wanted Yan Zaizen''s realmship initially, so she was scared that he would give her up to him once more. After all, Yan Zaizen projected his current situation to her. This brought even more pressure to her.


    In the Deluge Realm outer space, Yan Zaizen was moving at quick speeds, his eyes looked at Yu Shi with deep coldness. Countless bits of frozen rain was piercing towards him, their individual power was sufficient to severely injure or kill a True Essence expert. Yan Zaizen realized why the realm''s laws felt odd. The entire realm was essentially constructed into a formation.


    Those raindrops were like lighting bullets intent to pierce all. He kept dodging and defending with his True Essence. Yu Shi simply watched, several spatial rifts were already nearby. They obviously originated from his force of Heavenly Genesis cultivators. He was cautious of Yan Zaizen and thus awaited backup before taking action.


    "I, Lang Xue, swear on my soul to the INFERNAL ENTITY, that I, Lang Xue, will split whatever treasure in the sub-realm with you fifty-fifty! You can keep the Regalia if there is one!" Her words were essentially screamed with extreme reluctance. Afterward, her eyes dimmed and he body drooped. She took the pose of a tragic beauty.


    Tao''s heart raced at this sight. He gulped a large amount of saliva. His eyes catching the faint aura of hell that seemed to flicker on her body and disappear. A swear to the infernal entity was the highest soul oath possible, essentially placing an oath on the top existence of hell.


    "Zai! Are you okay?" Tao couldn''t help but ask. Even Bai Lufeng''s expression was filled with worry.


    "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" While they worried, Yan Zaizen was uproariously laughing in celebration. Outside, thirteen Heavenly Genesis cultivators stared at Yan Zaizen maliciously, including Yu Shi. They all were of the Gunyu race, not a single Lycah amongst them, and they radiated profound heavenly auras. There were one two-floor Heavenly Genesis and eleven one-floor Heavenly Genesis experts. Despite this, Yan Zaizen continued to laugh.


    He stopped running.


    The bullet-like rain stabbed towards him with screeching momentum, but the moment they came in contact with his robe, they dispersed like simple drops of rain. His originally frustrated expression and tense eyes were no longer frustrated or tense. Instead, those amber-gold eyes had faint traces of a smile.


    "Choose! Surrender or," Yan Zaizen eyes flickered with dark-amber light, his Mortal Dao of Sovereign Ascension erupted outwards in a ferocious storm that caused all raindrops within 100 li to be blown apart, "Death!"

 Chapter 191 - Herculean Vs Deluge Realm (1)

    A deep, powerful explosion erupted from Yan Zaizen¡¯s body. Every physical cell, every atomized particle in his body, was galvanized to its limits. The vital energy refined by heavenly law liquid emanated intense ripples that caused space itself to bend and fluctuate oddly. With every breath, it was as if the air from his lungs commanded the heavens to submit!


    Yu Shi, however, only narrowed his eyes. Yan Zaizen¡¯s vital energy intensity may be powerful, but they barely matched up with a first-floor Heavenly Genesis expert. He didn¡¯t even consider Yan Zaizen a threat. Instead, he motioned towards the others with his right hand.


    The twelve Heavenly Genesis experts gathered. They entered an odd formation, their bodies emanated deep and powerful true-essence. Their heavenly shrines radiated iridescent light.


    Shriing!


    In perfect synchronization, they established a unified manifestation-based qi-art. A gigantic, aquamarine drop of water that could rival a mountain in size was formed. Yu Shi looked at Yan Zaizen with a cold smile. ¡°You overestimate yourself.¡±


    He raised his left hand, the frozen rain of the entire realm gathered towards at speeds that rivaled light. In a split second, a condensed drop of water the size of an inch was formulated in his left palm. It fluctuated with such power that the surrounding space trembled.


    All the rain left so suddenly that Yan Zaizen was shocked. Looking at that single drop of rain, his instincts trembled with a sensation of a deadly crisis. It exceeded the Heavenly Genesis experts formation by ten times.


    ¡°Be careful! There¡¯s a reason why they have the title of Realmlord!¡± Pinaka warned with haste, ¡°do not hold back!¡±


    Initially, Yan Zaizen felt that after his cultivation session, his strength was enough to rival a Realmlord. After seeing Yu Shi galvanize the realm¡¯s rain, he knew that doing so with just his own cultivation base was unlikely.


    However, he had complete confidence in himself. His earlier frustration was only because it was the first time he felt so stifled since the Asura Phantom Realm. His cultivation base still wasn¡¯t sufficient to prevent others from affecting his laws


    ¡°Fine.¡± Yan Zaizen calmed himself down, the smile in his eyes faded, replaced by the intense tyranny of an emperor. His Mortal Dao fully erupted. His physical body and vital energy were enhanced to its maximum.


    Herculean Avatar Art: Life Soul Form!


    All of his vital energy disappeared. They were directly consumed by his heart. A white flame surrounded by a sky-blue glow shrouded his body. Profound inscriptions formulated on his body. Lifeforce and Soulforce erupted violently from his body.


    Yu Shi saw this and coldly snorted. Waving his right hand, a blue light connected with the giant raindrop manifested by the Heavenly Genesis experts. Next, an aquamarine beam of light so thin that it could barely be seen erupted from the six planets and attached to Yu Shi¡¯s back.


    His aura erupted. The entire realm shrieked as if crying. The intensity of his true-essence became greater and greater with each second. The power of six planetary formations enhanced Yu Shi¡¯s cultivation base to the extreme.


    Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t going to allow this to continue. With a single step, the surrounding space collapsed. Outer space of the Deluge Realm turned dark and dim, unable to process light or all things. The sheer force of this step caused the realm itself to experience this!


    With neared the speed light itself, Yan Zaizen appeared before Yu Shi with his fist shrouded in a flame of pale white. He threw this fist forward with indomitable might.


    The Heavenly Genesis experts looked at this with absolute disbelief! This level of power could easily rival a fourth-floor Heavenly Genesis expert!


    Yu Shi coldly sneered. Without even moving, the small raindrop in his hand vibrated. It, with its small body, shot towards Yan Zaizen so suddenly that even Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes widened in disbelief.


    ¡°Watch out!¡± Pinaka screamed.


    Boom!


    The raindrop, like teleportation, appeared before his chest. It smashed so heavily that the realm and a million li distance shook.


    His body was sent flying faster than he originally arrived. Blood mist lingered where he previously was that formulated his previous shape.


    A second later, a raindrop appeared in Yu Shi¡¯s left palm.


    Yan Zaizen was sent into the border barrier of the Deluge Realm. Yu Shi, to prevent Yan Zaizen¡¯s escape, had already activated the realm¡¯s defensive formation. The aquamarine sun was glowing greatly, obviously feeding this very formation.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s body was covered in deep crimson blood. The raindrop had crushed his bones, mangled his flesh, and caused his skin to explode. A giant dent was formulated at the point of impact.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s left eye had popped out and turned into mist after the collision. His lower face seemed to have been hit by an explosion and seemed twisted. The disbelief in his remaining right eye was intense.


    ¡°...¡± Pinaka stayed silent. At the moment, anything she could say was irrelevant.


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    ¡°I see¡­¡± Yan Zaizen finally understood a truth: The world¡¯s experts have many, many methods at their disposal. Yu Shi used the realm in its entirety and his forces in unison with his own profound cultivation base.


    However, before he could think about this, Yu Shi¡¯s sent the raindrop once more towards Yan Zaizen. His intention was to kill Yan Zaizen, not give him a moment of rest. Ruthlessly, the raindrop appeared before Yan Zaizen.


    Doing what he could to defend, Yan Zaizen shifted his left arm to shield.


    Boom!


    He was sent smashing into the realm shield. His blood could fill a large pool. His left side of his body collapsed. His left arm was nothing but mangled flesh and blood at this point. The only things that remained completely intact were his meridians and organs refined by the heavenly liquid.


    The raindrop appeared in Yu Shi¡¯s hand once more.


    ¡°I see!¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s remaining eye lit up. Taking a deep breath, Yan Zaizen¡¯s body erupted in bright white flame. His previously damaged flesh and missing pieces started to heal and regrow with each blinking moment. In one second time, he recovered completely, but his lifeforce energy was reduced by seventy percent from this.


    This was the healing factor of a herculean! If cultivated to a high enough level, returning from a drop of blood was enough! Yu Shi¡¯s eyes widened witnessing this. In truth, he felt the life laws in Yan Zaizen¡¯s aura, but such a fast recovery was nearly impossible with his current vital energy intensity.


    Yan Zaizen eyed that raindrop, his mind calculating the time. While doing so, he clenched his fists.


    ¡°I¡¯m not strong enough,¡± Yan Zaizen stated calmly. ¡°Physically.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes flickered with silver-blue light that seemed to outshine the sun itself. Suddenly, it flashed blood-red. Two stars manifested above his head the size of a small moon, one silver-blue and one blood-red with a hellish aura.


    ¡°What?!¡± Yu Shi questioned his eyes. Two astral stars? However, he didn¡¯t let this affect his mental state no matter how impossible it seemed. The raindrop slightly vibrated.


    ¡°Now!¡± With a vicious stomp of his foot, Yan Zaizen collapsed space but didn¡¯t move. Instead, silver-blue soul energy formulated a barrier around the raindrop that seemed to teleport.


    Yan Zaizen realized that the raindrop was indeed teleporting! It penetrated space in a small way as a Heavenly Genesis expert. The formation seemed to be able to hide its presence in a similar way that it hid Yu Shi when he was spying. With this, it prevented spatial movement while enhancing spatial movement of friendlies.


    This type of formation was the standard for combat formations - weaken your enemy, create an advantage yourself.


    Not only that, the raindrop had a weakness. The raindrop smashed heavily into the soul energy barrier. It halted for one ten-thousandth of a second. This small gap in time was sufficient.


    Yan Zaizen stepped forward, his Mortal Dao erupted and focused fully on amplifying his physical body. With his maximum speed, he dashed towards Yu Shi.


    Yu Shi¡¯s eyes flashed. As if expecting this, he immediately retreated with his profound movement art. With this, even Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t catch him in a brief period. However, Yan Zaizen wanted him to retreat.


    The raindrop seemed to have a cooldown upon being used, at least a full second before it could return to Yu Shi¡¯s hand. Instead, Yan Zaizen dashed towards the manifested raindrop interconnected to Yu Shi. With one eye silver-blue and one eye blood-red, he looked towards the raindrop.


    The group of heavenly experts recognized Yan Zaizen¡¯s attempt and sneered. The drop radiated blue light that seemed intent on outshining the world.


    Yan Zaizen was shocked. ¡°It¡¯s a defensive formation and amplifying formation?¡± He could tell that the light seemed intent on repelling all forms of energy, including soul energy. However, Yan Zaizen¡¯s never wanted to use his soul energy to kill a Heavenly Genesis expert, especially a group working in unison.


    His Initial Astral Soul Realm cultivation rivaled first-floor Heavenly Genesis experts. Even if he included his secondary star, Mortal Dao amplification, it still wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill a Heavenly Genesis expert fully focused on defense. At best, he could wound their souls.


    No, from start to finish, he was relying on his most powerful cultivation base - his physical cultivation! A Herculean!


    He arrived next to the blue light, his eyes flickering with intense light. Suddenly, his white flame started to recede and his lifeforce energy started to recede at an astonishing rate.


    ¡°What is he doing?¡± One of the first-floor Heavenly Genesis experts questioned. However, no one knew.


    ROAR!!


    Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t physically roar, but a sound thunderously roared causing the heavens to shake in innate fear. This roar was once heard before. It originated from the Asura Phantom Realm. An inky, black shadow that seemed to twist and wreathed around his body.


    Before long, the entire raindrop was shrouded by a deep, deep aura of death.


    Herculean Avatar Art: Death Form!

 Chapter 192 - Herculean Vs Deluge Realm (2)

    Deathly Energy!


    If lifeforce energy embodied all that is life, then deathly energy embodied the end of all that is life. His inscriptions turned blacker than the Border Expanse and his eyes seemed to lose all forms of life. In his body, his heart was the only source of life throughout his body.


    It remained flickering in defiance. It watched the deathly aura like an unyielding guardian protecting all creation.


    ¡°This!¡± The second-floor Heavenly Genesis expert was shocked. The raindrop was shrouded by an inky, blue aura. When he tried to sent his spiritual sense, qi sense, or heavenly sense outwards, it seemed to be ruthlessly devoured. This terrified him greatly.


    For ten li, a shroud of deathly aura encapsulated everything within the Deluge Realm. This ten li grew to eleven li in a thousandth of a second.


    ¡°What the hell?¡± Yu Shi was momentary stunned. Since this battle, Yan Zaizen kept doing odd things that seemed out of his cultivation base limits. The near-instant regeneration, the two astral stars, and now a shroud of death. Normally, this aura should kill him instantly. Not even a user of a death concept would infuse their living body with an aura of death.


    That¡¯s like courting death.


    Quite literally.


    He decided to end this quickly. The raindrop took a second to return to his left hand, but by that time, the aura of death already reached over eight hundred li.


    ¡°Die!¡± He sent the raindrop piercing towards Yan Zaizen. Unfortunately, despite piercing space, the moment the raindrop entered the shroud, he lost connection with it. ¡°What?!¡± Blood sprayed out of his mouth in ridiculous amounts.


    His eyes, for the first time, revealed intense and deep fear. ¡°Get out!¡± He hurriedly shouted towards his men, but he received no response. His face turned horribly grim.


    One second.


    Two seconds.


    Three seconds.


    The deathly aura continued to expand. Yu Shi had already tried attacking this aura but his attacks seemed to diminish with each strike. Not only that, it grew bigger in response. He started to feel worried about his realm¡¯s fate.


    Suddenly, the shroud of death started to shrink. In a split second, it returned to its home - Yan Zaizen¡¯s lungs. Yan Zaizen was revealed but there was no raindrop or expert formation. Even the bodies of the experts were no longer present.


    He clenched his fist, his eyes revealing white flames. ¡°Siphoning Shadow of Death...siphon all within the heavens...truly¡­¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s deathly aura had siphoned heavenly genesis group¡¯s formation.


    The energy in their bodies was completely siphoned taken after several seconds. Their physical bodies were restricted with soul energy and placed in the Meteor Ring. As for the Raindrop, Yan Zaizen isolated the ripple that intervened with his spatial laws.


    The moment the raindrop entered his deathly aura, it was sent into his chaotic space. This momentary loss of connection allowed Yan Zaizen to send the raindrop into his Meteor Ring, immediately disconnecting the connection it had to Yu Shi.


    This method was something he used back in Grux with the giant mountain. The raindrop¡¯s core was Yu Shi¡¯s pseudo spirit-rank armament, this was how he could control it. The frozen rain within the realm couldn¡¯t be gathered without a core medium. The moment it was taken, Yu Shi suffered an immense backlash.


    From the moment Yan Zaizen saw that raindrop, he suspected this. After a moment, he thought of this plan. It may have been simple overall, but Yan Zaizen¡¯s battle experience wasn¡¯t great. Not the mention, his death form had severe limitations. If it absorbed a certain amount, his white flame will absorb the deathly law for self-preservation.


    Not only that, his deathly aura couldn¡¯t be used for a vast amount of time after. Not to mention, if he uses his death form, he couldn¡¯t enter his life form until it completes its maximum allowed absorption.


    He found this odd considering they were a part of his physique, but it seemed like they acted according to their own rules. It frustrated Yan Zaizen, but he couldn¡¯t actually affect this regardless of how much he tried.


    As for now?


    The previously deathly aura receded and converted into lifeforce energy that shined so brightly that he radiated light like a miniature sun. He could feel his reserves recover completely. Eyes flickering, he turned towards Yu Shi.


    Yu Shi saw this and his face turned even grimmer. At the moment, he had suffered an intense backlash, all his forces disappeared somehow, and Yan Zaizen¡¯s energy reserves had restored. His aura was even more intense than before.


    With a wave of his hands, his heavenly shrine emerged out from his dantian. It wasn¡¯t an actual palace but three upright pillars with a square foundation base beneath. The pillars were lined up in a straight line with one at the very center.


    This shocked Yan Zaizen. He had seen heavenly shrines and knew their shapes and structures varied greatly but he never knew that a heavenly shrine could be brought out willingly by an expert.


    ¡°Be careful! He¡¯s igniting his heavenly shrine! He¡¯s going to sacrifice his condensed heavenly essence and floors for extraordinary but temporary power!¡± Pinaka warned.


    ¡°What?!¡± Yan Zaizen was stunned dumb. Why would a Heavenly Genesis expert destroy their shrine? Couldn¡¯t he just make a concession? He recalled Guan Yin, he expected Yu Shi to be similar.


    Yan Zaizen was right and wrong. If it was any other expert in this situation, they would attempt to discuss before going all out. However, the Mortal Dao of Desire was essentially the representation of fixated madness. Anything he desired must be his through any means necessary, even sacrificing his own strength.


    This was why this dao was especially troublesome. Not to mention, Guan Yin had a bestowed dao, her personal pride wasn¡¯t nearly as intense as Gu Yu who developed it. She could lower her head if needed. If Gu Yu had to suffer humiliation, he would be just as mad as Yu Shi. However, he found it beneath himself to deal with Guan Yin¡¯s lethal problem.


    ¡°Ahhh!¡± Yu Shi roared with madness. Extracting one¡¯s shrine came with an intense pain. However, if he ignited the heavenly essence condensed from heavenly law liquid while it was in his dantian, it would be an act of self-detonation.


    Two of the three pillars started to burn with golden fire. Within this golden fire, the heavens seemed to be burning fiercely. Motes of blue light roamed in the golden fire. Each mote represented the laws of water.


    Yu Shi¡¯s eyes turned completely blue.


    ¡°HMPH!¡± Yan Zaizen coldly snorted. He wasn¡¯t an idiot to allow his enemy to reach his peak state. Murderous light flashed in his eyes. He stomped forward.


    The world cried.


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    The space begged for mercy.


    The realm quaked in fear.


    Yan Zaizen, with all of his lifeforce energy, shot outwards with his all. With a speed that could run laps on light itself, he appeared before Yu Shi with eyes filled with the greatest desire to see another¡¯s death he had ever made.


    He had moved so fast that his skin ripped from his body. For every yard moved, his skin would be removed. However, that skin would be repaired just as fast. By the time he reached Yu Shi, he had left behind a skin-like trail that seemed like a set of countless shadows or afterimages.


    Yan Zaizen had moved faster than his body could withstand.


    ¡°What the fu-¡± Yu Shi¡¯s madness was completely eclipsed by his fear. He instinctively retreated but Yan Zaizen¡¯s fist shrouded by white light rumbled forward with earth-shattering force.


    The weakness of igniting the heavenly essence in one¡¯s heavenly shrine was the second of weakness where they no longer had it. Without ample preparation beforehand, doing so would only leave yourself open for a strike.


    ¡°Wai-¡± Yu Shi felt intense regret. He wanted to speak up to delay Yan Zaizen. Perhaps if he could do so, he could finish his ignition and end this freak! Even to the last millisecond of his life, his desire for the realmship and Lang Xue was greater than anything else. Even his life.


    BOOM!!!


    The incoming world-crushing fist landed heavily on Yu Shi¡¯s body. An explosion thundered. The shockwaves turned his physical body and soul into dust. In his eyes, the madness of desire remained.


    On this day, Yu Shi¡¯s Dao vanished.


    ¡°...¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s chest heaved up and down in exhaustion. He felt an intense sensation of a deadly crisis at the ignition of a three-floor heavenly shrine. That last movement consumed over ninety percent of his lifeforce energy, including all the excess. He felt exhausted physically.


    ¡°The battle between experts are determined in blinks. Under those circumstances, even a fourth-floor Heavenly Genesis expert could¡¯ve died instantly.¡± Pinaka reminded.


    ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate that I couldn¡¯t use you. With my cultivation base been too low, this level of opponent truly is too much.¡± Yan Zaizen commented, waving his hand to obtain Yu Shi¡¯s heavenly shrine. Two pillars were half destroyed. He tapped it, sending all of Yu Shi¡¯s precious possessions into the Meteor Ring.


    Pinaka once informed him that Heavenly Genesis experts store their things within their shrines. They seem to be in an isolated space that only the wielder could access. Luckily, without Yu Shi being connected to it, he could access it with relative ease.


    It was because of this ability that he didn¡¯t realize initially that Yu Shi brought out an armament core for his formation. It was so seamlessly done that it was as if the realm¡¯s frozen rain gathered to a single point.


    With a heavy sigh, he looked towards the deteriorating realm formation shield and dim planets. He reminded himself to never fight a Realmlord again in his home ground. If Yu Shi didn¡¯t have a projectile armament, if he didn¡¯t suffer a heavy backlash, if he decided to fight patiently instead of igniting his shrine, if Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t have soul energy fast and strong enough to isolate the armament, if, if, if.


    Yan Zaizen felt that things could¡¯ve gone differently if any variable changed.


    Luckily, it didn¡¯t.


    He felt so sore. His skin shredded itself so many times that if he counted, he wouldn¡¯t finish in a year. The pain was intense that his body quivered slightly with every movement.


    He waved his hand, bringing out Lang Xue. Her eyes were dim. Yan Zaizen saw this and couldn¡¯t help but check out this woman once more. He shook his head, he felt that fate was an odd thing. If Bai Lufeng had never begged for her life, Yan Zaizen would¡¯ve left and been caught in an ambush. Who knew what Yu Shi had prepared. Maybe another formation, or perhaps he intended to utilize the entire realm to kill him.


    When he thought of the entire realm, the sun and giant moon didn¡¯t do anything impressive. He felt ninety-nine percent sure that those two things would¡¯ve joined the assault. If so, could he have won?


    However, because of Bai Lufeng, he purchased her and caused Yu Shi to reveal his intent earlier than expected. This led to Yan Zaizen fighting in a different position.


    He felt that both this girl and Bai Lufeng had saved his life. As for Bai Lufeng, this was the second time he had done so.


    ¡°What was your heavenly shrine attribute?¡± Yan Zaizen asked.


    ¡°Saber¡­¡± She answered emotionlessly.


    Yan Zaizen checked Yu Shi¡¯s contents. With a wave of his hand, he brought out a one-floor Heavenly Shrine, ¡°here.¡± He placed it in front of her chest.


    ¡°This?!¡± Her emotionless and dim eyes revealed life and excitement as she recognized the structure. It was a single sword that towered to the heavens atop a crescent foundation.


    She grabbed it and immediately reconnected with it. As it was originally hers, it only took a second before it was re-established into her dantian. The moment she did, the energy in the shrine gave her a boost in physical strength.


    She was once more whole. With a single breath, her heavenly shrine helped her refine the outside essence into true-essence mixed with a heavenly aura. Her heavenly aura and power to rip through space recovered in a short few seconds.


    Her beautifully eyes regained its fierce quality, she looked towards Yan Zaizen with a squinted, scrutinizing gaze. ¡°Why?¡±


    Yan Zaizen chuckled helplessly at her question. ¡°You may not realize it, but you helped me greatly. Now, let¡¯s get that treasure!¡± He waved his hand to bring out the realmship with Tao and Bai Lufeng.


    ¡°What? What about Yu Shi?¡± She questioned, looking around to see the mess of the realm. Space was chaotic and distorted, trying to resume its normal state, but the damage was extensive. After all, Yan Zaizen had collapsed the realm ruthlessly with each step.


    Yu Shi was more cautious and careful towards the realm state, but Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t care.


    ¡°Hm? He¡¯s dead.¡± With that, he got on the realmship, ¡°let¡¯s go.¡± He truly wished to go, his body was incredibly exhausted and his soul suffused severe drain from stopping that attack for even that brief period of time.


    ¡°...¡± Her mind went blank for a second and then her expression revealed a hint of horror. What was the concept of killing a Realmlord in their own Realm?! She shivered and realized that Yan Zaizen had extraordinary strength.


    Her eyes shined brilliantly with intelligence. Later, it flickered with an unfathomable light. She stepped onto the realmship with hesitation no longer in her gaze. ¡°That way.¡± She calmly pointed towards one of the water planets.

 Chapter 193 - Inheritance Deposit

    In the Meteor Ring, Yan Zaizen was inspecting his soul form. At the moment, he realized that his soul suffered damage. He used his ethereal hands to roam around the numerous wounds that looked like scars. With each caress, a faint sky-blue light would flicker from his finger.


    Grimacing, Yan Zaizen clenched his teeth. Yan Zaizen understood that true-essence, vital energy, sheer concussive force, and ambient pressure can affect the soul. Unlike Phantasms, the soul was both a physical and spiritual entity.


    The raindrop armament formed from all the frozen rain in the Deluge Realm impacted his body twice. Each fierce contact damaged both his body and soul, injuring them both. The attempt at hindering the armament also caused him to suffer a slight backlash. Unfortunately, his Immortal Herculean Method natural healing factor only extended to the physique. Therefore, he had to manually heal the damage to his soul.


    The sky-blue light was soulforce. It was guided to help patch the damaged areas of his soul.


    "Soulforce, even if it originates from vital energy, is exceptionally beneficial to the restoration to all soul forms," Pinaka muttered. She had personally healed off this soulforce. Even though her existence didn''t conform to heavenly law, soulforce was still her core.


    Yan Zaizen sighed. The Deluge Realm battle may have seemed easy but it put an unnatural pressure on his shoulders. He had the belief that others, maybe those stronger than Yu Shi, will desire his realmship. He understood why the previous owner stayed hidden in the Border Expanse.


    With his strength, at the first-floor Heavenly Genesis realm, it was like inviting personal disaster. It''s probably why he departed and stayed away from the Deluge Realm. Yu Shi would''ve killed him in a split second if given the opportunity.


    "My Qi Cultivation and Soul Cultivation just aren''t sufficient. I got lucky this time." He sighed once again, a feeling of helplessness formulated in his heart.


    "Focus on recovery, your remaining lifespan and talent are abundantly vast. In fifteen hundred years you reached your current level, who knows where you will be in ten thousand years." Pinaka comforted. Her brows furrowed. Yan Zaizen had unyielding confidence, but this confidence didn''t mean he was stupid. He understood his power was insufficient.


    If he faced a stronger enemy, this confidence would emerge, but in introspection, this trait is not well displayed. After all, only fools believe themselves invincible when the entire universe said otherwise.


    At the fifth largest water planet, Lang Xue''s gazed at a particular location in its outer orbit. It didn''t seem any different than outer space filled with light and moisture. Tao had an anxious expression. He may not have seen the battle Yan Zaizen just endured, but the fact the residual battlefield was distorted and chaotic, he knew it was intense.


    Also, almost immediately, Yan Zaizen entered recovery cultivation. This indicated that his injury was not small. As for this white-haired beauty, he felt some suspicions towards her. His once perverted gaze revealed an intelligent light of deduction.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Lang Xue could feel Tao''s gaze but treated him like air. His cultivation base, his foundation, and even his age were far too little to warrant any attention from her. Instead, she believed that Tao and Bai Lufeng was nothing more than lucky attendants. They got fortune and served someone with a realmship and the strength to kill a Realmlord in his own territory.


    Truly lucky.


    "Where''s this sub-realm?" Tao asked. However, Lang Xue directly ignored him. She looked towards Yan Zaizen who was seated in the lotus position not too far away.


    As if feeling her gaze, Yan Zaizen opened his eyes and gave her a cold gaze. He didn''t like when people ignored him or his brother.


    When she saw this cold gaze that seemed to contain a hint of murder, she shivered. Immediately, she explained, "The sub-realm is called the Core Saber Realm, belonging to the Silver Saber Sect. However, they suffered a sect-collapsing calamity, now only the elites live. They decided to pass their legacies to a new generation."


    "An elder left three saber keys. If claimed, a person can enter an inheritance deposit of the realm that corresponds to the key." She paused for a while, her gaze filled with intense hope but then dejection, "It''s rumored there''s a Regalia of the Heavens in one of the deposits."


    She had found one of the saber keys after completing a trial. As a cultivator who pursued the saber path, she was actually searching for a key. She had located another, but someone else claimed it. After fighting that person, the individual beat her back and escaped. Unfortunately, there was no news of the third one.


    "How do we enter?" Tao asked. Yan Zaizen closed his eyes. At the moment, recovery was a priority. Not to mention, fifty percent of the inheritance was secured. However, he realized that from her words, she lied about this Regalia of the Heavens. A regalia of the heavens wasn''t as common as one may think.


    They are often used to construct formations or armament bodies, but regardless, there''s no way you''ll obtain an actual complete regalia if they were. Yan Zaizen was lucky to find three intact, unused Regalia of the Heavens. A complete regalia was the same as having a path to a seventh-floor Heavenly Genesis realm.


    After all, it represented the sovereign level of a conceptual law. It was similar to how a soul-based regalia could act as a replacement for a sovereign level comprehension to construct a Hell Altar.


    "I have to go in and claim the inheritance deposit left behind. I''m unsure how long it''ll take me. I may have to pass another trial to prove my worth." She mentioned, her gaze still on Yan Zaizen.


    Tao furrowed his brows. He felt that her words were lies. However, even if he did, what could he do? "Wait, where''s the saber key?" The thought suddenly popped into his mind. She was caught by the Realmlord, how could she keep any possessions.


    When he said this, Lang Xue coldly snorted at Tao''s ignorance.


    "Go." Yan Zaizen motioned with a wave of his hand. Despite her foxy, almost peak erotic body, Yan Zaizen truly didn''t feel any form of interest towards her. Only appreciation. Therefore, he wasn''t kind or patient with her for ''points''.


    Tao didn''t erupt in anger due to this very reason.


    She jumped off the realmship towards the area. Tao moved to the railings and watched her dive towards that location she pointed out. Soon, a white light filled with bloodthirsty dominance and sharp pressure emanated from Lang Xue.


    "Saber Law!" Tao exclaimed with intrigue.


    Lang Xue''s dantian erupted in brilliant light. Then, space started to distort. It wasn''t a spatial ripple in the void, but a spatial tunnel. A grand white saber with a familiar aura she emitted formulated suddenly. This was a door.


    Lang Xue stepped forward. She phased into the saber-shaped door and vanished.


    Yan Zaizen took a deep breath. His eyes looked at the door. "Unfortunate." He realized that the door was protected. If his cultivation reached the heavenly path, he may be able to bypass this safeguard, but his cultivation truly was too low.


    "Without a proper medium, your strength can never be fully exhibited." He commented softly. This was true for many things. Not only did he lack a proper cultivation base for his laws, he also lacked an armament for all three of his cultivation bases.

 Chapter 194 - Two-Floor Heavenly Shrine

    Time slowly passed.


    Bai Lufeng consumed the Seventh State Earth Pill. Tao cultivated while looking at the saber door. Yan Zaizen focused on recovery.


    Thirteen years passed in a blink. To Yan Zaizen, Bai Lufeng or Tao, this was very little time. Yan Zaizen had fully recovered from his wounds. Bai Lufeng formulated his Aurora Soul. It was silver-grey in color. Tao cultivation raised from the late-Origin Core to the peak-Origin Core Realm.


    With Yan Zaizen''s vast resources, his progression was profoundly quick. Not to mention, Yan Zaizen gained even more wealth. The twelve Heavenly Genesis experts gave up all their possessions. Yan Zaizen was going to kill them, but they decisively swore soul oaths.


    In the soul oaths, they would keep all information about Yan Zaizen and his realmship hidden. They would give up everything they owned in their Heavenly Shrines and even turn in eighty percent of their respective forces wealth in exchange for their lives.


    Yan Zaizen contemplated this. He could just kill them, take their heavenly shrines, and rob their respective powers. If anyone got in his way, he could have slain them. However, he agreed to let them keep their lives.


    Instead, he agreed to their arrangement under two additional conditions. He still stole every one of their heavenly shrines. They were outraged, but clenched their teeth and accepted it begrudgingly. Not to mention, they had to swear a soul oath to never take deliberate actions against him again, not simply keep his identity a secret.


    With that, he let them go. No future problems, no genocide, all profits. At the moment, his wealth was stupendous. He pretty much claimed a good sixty percent of an entire realm''s worth. It felt good.


    "Your Aqua Solar Sphere concept truly leaves one in wonder," Pinaka commented. In Yan Zaizen''s soul form, a water sun floated about radiating true water law energy.


    "minor-Manifestation Level." Even he sighed at his comprehension capabilities. As he understood more laws, his ability to progress other laws increased. "I''ve fully recovered. I need to focus on my Essence Path...if I can reach the Heavenly Genesis Realm¡­"


    Just as he was deliberating on his cultivation path, the saber door flickered with an intense light. From it, a female figure appeared. She had long, silky white hair that went to her feet, a white martial outfit that radiated tyrannical sharpness, and her white eyes showed profundity that seemed to radiate a piece of heaven.


    Her chest area no longer had unreasonable tightness. With a proper outfit, it was perfectly held by a proper undergarment. Despite this, they were still as big as a grown man''s head each. They stood proud and perky.


    Tao''s eyes opened and he looked towards this woman, but his eyes no longer revealed perversion. Instead, he had some form of unyielding resolve. His eyes flickered with dark-amber light and his gaze became filled with a tyrannical confidence.


    Yan Zaizen has always been stronger than him, but that didn''t mean he had to remain weak. One day, and there will be a time that this woman would no longer treat him like air. He would have clout and capabilities respected by all and not just have Yan Zaizen shield him.


    The scene of distorted space and helplessness he felt, he realized that the young man from before was already equivalent to a god in comparison to himself.


    Yan Zaizen noticed the shift in mentality, but he couldn''t think why it was brought forward. Perhaps it wasn''t just a single thing but everything that has happened till now? Perhaps he always felt this way but it just revealed itself now?


    Lang Xue glanced at Tao but only snorted. His gaze was rather presumptuous, she didn''t like it. Her aura erupted in response. Her conceptual law ¡ª Silver Dusk of the Saber ¡ª radiated an essence of domineering ruthlessness and oppression that pressed forward to suppress all.


    Tao felt pressure on his body and couldn''t help but feel like he was before the heavens. His eyes became even more unyielding.


    "Second-floor?" Yan Zaizen''s brows perked. It seems this girl had used the resources she obtained in the inheritance deposit to enhance her cultivation. Lang Xue waved her hand, sending a spatial ring towards Yan Zaizen.


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    With a wave of his hand, the spatial ring entered his hand. Swiftly sweeping the contents, he didn''t feel that happy. In comparison, this was small to his gains from the Deluge Realm. He just nodded. He knew that there wouldn''t be a Regalia of the Heavens, so he wasn''t disappointed.


    "We''re leaving.'' Yan Zaizen walked towards the helm of the realmship. It was about time they left. Elysian Realm was only a month or so away.


    "Wait!" Lang Xue jumped towards the realmship. She landed on the deck. Yan Zaizen shot her a cold glare which caused her steps to instantly halt. She felt aggrieved, what did she do to deserve such indifference? She was beautiful and she handed him the treasure as she promised.


    Any cultivator, even Yu Shi, would desire her or show some decency to impress her. Yet, this guy was cruel.


    "Leave." After saying that, Yan Zaizen grabbed the helm.


    "Wait! Can you send me back home? I''ll pay." She asked, her tone was soft and held a hint of begging. Any normal man may immediately collapse, but Yan Zaizen directly ignored her.


    If Lang Xue hadn''t treated Tao like air, hadn''t held other thoughts during their negotiation, perhaps he would be more kind and forthcoming. However, he truly didn''t care about her.


    Tao saw this and realized why Yan Zaizen was acting this way. He looked towards Lang Xue and thought for a second, "Brother Zai, we should agree." Tao''s words shocked not only Yan Zaizen but Lang Xue.


    For Lang Xue, it was calling Yan Zaizen brother. Not senior brother, junior brother, number plus brother, or master, but brother. Her eyes flickered with suspicions.


    Yan Zaizen was shocked that Tao wanted to let her ride. At first, he was about to joke about his perversion and send her packing, but he discovered that Tao''s eyes were filled with resolve. This was the first time he saw Tao like this. His brows furrowed in thought. This resolve didn''t originate from his dao.


    Could it be Tao''s competitiveness?


    He softly sighed. "Where?"


    Lang Xue''s shock piled at the moment and she couldn''t help but look at Tao once more. "Who was this person?" She couldn''t help but think. Despite her shock, she replied swiftly, "Sirius Titan Realm. It''s incredibly far from here. If I used a normal skyship, it could take me tens of thousands of years. However, with the realmship, it could only take a few decades."


    Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but be shocked. How the hell did she arrive here? Did she travel for thousands of years?


    Noticing his thoughts, she explained, "I used a spatial platform nearby, took me three centuries of travel time to arrive at a nearby realm and three centuries to travel here." As a Heavenly Genesis expert, what was six hundred years to her?


    Tao mind rumbled. When she started to travel, he was likely at the Qi Unification Realm. Holy...he wondered about her true age. When his thoughts drifted to this, his mind couldn''t help but go blank.


    Yan Zaizen felt even odder. He wasn''t even born. His parents weren''t born. Hell, his grandfather was likely an infant or not even born. Even though he stayed in chaotic space of fifteen hundred years, this wasn''t real time.


    "You''re going to have to wait. Elysian Realm is nearby, I''ll be going there first. Then, after, I''ll take you there." Yan Zaizen thought for a second and decided. Elysian Realm had a location where one could communicate with the dead. Even if it was only a loose rumor, he had to verify the possibility with his own eyes.


    If he could see his mother and father once more, it would be worth it.


    Lang Xue heard about Elysian Realm''s uniqueness. It was spread that talking to the dead was a possibility, but one had to pay a certain price. It seemed the realm itself had a connection with Hell, the hub of all souls. Seeing Yan Zaizen declare his intent to travel there, she thought for a second and agreed. To her, the Elysian Realm was also a location she wished to visit if possible. Even if speaking to the dead was highly unlikely, but if it''s so widespread, it must have some truth to it, right?

 Chapter 195 - Unexpected Stop

    Lang Xue and Tao cultivated at the deck, but they were separated at far ends. Yan Zaizen piloted the realmship through the spatial tunnel. Only three days passed since their departure from the Deluge Realm. Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes squinted as he looked forward.


    For a while now, he felt a bizarre and inexplicable feeling. It wasn¡¯t a sensation of danger, deadly crisis, or even discomfort and distrust. It was something he never felt before. It was hard to measure on a scale of intensity, but it was more like a whisper so silent that even if you got close to the origin of the sound, you still wouldn¡¯t be able to make it out.


    He described his feeling to Pinaka, but even Pinaka didn¡¯t know. She may be connected to his soul but she wasn¡¯t interconnected to his instincts. It was more so connected to his emotions. If he felt uneasy or afraid, she would be able to feel this directly, but if he had a strange feeling, it was up in the air. That was more so a thought and belief rather than an emotion.


    She suggested stopping the Realmship and taking a different path. He did, but the feeling didn¡¯t cease or increase. It started to make him feel uncomfortable. After witnessing the creatures of the Border Expanse, he didn¡¯t believe that being in the spatial void granted him invincibility.


    ¡°Lang Xue, do you feel odd?¡± Yan Zaizen asked. Out of everyone here, she possessed heavenly sense, so her senses towards heavenly space was a lot are than his own. If she didn¡¯t feel anything, perhaps it was something else?


    Just like he expected, Lang Xue shook her head in confusion. She even sent out her heavenly sense outside the spatial void but found no difference.


    However, this only increased the unease in his heart.


    ¡°Should I just stop?¡± Just as she was contemplating, his eyes widened in shock. Suddenly, the spatial void tunnel distorted like a whirlpool. A second later, it started to vanish like dust in the wind. It wasn¡¯t only him who witnessed this, Lang Xue and Tao¡¯s eyes flashed open with disbelief and then horror. Was the spatial void collapsing?


    This¡­!


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s comprehension into space was a lot greater than both of them, so when the surrounding spatial void started to dissipate like dust, he felt like he understood something. He double-checked to make sure, ¡°Yes...spatial tunnel isn¡¯t collapsing. It¡¯s at its end...an abrupt end?¡±


    His deduction was that the spatial tunnel created by the realmship was being cut-off prematurely. Somehow, the space at the end is warping and being blown away like dust particles.


    VROOM!!


    Suddenly, they penetrated the end of the spatial tunnel. They exited and entered the Border Expanse.


    ¡°WHAT?!¡± Yan Zaizen and the rest looked ahead with disbelief. There wasn¡¯t a horrific creature at the end. Instead, several dozen realmships were situated in a one hundred li range. The moment they exited the tunnel, they seemed to have entered a strange, empty space. Almost immediately, the formations on the realmship ceased functioning.


    ¡°What?¡± One shock after another kept arising. Looking at the realmship, he swept his spiritual sense through but discovered nothing wrong with the formations. It was like some invisible force was causing the formations to deactivate willingly. He tried to interact with the formations but it was unresponsive.


    Tao arrived next to him, his brows furrowed as he looked towards the realmships that seemed like dead materials floating in a sea of dim space. Immediately, numerous amounts of spiritual senses and heavenly senses swept over towards the realmship. It seemed they didn¡¯t care about the people onboard, but more curious about the state of the ship itself.


    After a sweep, they left.


    ¡°What is this?¡± Lang Xue asked with a trace of fear in her voice. She felt the heavenly sense of the people who swept over and they were all at the Heavenly Genesis realm. Some were even at the fifth-floor Heavenly Genesis realm! After all, to own your own realmship, you needed a profound cultivation base or background.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but the realmship¡¯s formations have ceased responding. Also, the space here is odd.¡± Yan Zaizen explained, he snapped his finger. The spatial void ripples formulated in front of him distorted into a whirlpool and vanished like dust particles. Just as he was testing the space¡¯s odd characteristics, a booming sound resounded nearby.


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    A spatial tunnel that seemed like a cylindrical tube appeared. It was as if something had forcefully cut it in half and twisted it. Just like before, it turned into a whirlpool and dissipated like dust in the wind. The others who watched this swept their senses over as if hoping to understand the situation further. Another realmship appeared.


    The moment it did, all its formations powered down and the people onboard seemed shocked into a state of disbelief. Their senses scanned towards the others but they were met by even more powerful senses. The new arrivals senses were directly pushed back while the new senses scanned the realmship with a scrutinizing sweep.


    On the deck of this ship, a young woman in a red-dress had an angry pout on her face as if she was insulted. She was making a ruckus, kicking and cursing all the shameless people with little manners. However, the people onboard stopped her from acting out. They couldn¡¯t silence her, but they could at least prevent her from taking action with comforting words.


    Numerous cold snorts resounded in this small piece of space. The young woman, who seemed to be around seventeen years old in appearance became further enraged. She pointed towards a specific realmship and shouted words such as, ¡°Fire! Attack! Kill those bastards!¡± However, with the formations deactivated in this space, her words were nothing but empty declarations.


    Yan Zaizen focused his attention elsewhere. He wondered why no one tried to exit, but seeing that everyone was staying in their realmship, he had no intention to find out. Having caution towards the unknown was always better than making a mad dash towards it. He attempted to send a soul transmission to one of the other ships, but his soul energy couldn¡¯t survive the outside space.


    As it was sent outwards, it twisted and faded like the spatial tunnel. His brows furrowed deeply in contemplation. Tao waited for Yan Zaizen to better understand the situation. Lang Xue performed her own tests, but it seemed she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to step off the ship.


    After a moment, ¡°This space seems to disconnect soul energy and spatial laws.¡± He understood why the formations were unresponsive. They all had a Spirit Forms to operate them, but somehow, in this strange space, the connection the Spirit Forms have with the formations were segregated. His soul energy suffered a similar distortion and disconnection.


    Spiritual sense seems to function properly, but it couldn¡¯t extend past one hundred li in distance. It was like they were in an invisible bubble in the Border Expanse. He had a faint belief that, perhaps, the spatial tunnels were actually directed to this location instead of them driving through it.


    ¡°It¡¯s possible the spatial laws are being converged into this area. All spatial tunnels in a range are being drawn to this area, but I don¡¯t know how far of a range.¡± Yan Zaizen commented again, but this caused Lang Xue¡¯s expression to change greatly. If something was drawing all the spatial tunnels to this area, then is this a lure of a powerful cultivator to take realmships?!


    It wasn¡¯t just Lang Xue who thought of this. The other experts were cautious. Many were already in a formation ready to combat any event that happens.


    ¡°See if you can fly out!¡± The young woman¡¯s voice resounded once more. She had a very domineering attitude as she ordered one of her subordinates to fly out of the realmship into the bizarre space. With a flash the subordinate took off. The expert didn¡¯t hesitate despite the possible danger. His body erupted with true-essence. It shrouded his body protectively as he blazed towards the edge of the one hundred li bubble.


    The moment he touched the edge, he penetrated it easily. A trace of elation appeared on his face as he turned around. As he did, Yan Zaizen, who was watched in rapt attention, had his eyes filled with unrestrained, intense sensation of horror. The elation on the face of the expert was still there, but his lower body had already distorted and vanished into dust.


    He didn¡¯t seem to notice. His true-essence directed to return back towards the bubble. However, the moment he hit the edge, it was as if the bubble turned into the hardest barrier imaginable. He smashed heavily into the barrier with a thud. His body exploded into a mist of blood. This mist of blood distorted and vanished into nothingness.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Many of the cautious realmship wielders looked onwards with trepidation and gratefulness. They were grateful that the young woman was an idiot enough to send her subordinate to his death.

 Chapter 196 - Collapsed Sub-Realm

    ¡°Reckless!¡± Lang Xue spat, her eyes filled with disdain towards the young woman¡¯s irresponsible actions. The expert may not have been a Heavenly Genesis expert, but he was still her subordinate and willing to take a risk for her. She shouldn¡¯t have sent him to test the dangers of the outside and subject his life to such unknowns.


    To her, people like this was despicable. A life, regardless of how frail or weak, deserved to be treated properly. Despite her thoughts, she only coldly snorted and turned her gaze away. This gaze tried to shroud her intense fear with irritation at the young woman¡¯s actions. Unfortunately, her heart that seemed to reverberate so loudly that even Tao could hear betrayed her emotions.


    Tao¡¯s eyes were calm despite the situation. He analyzed the information available, organized it, and tried to make a deduction. Yan Zaizen was doing the same. At the moment, trying to conceive a plan would be better than staying here. Luckily, since no one knows the dangers or rules of this bizarre space yet, there hasn¡¯t been anyone who has decided to fight or rob.


    From where he was, he could sense the sinister greed of others piercing over. After all, externally, Lang Xue was the strongest expert. Yan Zaizen¡¯s vital energy intensity barely reached the second-floor Heavenly Genesis realm. Externally, Lang Xue and Yan Zaizen were slightly equal, but the Heavenly Path had far more advantages and was more troublesome than the Bodily Path.


    ¡°We¡¯re at the eye of a storm,¡± Tao surmised. Lang Xue trembled at his words. At first, she wanted to directly smash his concept as that made zero sense, but after thinking about it, it seemed true. The current location seemed to be safe, but outside caused the soul and body to be subjected to the same force as the spatial laws or soul energy.


    Yan Zaizen nodded, agreeing with his assumption. The Border Expanse was dim and dark. It also held countless unknowns. If an invisible storm that twisted spatial laws and soul-based fluctuations were to be created suddenly, then it¡¯s possible. He recalled Bai Lufeng, checking on his state. He was currently cultivating in peace. After all, he was in a sound-isolated room. With his low cultivation base, why would he send his sense outwards when nothing happened?


    He decided not to interrupt his cultivation. I mean, if they died, it doesn¡¯t really matter where he was, right?


    ¡°If this is a storm, how was it formed?¡± Tao asked, his senses weren¡¯t strong enough to figure this out. From the information gathered, he just knew it was formed somehow. It¡¯s not like it was always here. If it was, then the realmships would be far more than just this few dozens. It was probably formed recently, very recently. After all, the myriad realms had hundreds of thousands of realmships soaring across space. A majority of them belonging to grand realms.


    Yan Zaizen thought on this¡­


    Wait.


    Taking a deep breath, Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze flickered. ¡°This space has essence, it¡¯s faint, but it exists.¡±


    ¡°What?! How?!¡± Lang Xue was in disbelief. The Border Expanse couldn¡¯t house essence. This very reason was why it wasn¡¯t habitable for normal lifeforms. However, after rotating her cultivation base, she discovered the same. The essence was faint, almost too thin to even notice, but still there.


    ¡°Miss Hong Hong, please!¡± An elderly man, with a profound cultivation base at the third-floor of the Heavenly Genesis Realm, pleaded with an exhausted voice. The young woman from earlier was having another tantrum. She pointed towards the other side of the bubble wall. It seems she was demanding her subordinates to attack it with all they have.


    Everyone witnessed this and couldn¡¯t help but shake their heads. Dealing with know-it-all young ladies and masters were difficult as all hell. ¡°Hmph...brats like these deserve death.¡± Lang Xue exclaimed with a tinge of hatred.


    Yan Zaizen, however, felt odd. It was as if something was at the tip of his tongue, but he couldn¡¯t discover it.


    ¡°If she attacks the bubble, what if it collapses and lets in the storm?¡± Tao said with deep fear. He was hoping that they wouldn¡¯t take such an action. Others had the same mentality. Whatever force that was outside was outside right now, if they destroyed the bubble, wouldn¡¯t it be inside?


    ¡°Wait! Collapse!!¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes widened. He looked upwards, then downwards, then to the sides, his eyes flickering with silver light. A profound light erupted from his eyes, ¡°...A sub-realm collapsed here.¡± His words were said softly but it immediately caused the space of a 100 li to go silent. The young woman called Hong Hong turned her eyes towards Yan Zaizen.


    Cultivators truly had impeccable senses.


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    The expressions of everyone was like a vivid movie depicting a process of vibrant reactions.


    First, curiosity at why someone would suggest such a thing.


    Second, disbelief at the ridiculous idea of it.


    Third, thoughtful recollection.


    Fourth, further disbelief at the ludicrous idea but a tinge of fear in their eyes.


    Fifth, contemplation at the legitimacy of the idea.


    Sixth, consequences if the idea was true.


    Seventh, a flash of brief fear.


    Eighth, further investigating the signs to disprove this idea.


    Ninth, ABSOLUTE HORROR!!!


    The world exploded in an uproar almost simultaneously. Everyone, EVERYONE, including Hong Hong went absolutely batshit crazy. Lang Xue underwent the same states of expressions, her eyes flashed with such fear that she visibly trembled. Her heavy chest bounced without order.


    Yan Zaizen and Tao were the only calm individuals, but their hearts were sending waves and waves of fear throughout their bodies.


    ¡°Holy shit! We need to leave, NOW!¡± The fifth-floor Heavenly Genesis expert directly brought out his Heavenly Shrine. It revealed a square platform with three wisps of golden flames lingering above it. Above the square platform was a thicker square platform with two larger wisps of golden flames. Immediately, the entirety of the five wisps directly expanded to three hundred feet.


    HE WAS IGNITING ALL FIVE OF HIS FLOORS!


    The world started to rage and roar, the sheer power of a full eruption of five floors was extraordinary. The surrounding space started to seethe and burn. It seemed the three hundred feet wisps of golden flames wanted to incinerate space itself. Shockingly, the expert didn¡¯t even consider anything. He directly grabbed his young master, a handsome young man that held a valiant red dot between his brows, and forcefully concentrated all of that immense power into a single hand.


    RIIIIIP!!!


    He clawed in front of him, space immediately produced a small, very small, spatial slit. With the quickest speed possible, with the young master at hand, he dashed unhesitatingly into the spatial slit. The moment he entered, the heavenly shrine vanished into dust, obviously its power was fully concentrated into this single action.


    The other individuals on the realmship revealed expressions of horror seeing the top expert decisively cripple himself to save himself and his young master. A third-floor Heavenly Genesis expert followed suit, he ignited all his strength, but he didn¡¯t take his young master, instead only himself. He believed, with his strength, he could only save himself.


    Unfortunately¡­


    He ripped open space and entered. However, at the outside of the bubble barrier, he appeared just a few li away. When this happened, everyone noticed him. Many even verbally shouted and pointed out the man¡¯s existence. Without his heavenly shrine, he vanished faster than the man from earlier.


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    ¡°...¡±


    Everyone knew that...unless you reached the fourth-floor or higher, leaving was likely an impossibility.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°If it¡¯s a collapsed sub-realm, then next would be¡­¡± He looked towards the middle of the realm and his eyes started to quiver with fear. The moment his gaze moved to the center, everyone else seemed to have felt something and followed suit in unison. A small, very small silver hole calmly floated.


    This miniature silver hole that wasn¡¯t even an inch was rotating like the swirling black hole in Yan Zaizen¡¯s glabella.


    A third-floor Heavenly Genesis expert fell to his knees, his very existence revealed despair and hopelessness. ¡°We¡¯re doomed.¡±

 Chapter 197 - I Hope You Die!

    "Save ME!!" A beautiful young woman shouted towards a fourth-floor Heavenly Genesis expert. The expert had taken out her heavenly shrine, ignited it, and focused her power into her hand. She formulated a blade with it and struck forward. She directly ignored her young miss and escaped.


    Earlier, a fourth-floor expert tried to escape with a person, but he barely made it out of range in the storm. They couldn''t see the fifth-floor cause he was too far away, but the fourth-floor expert appeared just at the outskirts. When everyone saw him, they were shocked. Unfortunately, the distance simply wasn''t enough.


    He and his young master was directly pulled back into the storm and turned to dust.


    This expert wasn''t risking it.


    In truth, her decision was the right one.


    Yan Zaizen watched this happen. Essentially, everyone was trying something. Most ignited their heavenly shrines if they believed they had sufficient power to escape. Some worked together in hopes of clearing the path, unfortunately, the more people entering, the less distance traveled in the spatial slit. Even in cooperation, it still wasn''t enough.


    There was even some who crushed spatial talismans crafted by Heavenly Genesis experts, but the results were the same.


    Yan Zaizen understood why people were igniting their shrines. They needed enough power to rip open a spatial slit far enough to escape, but the force within the bubble restricted this action heavily. If they didn''t do so, they would never garner enough distance to escape the storm. Also, if they don''t, then they were essentially waiting for their deaths.


    His gaze turned towards the silver hole. It was no longer an inch but two inches. The distorting force and disruption capabilities were increasing. He felt that if it grew any more, it would be hard for him to even use the Meteor Ring. With a wave of his hand, he sent Tao, Lang Xue, Bai Lufeng, and the realmship into it. Also, many people were trying all sorts of methods and abandoned their realmships. It seemed the distortion made accessing their heavenly shrines personal space an impossibility.


    His eyes glittered with greed. With a wave of his hand, he snatched those ghost ships with zero hesitation. He had already obtained three, and one was several times larger than his current one.


    Hong Hong, the young woman dressed in red, saw this and felt a trace of contempt and disdain. Despite their situation, she STILL had the guile to look down on others! Her subordinates felt despair and were collapsing mentally. They tried to contact the outside for help, but the distortion of soul transmissions and relay formations were too powerful.


    They were on their own.


    After collecting three realmships, his eyes were smiling. However, after realizing the circumstances, it flickered with solemness. "Any idea on what we will do?" He asked Pinaka.


    "Use your concept of death," Pinaka suggested. In truth, Yan Zaizen already had this idea, but he wanted to see if there was a better option. He galvanized his vital energy. With a thunderous eruption, he entered Herculean Avatar Art: Deathly Form! He dashed towards the bubble but didn''t exit. Instead, he sent his Siphoning Shadow of Death''s deathly aura towards the bubble.


    The surrounding space was being absorbed. The deathly aura exited the bubble, but the moment it did, it was ripped apart in the vicious yet invisible storm. It almost pulled Yan Zaizen towards the storm, Yan Zaizen decisively severed the aura from his body. The aura entered the invisible storm. It distorted violently, growing and weakening with each millisecond. The myriad of changes that occurred lasted for one second.


    The deathly aura disappeared.


    "..." Yan Zaizen and Pinaka were silent. He knew that the law of death wasn''t invincible, but why now?! Every other time it''s been triumphant. Yan Zaizen felt unlucky. In truth, he was and wasn''t. The invisible storm''s distorting force simply exceeded the siphoning speed of the shadow. It fought viciously trying to absorb it, but it was whittled down and subsequently destroyed.


    The weakness of any absorption law was the speed of absorption vs the consumption of energy. If the former exceeds the latter, the absorption law will always win. If the latter exceeds the former, the enemy will always win. This was a simple truth.


    If his vital energies were of a higher level, it may be able to resist or overcome the storm.


    Yan Zaizen turned around. The silver hole was three inches now. At this point, everyone was trying everything or had just given up. Some even penetrated the storm with a shroud, many groups tried this idea too, but the storm mercilessly ripped them into nothingness. Yan Zaizen felt inwardly shaken but also felt sad.


    "They are holding so much wealth, why do they have to throw it away?" Internally, he was crying blood at this blatant waste of wealth. He wasn''t going to stop them, at this point, he couldn''t save them even if he wanted to - he hasn''t even figured out how to save himself. The distortion force was so strong that access to his Meteor Ring was nearly impossible. He could probably only place and take out a small object.


    He regretted not taking more realmships earlier.


    "Focus!" Pinaka shouted impatiently.


    Yan Zaizen''s expression turned gloomy. It''s not that he lacked focus, but he was confident that, somehow, he would succeed. This was unyielding confidence displayed to its fullest extent. The full confidence in your ability in the face of seemingly impossible-to-overcome adversity. It allowed his mind to roam to other things with a carefree attitude, while somber calmness enabled him to remain calm.


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    However, deep in his heart, he was feeling immense fear.


    "A collapsed sub-realm is a greater deathtrap than a collapsed sub-dimensional space." Yan Zaizen commented. A sub-dimensional space creates a zone of no exit or return, unless you had access to spatial abilities. However, the collapsed sub-realm would create an event that exceeded normal black holes or supernovas. They can vary based on the size and intensity of the realm, but every iteration of a collapse was deadly.


    If a star collapses, a black hole is formed after a supernova. If an independent space collapses, it becomes isolated without any basic point of entry or exit. If an entire sub-realm, independent space, star, planets, and essence were to collapse, it would create two things: a storm and an explosion. The outside space of that sub-realm would produce a storm. The point of connection of the sub-realm and the actual realm, an explosion would take place.


    This explosion could be described in two words: Heaven Destroying. The sheer force emitted from it was extraordinary, the pressure it brings, and the gravity it creates is ridiculous. The gravity can distort the concept of space and draw everything near it, typically towards the center of the explosion.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes looked at the silver hole.


    This was the explosion.


    It may seem like it''s moving an inch a second, but it was far, far worse. The entire sub-realm was exploding and expanding from that single inch. Soon, bits and pieces of surviving sub-realm will be sent outwards in a violent eruption. These bits and pieces would later be scavenged by the Border Expanse residents for their own fortune and survival.


    Trepidation shook Yan Zaizen''s heart.


    The silver hole was four inches.


    He could feel the vast pressure exerting itself on his body. The True Essence experts had already turned to dust due to the force in a similar manner to the storm outside, they couldn''t resist it regardless of their actions. Despair filled the eyes of everyone present.


    "If the explosion point reaches a maximum, it''ll send a shockwave so strong it''ll obliterate all things beneath the heaven in its range." Gulping, he calculated the time he had. About four to five seconds left. "Could I survive if I maintain Life Soul Form?" Yan Zaizen asked himself, but he knew it was an impossibility. The force will turn him into nothing faster than he could heal. Not even a speck of his existence would remain.


    "Miss Hong Hong, please!" The elderly man seemed to be begging the young woman, but she was pouting her lips as if refusing something. Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but be curious. She drew everyone''s despair-filled gazes, there were faint signs of hope from this commotion. Was it possible this little girl could save them?


    Hong Hong could feel the gazes of everyone, she stood on her realmship with a prideful expression, puffing out her flat chest as if this was how it should be - being the center of attention. She spoke arrogantly, "I can save you all!" When she said this, she pulled out a golden talisman. When everyone saw this, their eyes revealed immense hope and happiness.


    This was a spatial talisman created by a seventh-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator with a spatial-attributed heavenly shrine. It contained a regalia of space! Such a talisman must''ve cost a lot of time, effort, and wealth to make! Was it given to this little girl?


    Many were already flying themselves towards the girl. She was their hope, even if they had to swear an oath for a long period of servitude, they were willing!


    "Do you all want me to save you?" She said, as if wanting to hear their pleas and offers. A few of the cultivators, both men and women alike shouted.


    "Please! I''ll give you my heavenly shrine!"


    "I can swear a soul oath for one hundred thousand years of servitude!"


    "I can swear my entire life away! PLEASE, choose me!!"


    Many started to rush towards her area, hoping to be saved. Some even glanced at others maliciously. The thought of eliminating the competition arose in their hearts.


    Hong Hong looked even more prideful and arrogant, looking at Yan Zaizen who was looking calmly towards her. She asked, "Do you want me to save you?" Her voice was filled with confidence, as if she would see Yan Zaizen beg for his life.


    "..." Yan Zaizen was silent for a moment. Then, he calmly answered, "Hell no." With that, his eyes turned back towards the silver hole. It was now five inches. Despite the events, it took less than a second to complete all this with their extraordinary speed.


    "I knew you would but I wouldn''t us-" The girl had already begun her prepared speech when her mind caught up with Yan Zaizen''s response. What?! Hell NO?!


    "MISS!!" The elderly man shouted, obviously afraid that her antics will result in their deaths. Too many people were making their way over, if they reached them, it''s possible unforeseen circumstances would happen. Luckily, the pressure made everyone move at a very, very slow pace.


    Hong Hong had an ugly expression on her face, she looked towards Yan Zaizen and then the others looking like despair-filled refugees seeking safety. She raised her right hand, then give them all the middle finger. "You all deserve death, you pathetic bastards!"


    She crushed the talisman, a spatial ripple shrouded the entire realmship, including them, and started to shimmer out of existence. With a cold look, she stared at Yan Zaizen, "I hope you die painfully!" With those words left behind, she vanished.

 Chapter 198 - I Regret Nothing

    "I don''t regret it." Pinaka abruptly declared.


    "...?" Yan Zaizen was startled by her words.


    "According to our soul oath, I could''ve left years ago. We both experienced a thousand years together, far more than previously agreed upon," she explained, continuing further, "I don''t regret choosing to stay with you, even if we die today, I regret nothing."


    "..." A soft warmth permeated his heart. He knew Pinaka could''ve left, but she didn''t choose to. She could''ve found a stronger partner, probably someone in the middle-stages of the Heavenly Genesis realm. But she didn''t.


    "In the cultivation world, life and death are as close as exhaling and inhaling a breath. The only thing we can truly hope for is that we''re surrounded by those we care about while we experience any of those things." Pinaka continued her words, a soft melancholy suffused in her voice.


    The silver hole was now six inches. Three more seconds before maximum potential and then the resulting explosion.


    Tao was in the Meteor Ring, looking at the vast space within, his eyes somewhat lost. Bai Lufeng cultivated in peace, his mind and soul undisturbed by any of these events. Lang Xue''s thoughts were a chaotic mess. She knew that Yan Zaizen wouldn''t be able to survive, after all, he was injured fighting the Deluge Realmlord. If he had the ability to kill the Deluge Realmlord without injury in his home, perhaps, but she had already accepted her death.


    To her, fate wanted her life. All the experiences she suffered, her escapes, her lucky chances, her misfortunate events, and now her end. She relived all of them and felt that, no matter how hard she struggled, death continued to bite at her heels.


    "I guess...you can only run and fight for so long." A profound light of sadness and bitter regret shrouded her eyes.


    Even with Yan Zaizen''s dao, the situation was becoming grimmer. It was hard to maintain that unyielding confidence when death was staring at you in the face. Especially when you haven''t thought of a way to escape. As the silver hole increases in strength, so does the storm. He tried sending more deathly aura, but it was gone in a millisecond. That was a thousand times faster than before.


    If he had a very, very slim chance before; he had none now.


    At this point, the exerted pressure pulverized the first-floor Heavenly Genesis experts into nothingness. Yan Zaizen solemnly watched this all happen. Memories of his life started to flash before his eyes. He recalled his parents. Despite his slowness at birth, they were always there for him. They took their time to teach him, laughed with him, embraced him when he cried, and soothed him to sleep. They didn''t see him or treated him any lesser because he was their child.


    He flashed to their deaths, or at least when he received the news. They were traveling in a group, a random bandit party attacked and robbed them of their possessions. Not only did his mother and father die, but so did a few others. When they returned, the survivors only had dead bodies to show.


    When he first saw his parents bodies, he remembered his first thought: "Why is mother and father sleeping?" For ten full weeks, he didn''t realize they had died. Regardless of what others told him, he believed they were just sleeping and they would wake up soon. Many pitied him, thinking he simply wanted them alive. However, Yan Zaizen truly thought they were sleeping.


    It was only after those ten full weeks did it dawn on him what happened. He didn''t cry. Instead, he talked to his parents like normal - as if they were alive. That continued for the next eleven years. Not once did he treat his parents as gone, but he knew they were dead.


    He remembered when he was eight. He saw a young girl that seemed to dazzle as she breathed. His first sight of her was in the Yan Clan''s garden. She was surrounded by pink lotuses and dressed in bright yellow. Her countenance was impossibly perfect that he wished to see it every day. Yan Zaizen was immediately mesmerized. He, without an ounce of fear, talked to her on that day.


    He dedicated his life in hopes of being able to bring her dreams to fruition. A large reason he did was that...his dream couldn''t come true. His mother and father would never open their eyes, hug him, or laugh with him again. Despite all the scorn and mocking because of his low talent, it barely affected him. To put in bluntly, he was too slow to process a lot of it. Only when he got older did it truly sink in.


    Not once did he think of suicide despite the inhuman levels of treatment later in that time. If he did, his parents would be alone. Despite this, the uncomfortable gazes and shattering of his dream made him want to get away from it all, but he couldn''t leave his parents. He stayed in a grassy field his father often took him to.


    Then, he saw a meteor.


    His life changed.


    Han Genji, Basilisk Forest, Xing Xuehan and the others, Ying Clan, Xuanwu City, the Deep Mines, finding Pinaka, Sky Heart City, returning home, avenging Han Genji, saving Shin Xuanji, fighting Yao Wuhen, Sky Night Royal City, meeting Ya Qinqan once more, Dead Soul Desert, Anima Syndicate, Asura Phantom Realm, Xiantu Emperor''s invitation, taking his first fearless step towards the heavenly path, facing heavenly tribulation, watching Shin Xuanji''s rise, traversing the Border Expanse, Deluge Realm, and now here.


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.When he recalled the important bits of his life, he realized that he had experienced many things but also so, so little. The sixteen-year-old him was nothing like he was today.


    "..." His eyes closed. The surrounding world went silent. The emotions of despair, the incoming doom, and all of it vanished. At this single moment, only he existed.


    BOOM!!!


    His eyes snapped open. Within those eyes were no longer dark-amber, amber-gold, silver-blue, or golden light! Instead, only pure, absolute darkness remained!


    "I, too, regret nothing. However, unless I do everything I can before death, I''ll regret it!!!" Yan Zaizen shouted explosively. His Mortal Dao of Sovereign Ascension erupted, but unlike before, this was a true eruption. His dark-amber dao orb materialized outside of the body. It radiated a profound light that seemed to be declaring itself the rising sovereign of the universe!


    With calmness, it watches all. With unyielding confidence, it remains true to itself! With tyrannical ferocity, it exceeds all! With relentless pursuit, it never ceases or surrenders! Even in death.


    IT ASCENDS!


    The dark-amber orb transformed into a clone of Yan Zaizen. With a single step, Yan Zaizen and the clone merged into a single entity. No longer was the Mortal Dao limited to simply his soul, amplifying his various energies, but it became a single entity with his existence!


    "Absolute Dao Merge!" This method was incredibly risky, but it was the same as igniting your heavenly shrine. The only difference was the outcome. With this, if someone shatters your body, it''ll shatter your dao! However, as long as you exist, your dao will exist! As long you don''t shatter, your dao will never shatter!


    The dark eyes spread to cover even his whites, before long, it started to swirl intensely. The world seemed to halt. The heavens seemed to halt. There was an unnatural hesitation of all existence. This brief period was so brief that light wouldn''t be able to traverse a single millimeter during this period.


    Yan Zaizen recalled his life once more. All of this started, all of these events that led to now was due to a single entity. The black hole in his glabella! He understood the concept. If his soul was assaulted, it would inadvertently trigger and eliminate the threat. However, it doesn''t work for physical damage. This was evidenced by the fight with the Deluge Realmlord or Asura Phantom Realm when he was stabbed through his heart.


    He can die, this wasn''t a question. If he dies naturally or killed by physical force, his soul can and will dissipate. However, if it was assaulted, the black hole activates. His own bloodline, the two black holes in his eyes consumed soul energy rapidly, but he didn''t know any of its other abilities. At the moment, he was out of options.


    Even if he ignited his True Essence, Dao Merged, galvanized his soul flame, even pushed his vital energies to its limits, he would still die today. That wasn''t a question. The only thing he had left was the black hole, so...he''ll simply force it to activate!


    With his Dao Merged Soul Energy, he condensed all of his soul energy into a single dot in a split second.


    "DO SOMETHING!!!" Thundering to the heavens, he directly sent this soul energy dot towards his glabella in his soul form, not his physical body. It impacted directly into the swirling black hole. For a second, there was resistance.


    Then¡­


    The soul energy vanished.


    "..." Another second passed, nothing happened.


    Another second passed, his body was feeling too much pressure. All the individuals that were in the space had already perished. If it wasn''t for his Herculean healing factor, his body would''ve turned into dust already. One more second before detonation.


    "...That''s it¡­" His words came out with a heavy sigh. "Now, I regret nothing¡­"


    He closed his eyes.


    Another second passed.


    The silver hole trembled.


    KA!


    Facing upwards towards the vast heavens, his eyes were misty beneath his heavy lids. "Mother...Father...I have so much I want to tell you all. I can''t wait to see you..."


    BOOM!!!!!!!!!


    The explosion was reminiscent to a supernova but thousands of times greater. The shockwaves radiated and the explosion surged outwards. They rumbled forward with the intent to turn all existence into nothingness.


    Shru!


    An inch away from Yan Zaizen''s body, an indifferent shockwave that contained heaven-destroying force stayed. It seemed frozen in time. A small black hole emerged from his glabella. It spun once, then twice.

 Chapter 199 - Devour! Consume! Exceed!

    A third spin of the black hole caused the shockwave to be pulled upwards like a slurp of water being extracted from space. In front of Yan Zaizen, a massive supernova at its nascent stage was occurring, but it remained motionless.


    A fourth spin of the black hole caused all of the shockwaves to enter it helplessly. A fifth spin caused wisps of the massive supernova to soar towards the black hole. A sixth spin, the supernova energy, heat, and explosive force was flowing towards it like a liquefied stream of energy.


    The swirling black hole continued to spin. With each rotation, the surrounding world¡¯s chaos was pulled towards it in an impossibly tyrannical manner. Before long, the swirling was so rapid that the supernova had already been completely absorbed, parts of the sub-realm were being consumed as well, the storm outside was being drawn simultaneously, and even the surrounding space itself was being ruthlessly and indifferently consumed!


    A single picosecond(*) passed.


    The surrounding space no longer contained anything, no people, no remnants of a realmship, no parts of planets, spatial storm or supernova. Only a single existence stood with his eyes closed in the vast emptiness of space. If someone saw him, they would be shocked. Not even the edge of his clothes was harmed after being in the center, literal center, of a sub-realm collapse.


    After ten seconds, Yan Zaizen opened his eyes.


    Firstly, he slowly looked to the left.


    Then, he looked to the right.


    Bringing his hand to his face, he blinked heavily with both eyes.


    ¡°I¡­¡± The realization of his survival slowly crept into his mind like a profound idea reaching its completion. ¡°I¡¯m ALIVE?!¡± Extreme elation filled his every cell as he wildly moved his arms and legs in triumphant. He pushed his fist into the sky and kicked the empty space.


    He could feel his legs and arms, he could feel his heart beating powerfully in his chest, and his lungs taking in the surrounding space, converting it into deathly aura, sending it into his bloodstream, converting it into lifeforce when it reached his heart, which later converts to soulforce when it reached his brain, and all of his body being strengthened as a result.


    This is how it feels to be alive!


    He softly touched his glabella, ¡°Thank you.¡± He knew he had survived because of this mysterious black hole implanted into his soul by whoever created him. In a situation of absolute despair, it saved his life!


    ¡°YAN ZAIZEN!!!¡± Pinaka shouted, her voice filled with disbelief and urgency. It was like a wife called her husband when she finds a problem she can¡¯t handle alone. It wasn¡¯t often that Pinaka called him by his name, but when she did, it was typically important. He immediately, almost instinctively, entered his soul form in his sea of consciousness. Pinaka was there, staring at Yan Zaizen.


    ¡°Hehe, see! We didn¡¯t die,¡± rubbing his nose with a little awkwardness, he said with a wide smile. However, Pinaka still looked at him with a dead-on stare. Her brows perked up but then she turned solemn.


    ¡°Do you not perceive the changes in your soul form? DO YOU NOT FEEL IT?!¡± She shouted at the end, unable to contain her horror and disbelief.


    ¡°What?¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked by her response. What changes? He looked downwards towards his soul form, but when he saw his torso, his eyes widened to the point they couldn¡¯t widen further. His soul form was no longer bluish, it was completely, thoroughly, entirely black! It was so black he couldn¡¯t visibly see his conceptual laws, Mortal Dao, or Astral Stars.


    ¡°I¡­¡± He froze. The strangest thing was that he could still sense the existence of all those things, but they just didn¡¯t seem to be there! ¡°How is this possible?!¡±


    ¡°...¡± Pinaka didn¡¯t even try to respond. She was as clueless as anyone else in this world. One moment, she was in Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul form. The next thing she knows, she was shrouded by infinite darkness and space. It was as if Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul form became an actual black hole, pulling all existences into it without any scruples or care.


    It¡¯s not like she couldn¡¯t exit if she wished, and nothing really changed, but the sudden transformation panicked her greatly. She was worried that Yan Zaizen had suffered some immense change.


    Yan Zaizen calmed himself down. After surviving that sub-realm collapse, he started to think these black hole mysteries were far, far too deep. ¡°My soul form¡¯s made some changes, nothing much. I can still connect to my conceptual laws, Mortal Dao, and Astral Stars. Nothing¡¯s changed.¡± These words calmed himself down, but then he realized he couldn¡¯t see the black hole in his glabella any longer.


    He touched the glabella of his soul form.


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    Pinaka spoke, ¡°We should ma-¡±


    WOOSH!!!


    Suddenly, he felt carried through an infinite darkness, devouring, consuming, assimilating all creation! Words echoed through his mind repeatedly at speeds that were nearly incomprehensible. The cadence was so odd that he felt a splitting headache.


    ¡°The Earth? Devour. Sky? Consume. Heavens? Exceed. The Earths and Skies, DEVOUR AND CONSUME ALL!!¡±


    ¡°...¡± His mind was shaken to blankness. He felt a profound concept from these words. However, it wasn¡¯t a concept. No. It was greater. It was like a law. No. It was greater. It was like heavenly law! No!! IT WAS GREATER!!


    His mind spiraled and reeled to the point he nearly lost himself. He couldn¡¯t keep himself focused as the words spoken in a language that should be completely foreign to him was more familiar to him than his own thoughts!


    ¡°The Earth, Sky, Heavens - DEVOUR AND CONSUME ALL!¡±


    ¡°Devour, Consume, Exceed - The Earths and Skies!¡±


    It was only with time that he realized that the cadence of the words formulated two different phrases, not one!


    WOOSH!!


    Yan Zaizen shifted back to his soul form.


    ¡°...ke sure that everything is okay. We should be careful so as to not cause any unforeseen issues.¡± Pinaka finished his words from earlier. However, Yan Zaizen¡¯s gaze contained a profound light. Unfortunately, due to his pure black soul form, Pinaka couldn¡¯t see it.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± Was all he said. He understood now. Closing his eyes, the blackness of his soul form became a background. The stars of his body once more resurfaced, the astral stars formulated, his Mortal Dao, and conceptual laws. They all took priority while the pure darkness became simply a background. When Pinaka saw this, she was stunned.


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°My soul and the black hole fused somehow. I have some control over it right now.¡± He clenched his soul form, the words from earlier echoed in his mind, and he realized a profound truth. The Earth, the soul! The Sky, the body! The Heavens, the essence!


    Taking a deep breath, he returned back to his body. He whispered, ¡°The Earth.¡± His two eyes formed into two black holes. They did not swirl, they remained stationary. However, he knew, if he desired it, he could devour and consume the soul!


    ¡°The Sky,¡± two black holes at the center of two palms formed. It was stationary like his eyes. If he wished, all things physical would be devoured!


    ¡°The Heavens!¡± At his glabella, a black hole formed - stationary. If he wished? All laws beneath the heavens can be devoured!


    He recalled the Herculean Immortal Method: ¡°Exceed the heavens and shatter the skies!¡± He realized skies meant the physical limitations of the body enforced by the heavens and likely more. It didn¡¯t mention the earth or earths, which further strengthened his belief in that profound truth.


    ¡°Is this my bloodline?¡± Yan Zaizen muttered inquisitively, ¡°or is it an unintended development?¡± Knowing he was a Non-Entity infused with an artificial soul and the black hole, he didn¡¯t feel like this was an intended result. Could it be...the black hole is the bloodline of another? Of his creator?


    Normally, he would have some guess whether something is right or wrong, but he couldn¡¯t get a single feeling on this. It was as if it exceeded his current limits of understanding.


    ¡°Could that be it?¡± He mumbled to himself while Pinaka stayed quiet. She didn¡¯t know what had happened, but she could see the obvious change in Yan Zaizen. It seems he was telling the truth. He had gained control of this black hole to a greater degree than before.


    It seems the black eyes was just a single part of it divided into three. His first transformation happened with his eyes after consuming all of the resources found in the Meteor Ring, the next transformation likely only included his palms, and then his glabella, but because of the circumstances, this was sped up.


    Even she couldn¡¯t tell if this was planned or not.


    Looking at Yan Zaizen, she quietly muttered in her heart, "I hope everything works out...I can''t lose you too."


    -----


    (*) - One trillionth of a second.

 Chapter 200 - Every Breath

    "Haaaa¡­" Yan Zaizen deeply sighed, dismissing his five black holes. He now understood more about this mysterious trait in his soul. It was divided into two parts, devour and consume. Devouring is simply a force that grabs all things. Consuming is to digest and convert what is devoured into actual energy which can then be redistributed.


    For example, soul crystals can be devoured and consumed at a fast speed, converted into his own usable soul energy.


    Whenever he consumed something soul-related, his soul would receive direct benefits. The same could be said for body and essence. He also understood that the strength of the black holes devouring force and consumption speed were directly interconnected to his individual cultivation in body, soul, and essence. It was hard to quantify due to the different metrics of standard, but at the moment, his body held the strongest devouring force.


    As for the protective seal, it was still there. When it activates, the greatest strength of the black hole can be mustered. However, he can''t control or direct this. He could only sigh. If he had direct control over this miraculous black hole, what did he need to fear?


    "Let''s go." After some thought, he decided to take his leave. Dwelling on these matters wouldn''t do much good, after all. He actually didn''t know where he was.


    Withdrawing the realmship, Lang Xue and Tao appeared along with. Their expressions were flicked with shock and disbelief. In truth, Tao didn''t know much about a sub-realm collapsing, but Lang Xue did.


    By now, they should''ve died.


    Unless¡­


    When she saw Yan Zaizen, she understood ¡ª they survived. She softly sighed in relief, her hand pressed tightly against her grand-sized chest, and she calmed herself down. Tao, however, was a little more innocent. "Is it over?" He directly asked.


    "Mhm. However, I have no idea where we are." He mentioned, looking at Lang Xue in hopes she had a way to solve this. Otherwise, they will have to travel to another realm before getting their bearings. Luckily, Lang Xue did have a solution.


    She withdrew a compass from her heavenly space. It had an arrow and no directional markings. Instead, there were strange characters on the surface of the arrow. It spun until it pointed towards a single direction, then the characters flashed with a faint grey glow. "We''re pretty close to the Sirius Titan Realm, but we''re rather far from the Elysian Realm." As she spoke, her eyes flickered.


    Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows. Initially, he was going to travel to the Elysian Realm to see its rumored hell connection, but now¡­


    "Is that true?" He asked, his eyes looking at her every expression.


    "Of course! I have no reason to lie, hmph." Despite her words, her tone was a lot softer than before. She realized her estimation of Yan Zaizen was vastly below his capabilities. If he could escape a collapsed sub-realm, then he had his abilities worthy to be top-class.


    "Haaaa! Fine." Yan Zaizen shrugged, sending a soul transmission to Lang Xue detailing the piloting method, "Pilot the ship." After giving this order, he went into one of the cultivation rooms.


    With a realmship, they didn''t need to worry about odd creatures because they could travel through the spatial void. He could spend his time resting, cultivating, and comprehending the essence of his new bloodline.


    Lang Xue was caught off guard. To think that Yan Zaizen would suddenly give her the piloting method for the realmship, wasn''t he scared that she would take control of it and leave?


    In truth, Yan Zaizen couldn''t care less at this point. Mentally, he was fatigued to the limit. He felt a sudden urge to sleep swell within his mind. Unwilling to personal pilot the ship, he pawned off that responsibility.


    Bai Lufeng and Tao were incapable of piloting the ship due to their cultivation bases, but Lang Xue had such capabilities. Leave the task to those who can do it!


    He found a comfortable bed and just dropped into it. It''s been a while, a very long while, since he slept like a mortal. When one¡¯s cultivation reaches the Essence Formation Realm, sleep becomes non-essential. His mind wandered as his consciousness started to slip. Before long, his breathing reached an even rhythm. Sounds of snoring echoed in his chambers.


    A month passed as he slept.


    When he woke up, he had a sandy crust at the edge of his eyes. He rubbed his eyes to remove the discomforting feeling. With a good stretch, he felt refreshed, but he still felt a slight urge to sleep a little longer.


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    "Morning," Pinaka said softly. She was currently matetializ3d in her soul form in the real world. Yan Zaizen trembled as he saw this True Spirit beauty. Pinaka''s tone had changed subtly. It transitioned to a warmer, softer tone than before. If it wasn''t for his familiarity with her, he wouldn''t have noticed.


    He lightly chuckled, "Morning! Although, in the Border Expanse, can''t really say its morning."


    Pinaka pouted but didn''t respond. After that day, she felt odd in her heart. While Yan Zaizen slept, she protectively guarded his defenseless body and while doing so, whenever she looked at him, she found herself getting lost in chaotic thoughts.


    Looking at this spirit, Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but feel grateful and warm. In the moment of one¡¯s expected death, true thoughts emerge. However, he softly sighed when he thought of something. Placing these thoughts away, he asked suddenly, "Sirius Titan Realm, do you know of it?"


    "...A little. It has existed even before my birth in the Chaos Era. At that time, it was a seventh-level, heavenly-tier force. At least, that was tens of thousands of years ago. It was one of the major realms with two suns, a planet that exceeds the size of its suns, and moons that exceed the size of normal planets."


    "The name Titan comes from its sheer immensity. Sirius comes from its creator, the White Sirius Heavenly Monarch. An expert that reached the Heavenly Creation Realm." Her words caused Yan Zaizen''s mind to shake. A realm created by a Heavenly Creation expert?


    Wait, in that case, why is it at the seventh-level?


    As if reading his mind, Pinaka moved her loose, long black hair away from her face, "the White Sirius Heavenly Monarch perished long ago. The realm no longer belongs solely to his force or lineage and was claimed by others. His name maintained within the realm was only in display appropriate respect to its creator."


    Yan Zaizen looked at Pinaka as she calmly explained. This woman could always read his thoughts. Yet, he never felt uncomfortable by it. "Heavenly Monarchs, why the title? Did he rule this heaven?"


    Pinaka was startled initially by his question, but then she recalled how this was the first time she referred to the realm beyond Heavenly Genesis. "They are called Heavenly Monarchs because they can project their own minor heaven, much similar to a conceptual domain. They rule the entirety of this minor heaven. All experts at this level are given that title."


    "As for those who control one of the 33 heavens, they are called Heavenly Gods. After all, they control the heaven directly. Even Heavenly Genesis experts at the seventh level or higher are given the title of Heavenly Commanders. After all, they''ve reached the sovereign-level."


    Yan Zaizen thoughts changed, he recalled an unruly girl dressed in red, Hong Hong, who cursed everyone to die - especially him. She baited and taunted them, giving everyone hope beforehand. Her sadistic means made Yan Zaizen feel immense disgust, but she had a spatial talisman created by a seventh-floor Heavenly Genesis expert.


    She escaped due to this very talisman.


    "Don''t think about it too much. The difference of each floor is like the difference between the sky and earth." She said, obviously unwilling to dwell on it. She had her own share of bad feelings towards Heavenly Commanders. After all, her previous master was so close to claiming that title before his demise.


    "The cultivation world is vast and grand. Even with my increase in strength, I feel that I''m still so tiny in comparison." He commented. Meteorite City was his whole world before, but now, it was lesser than a speck of dust in the vast universe.


    "Until you stand at the highest point, you will always be unable to safely look down. As long as there''s a sky above you, it can always collapse." Pinaka muttered. Her words were recited as if she was quoting another.


    Shrugging, Yan Zaizen stretched once more, "I''ll take one step at a time. Until the day I breathe my last breath, I''ll journey on. Sooner or later, I''ll either reach that point or the end of my path." His voice was careless and casual but contained profound meaning. "So I''ll enjoy every breath I can." With a soft smile, he laid back on his bed to drift off in his unfinished bit of rest.


    "..." Pinaka gazed at Yan Zaizen, her heart trembling, but she hid it well on her expression. Silently in her heart, "I''ll follow every step and enjoy every breath with you. Perhaps one day..."


    Yan Zaizen slept in comfort.

 Chapter 201 - Sirius Titan Realm

    Nearly a year passed since the sub-realm collapse event. Bai Lufeng cultivation made a breakthrough, reaching the late-Origin Core Realm after all this time. His eyes no longer contained a fractured light, but a clear and calm ripple. From time to time, a flash of an aurora shifted through his gaze.


    After consuming the Seventh State Earth Pill, Bai Lufeng had restored his psyche. With this, his cultivation made a much-needed breakthrough and his soul leapt to the Aurora Soul Realm. With the proper resources, he immediately ascended without any issue.


    Unlike before, his gaze contained a trace of wisdom that wasn''t normally found in those who lived for three thousand years. He stood at the deck, staring at the realm before him with intrigue and excitement.


    Tao''s aura seemed to have experienced a change as well. His scholarly aura became more hardened. After just this short period, he realized his own weakness. His eyes contained unyielding resolve to change this. He stood beside Bai Lufeng with a sharp gaze.


    Lang Xue was at the helm of the ship looking at the Sirius Titan Realm''s outer space border. She felt indescribable feelings fluctuate in her heart.


    Yan Zaizen stood beside his companions, his gaze focused on the entirety of the realm before him. When Pinaka informed him that the ''Titan'' in the name was to describe its immensity, he didn''t believe it, but when he saw it...he was converted to a believer. Any of the nine moons exceeded the three continents in the Xiantu Realm, combined.


    The planet at the center of the realm exceeded the Deluge Realm in size alone. The two suns that rotated around the central planet seemed like moons instead of suns. The planet was that immense.


    "There''s one planet, nine moons, and two suns?" He was stunned with awe at this sight. In the Deluge Realm, there was a water sun, six planets completely comprised of water, and a single moon. However, this realm caused him to be further awed.


    "Grand Sirius, the name of the planet." Lang Xue said with reverence. "The nine moons are called the Nine Earthly Moons. They house the top-tier experts, forces, and a vast majority of the realm''s resident. As for Grand Sirius, it is not a place you live, but a place you explore."


    "It is a planetary formation that''s comprised of various trials. Due to the formation, there''s no essence on the surface. It is as uninhabitable in the long-term as the Border Expanse." After she explained, all three of them were shaken to their core.


    A planetary formation that is purely trials?


    Wait.


    As if she could conceive Yan Zaizen''s thoughts before he even thought of it, Pinaka responded, "White Sirius Heavenly Monarch died. He didn''t die by combat but by longevity limitations. Those at the Heavenly Creation Realm, depending on their stage, could live for millions of years, but he reached his limit. It''s not as rare as you may think."


    Yan Zaizen was enlightened. Dying because of longevity limitations was the greatest cause of death in the cultivation world. "To think...even Heavenly Monarchs can die this way." The struggle for life and time was the greatest struggle of the cultivation world.


    He recalled Old Tai. His expression of happiness and profound thanks when Yan Zaizen gave him an opportunity at more years.


    Will he one day be biting at death''s door and clinging for life?


    Putting these thoughts aside, Yan Zaizen commanded, "Let''s go." With that, Lang Xue enthusiastically drove the realmship into the Sirius Titan Realm''s outer space. The moment they entered, they felt an immense force press upon their bodies.


    The realmship was pulled towards a certain direction forcefully. Besides Lang Xue, the rest were startled. "Gravity?!" Tao exclaimed in disbelief. He could tell that a gravitational force was pulling them towards the gigantic Grand Sirius. However, they were at the very edges? How could they be affected by its gravity?


    "The Grand Sirius is the center of this realm. The suns and moons circulate around its orbit, not the other way around. The more we go, the stronger the force. You''ll need strong bodies or cultivation to resist the pressure." Lang Xue explained with a slight chuckle. Tao and Bai Lufeng nearly tilted out of the realmship.


    "A majority of cultivators in the realm cultivate the bodily path, using the gravity''s force to enhance their strength. The actual surface is so difficult to withstand that without a strong body, you''ll essentially turn into a pancake." Laughing, she continued to explain.


    While she was having fun at Tao¡¯s and Bai Lufeng¡¯s awkwardness, Yan Zaizen''s brows were furrowed. He sent his sense into the Meteor Ring. A coin was glowing slightly.


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    He arrived before it, picking it up with his soul form. Pinaka shimmered beside him. She saw the coin and her mouth pouted a little, as if she had complex feelings when she saw it. "This is Ma Xiuren''s token. Wait¡­"


    Did this mean?


    "Is this Ma Xiuren''s home?!" He was in literal shock. He had tried to get information about Ma Xiuren''s home, but even the White Crane Sect had no clue. She was just someone who suddenly joined their group during the Asura Phantom Realm. They only knew she had a good body cultivation.


    Looking at the coin, Yan Zaizen saw the ''Xiuhei'' and ''Heaven'' characters. He recalled Ma Xiuren. She had carried him out of the Asura Phantom Realm alive. During the exploration, they swept the fifth floor and he protected her from the Phantasm.


    And¡­


    He touched his cheek subconsciously.


    She had the physique of a little girl. Yan Zaizen shivered at that thought. For some reason, even though he knew she was over three thousand years old, it still felt odd even considering. With a sigh, he kept the coin in the Meteor Ring.


    Exiting, he realized they were flying towards the Grand Sirius. "Hm? Where are we going?" He asked Lang Xue.


    She had a faint smile, "before I return home, I need to claim the last part of my inheritance." Her eyes flashed apologetically. Yan Zaizen shrugged. He waved his hand, sending Bai Lufeng and Tao into the Meteor Ring.


    After all, the gravity was far too strong for them to withstand. If he let them on the surface, their fates would be pancakes and not the delicious kind.


    Since he was here, he might as well check out this so-called trial formation planet left by a Heavenly Monarch. Nearing the planet, the gravity truly was incredible. Even him, with a thoroughly refined body, could feel the pressure. It''s possible only True Essence experts could resist the pressure slightly.


    Boom!


    They pierced through the atmosphere with incredible speed. There were countless skyships lingering outside the orbit. Some of them seemed to even house entire clans or civilizations from the numerous life signatures from them.


    He looked towards one large, nearly half a small moon-sized skyship. This was the first time he saw a skyship this size, but there were billions of life signatures on this skyship. He was beyond awed.


    "The Nine Earthly Moons houses elite forces and a majority of the residents in the realm, but those ships, called Worldships, house the rest." Lang Xue explained.


    In those worldships, forces below the third-level heavenly-tier stayed. Their entire clan, entire sects, and all ordinary mortals stayed in those gigantic ships, many of them orbiting one of the Nine Earthly Moons. Yan Zaizen was shocked by this. It seems the population of the realm made the Xiantu Realm seem like a small town.


    There were thousands of worldships of varying sizes, carrying at a minimum of ten million life signatures. This frightened him. The sheer number of people left one speechless. He wondered how the society was different in comparison to the Xiantu Realm and Deluge Realm.


    He recalled that Lang Xue was a gigantus and pale arctic wolf hybrid. He was interested in how divine beasts, normal beasts, and humans of different races interacted. After all, some of these worldships must have pure beast populations or mixed.


    Was it like the Mystic Wave Continent or Presba? Filled with combat and competition?


    As they dived deeper into the Grand Sirius, they passed eight layers of atmosphere before entering the actual planet. The gravity truly was nothing to scoff at. He rethought his previous assumption. He wasn''t sure how strong one needed to be to stay here safely.


    Luckily, the realmship was quite sturdy. Besides a creak here and there at sharp upturns, it stably held.


    "Oh?" Yan Zaizen felt his heart race for a brief period. He looked around but found nothing. After a while, he focused elsewhere, dismissing his feeling.


    "Thank you, once again. I''ll owe you a favor for this." Lang Xue said. Yan Zaizen calmly nodded. He was happy to be able to see another piece of the myriad realms. He held endless curiosity and interest, so he wasn''t angered. However, he didn''t take her words seriously.

 Chapter 202 - Saber Inheritance

    Yan Zaizen breathed in a wad of natural air. It was true, the world had no atmospheric essence. He wondered why, but Lang Xue vaguely said it was the White Sirius Heavenly Monarch''s intention.


    Considering this was the Heavenly Monarch''s own creation and set of trials, he couldn''t really question it. However, the planet was brimming with bustling life. Mostly floral or trees, but life nonetheless. Literally, the entire planet was covered in plant life. However, it wasn''t super tall trees or skyscraper-like flowers. They were rather normal sized.


    He expected titan-sized plant life for this titan-sized realm.


    Looking around, he saw many people surrounding circles. It was just the outline, but each one had a person or countless people surrounding it. Some seemed to have established a camp while others seemed to be openly discussing. Sometimes, a person would enter a circle.


    They would vanish in a brief flash of brilliant light.


    This?!


    "What are those circles?" He asked. Some of the circles were larger than a continent, some were smaller than a single person, and some were of different colors. If one looked closely, they radiated strange auras.


    "Those are Grand Circles. They are trials by fire set up by the White Sirius Heavenly Monarch. The bigger the circle, the lesser the danger and the fewer points you can obtain from them if you complete them. They have different levels of difficulty as well. From red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet. Red is the highest difficulty and violet is the lowest. Points can be used after the trials for resources, armaments, or arts.¡±


    She pointed towards another area, this one was a platform of a green color, not a circle. On the platform was a sword in a stone with only the hilt visible. The sword radiated a profound aura of calmness as if it was sheathed.


    "Those are inheritance platforms. If you can gain the acknowledgment of that trial, you can gain access to the respective inheritance. They typically contain specific requirements and only allow a limited amount of people to complete. For example, my Saber Key was a green platform and had three sabers. If you can extract the saber, information about the inheritance will be given to you."


    "Sometimes, you can gain inheritance deposits. Most of them are on the planet, but not always. If they aren''t on the planet, you must take it yourself." Her voice contained a tone of grievance. It seems she felt unlucky. After all, she had to travel six hundred years but still got captured and almost died.


    She pointed towards another area. It was different than before. Instead, it was a square outline. The square outlines had things inside them, however. They were spiritual bodies. "Spirit Squares. If you wish to obtain an armament spirit suitable for you, you can take the specific trial to obtain them. Of course, they are pretty much random."


    She pouted as if she suffered a bad experience before. To this day, the memory didn''t sit too well with her.


    Yan Zaizen took this all in. He was truly surprised by the set of trials on the planet, not to mention, this planet was immense. He couldn''t look in any direction without seeing some sort of trial, and sometimes, he could see hundreds of trials next to each other. Lang Xue was quite knowledgeable about the different trials. There were quite many, even those that were dependant on slaughter and fighting others.


    "I truly cannot fathom how the White Sirius Heavenly Monarch established this world," Pinaka commented, her eyes shined in amazement. Her previous master never actually visited the Sirius Titan Realm, but she regretted they didn''t do so. The opportunities here was abundant to the high heavens.


    "We''re here." Lang Xue declared.


    Looking outwards, Yan Zaizen saw an empty inheritance platform. On the platform, three grooves that seemed to hold sabers were embedded into it.


    This platform was an oddity. There was no one around. However, Yan Zaizen discovered the reason. The inheritance of this platform had been taken. Recalling what Lang Xue informed him, it seems all three saber keys were taken.


    After they exited the realmship, she soared towards the green platform that was about the size of a small pond. She pulled out a saber, but this saber wasn''t the same saber as before. Yan Zaizen assumed she must''ve obtained it from the inheritance deposit. "Could it be¡­?" He had his suspicions.


    With a stab, she sent the saber into one of the grooves. It was a perfect fit and it radiated a profoundly powerful saber aura that seemed intent or slashing the world to eternal sleep! The dominance and unyielding ferocity it emitted caused Yan Zaizen''s heart to tremble slightly.


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    A brilliant white light erupted from the platform. From this light, a silhouette of a man emerged. He had a burly body, three meters in height, and a gaze that seemed to contain the end of all days. It felt oddly chilling. In his hand was a curved, one-meter long white saber.


    "My successor." A voice resounded causing the space to ripple. Lang Xue''s eyes, which were usually filled with pride, displayed intense respect. She stepped forward.


    The man of light looked at Lang Xue for a second. However, his gaze was unfathomable.


    "An astral remnant." Yan Zaizen deduced after seeing this scene. Similar to astral projection, Astral Soul Realm provided a myriad of otherworldly powers. One of these was the ability to produce an Astral Remnant. It was similar to spiritual sense separation but far more advanced. Astral Remnants can exist as long as it has energy and can even exist after the death of its owner.


    The most important aspect was that, if activated, the owner of the remnant will be aware of all things in real time. If their cultivation is sufficient, they can lock onto the area and descend using Astral Projection even several realms away.


    He was curious whether this person was alive or dead. However, he felt that he wasn''t alive. His opinionated belief towards this planet changed. Was it possible the White Sirius Heavenly Monarch was allowing new inheritances to be added even after death? If so, this planet was the core for both experts looking for disciples and youngsters looking for masters.


    "Master." Lang Xue acknowledged, kowtowing. Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but feel awkward that, during this important event of acceptance, he was looking at Lang Xue''s perk butt. After all, he was directly behind her.


    Despite this, he didn''t take his eyes away. He was curious about the bestowal process. The astral remnant pointed his saber towards Lang Xue. With a sudden movement, he stabbed forward and pierced into her head.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes lit up.


    The saber glowed and turned into a white wisp. This white wisp entered her glabella and faded. Lang Xue''s eyes glowed a similar white and she moaned in ecstasy. The bestowment didn''t just include the complete conceptual method of her saber conceptual law, but it contained the man''s experience in cultivating the saber.


    "This man is at least at the seventh-floor!" Pinaka commented, even she couldn''t help but tremble. Lang Xue''s luck truly is extraordinary. This was equivalent to Pinaka giving Yan Zaizen the Rudra''s Law of Archery, the fortune was beyond extraordinary. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen didn''t have cultivation notes so her benefits exceeded his by a fair bit.


    After an hour, the astral remnant directly transmitted some words to Lang Xue. He looked towards Yan Zaizen, then dispersed into white light.


    Yan Zaizen looked at Lang Xue and realized that a spiritual strand was lingering in her body. His brows furrowed. A spiritual strand was another ability of the Astral Soul Realm. It''s an inactive spiritual sense that''s manually activated. This was essentially a threat and safeguard. As long as you had this strand, any expert will have to think twice. If they can''t instantly kill you, they would be fearing your master''s revenge.


    Not only that, because it''s inactive, the person can''t spy on the other like spiritual sense unless it''s activated by the wielder. Furthermore, the strand will last until removed or is used. Even if the expert is dead, it can act as an empty gesture of backing.


    When Yan Zaizen saw this, he understood why Lang Xue wanted to return. Whatever her life was before, it had fundamentally changed with a seventh-floor expert with an Astral Soul acting as her backing, even if he was already dead. Moreover, her cultivation had reached the second-floor.


    After a while, Lang Xue rose with a proud expression. The struggle of her life before was all worth it for this moment.


    Smiling, Yan Zaizen sincerely congratulated her for her success. She accepted and gave him thanks. After all, without him, she would''ve been someone''s slave.


    "Hm?" Yan Zaizen heart briefly raced once again. This time, he felt it deeply. It seemed like a calling. Looking at Lang Xue, he asked, "I''m going to search around. You can go home, if wish."


    Thinking for a second, her eyes traced Yan Zaizen''s handsome face and extraordinary physique. Eyes flickering, she responded, "I''ll stay for a while. I''m in no rush."

 Chapter 203 - Unnamed Warhammer

    Yan Zaizen didn''t fly using the realmship. Instead, he flew with his soul energy surrounding him. Lang Xue followed suit with her true-essence surrounding her body. Earlier, she had warned Yan Zaizen that the lack of atmospheric essence meant it was impossible to recover true-essence which could affect trials, so he used his soul energy instead.


    He also learned that no one fights in the world because of this peculiar environment. If they viciously fought, they had no means to recover. Many were using their true-essence or vital energy to resist the gravity on the planet so consumption was even greater.


    Moreover, no one was here to fight and be killed. They were here for inheritances and lucky chances. However, on the moons and worldships, fighting and competition were insanely fierce. After all, resources weren''t unlimited.


    As he looked about, Yan Zaizen was shocked to see the racial diversity. There were those in the Draku, Gigantus, Lycah, and Houyi race. Draku was black-scaled, purple-skinned race of humanoids. They had strong bodies and incredible levels of defense provided to them by their scales. They looked like ancient dragons in human form.


    The Gigantus race was normal in appearance, but their bloodline was a dominant trait so all of them had it as their origin source. With this bloodline, they can increase their body in size using Gigantus Transformation Art. Not only that, the insides of their bodies can store several times more true-essence or vital energy than normal. In battles of endurance, they were kings.


    The Houyi race had a unique dual bloodline, they can harness, store, and expel solar light with their bodies and souls. It''s said they could even create and become suns that can scorch the earth and rend the sky.


    Not only that, there were a few minor races such as the Gunyu race or those from neighboring realms desiring to earn an inheritance or lucky chance.


    Besides humanoid races, they had divine beasts in spades. They were essentially as widespread as the three greatest humanoid races. The most prominent of divine beasts were wolves, coyotes, and foxes. They essentially dominated three of the Nine Earthly Moons.


    He saw quite a few hybrids and pure divine beasts. Some were even in their beast form, traveling casually. To Yan Zaizen who grew in the Xiantu Realm of Presba, this was a strange sight to him, but much welcomed. However, everyone was quite isolated. They seemed to have a mission and was unwilling to engage with strangers. Shockingly, Lang Xue was often given odd gazes, some even contained contempt and disdain.


    Despite her unreasonable assets and stellar beauty, she was still treated as such. He started to question if this was reality. Doesn''t the world love beauty? Not to mention, these gazes originated from weaker individuals too. As if they had no fear or respect towards her.


    Lang Xue, however, puffed her grand chest out proudly and indifference in her eyes. Whenever she saw these people with weaker cultivation bases reveal their disdain, she would sneer and laugh with blatant contempt. This obviously caused quite a few to get enraged, but they didn''t dare to take action.


    Yan Zaizen chuckled at this. He kind of wished that he had done that when he was in his clan. Unfortunately, the past was the past.


    "Is this it?" After walking for who knows how long, Yan Zaizen arrived at a wide, red platform. On this red platform was a single object - a Warhammer. It was gold and silver with odd inscriptions littering the shaft and hammer head.


    The hammer was one-side flat with a ripple pattern on its surface. The other side was a curved spike. This spike was longer than most, nearing half a meter. On the platform, the hammer laid horizontal on a wide bench. The bench was made of unique jade and radiated a profound grey light that seemed to constrict the heart.


    "This?" Lang Xue was shocked seeing Yan Zaizen stop at a red platform, not to mention this particular platform. A red platform was something many just avoided. After all, difficulty didn''t relate to worth, simply the danger involved in the trial. However, this one was notoriously famous.


    "What is it?" He could feel Lang Xue''s surprise and couldn¡¯t stifle his curiosity.


    "It''s an unnamed warhammer. No one knows which inheritance it belongs to, but the trial is simplistic yet beyond difficult." With that explanation, she suggested they move elsewhere.


    However, Yan Zaizen''s curiosity increased. There was no one at this platform, but there were popular inheritances nearby. The crowd in a hundred li numbered more than ten thousand. Despite that, no one was even looking this way.


    "What''s the trial requirement?"


    "...Lift up the warhammer." Lang Xue said with a sigh.


    Indeed!


    That did seem overly simplistic. However, how could a red trial be so simple? What about the danger? Even if you failed, it''s not like you''ll die.


    If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it."If I wanted, I could lift this warhammer. After all, my physical strength is extraordinary and my cultivation is sufficient to do so. However, it''s what happens after you get accepted. Everyone, regardless of the person or cultivation, who completes the initial test never returns after." She explained further.


    His heart shook. "Never return?"


    "En. If you succeed, you get transported to the trial grounds. This is common in inheritance trials. When I entered the sub-realm, there were a trial grounds within to obtain the treasures. To take a saber key, I had to comprehend a specific conceptual law to a certain point, that was the entry trial only." She explained.


    Nodding in understanding, Yan Zaizen looked towards the warhammer. For some reason, he felt oddly close to the warhammer. Looking at it deeply, his mind shook. "Herculean inscriptions?"


    During the Herculean Avatar Art, Yan Zaizen''s body creates mystic inscriptions. These inscriptions were profound and Yan Zaizen didn''t understand them. His theory was that they were a unique formation set up using Herculean laws.


    The Herculean law, concept, or race went against heavenly standards and wasn''t a part of the heavenly law. A law created that had similarities to True Spirits, like Pinaka. They can exist and be cultivated beneath the heavens but weren''t supported by it. They may even suffer retaliation.


    If this warhammer had relations to the herculeans, then perhaps he should attempt the trial. Pinaka''s voice interjected, "from what Lang Xue said, this trial is a never-to-return type. Is it wise?" She could already feel Yan Zaizen''s desire emanate heavily from his soul.


    Without hesitation, Yan Zaizen responded, "of course." With that, he took a step forward. This step carried him onto the platform before the jade bench. Lang Xue''s eyes widened. Fear and panic started to suffuse in her eyes as she reached out as if wanting to stop Yan Zaizen.


    Yan Zaizen turned his eyes towards Lang Xue with an inquisitive brow which caused her to halt suddenly. Her grand chest bounced with a springy set of bounces. The eyes of many darted over after noticing Yan Zaizen movements. Quite a few eyes drew to Lang Xue. Some had disdain and others had lust. The females in the crowd were pretty much indifferent as if her existence wasn''t worth acknowledging.


    With furrowed brows, he had his suspicions towards Lang Xue. For one, why did she seem to care for him so much? His step was sudden, but he had other intentions with it. He wanted to see her reaction.


    It was far too intense for their current relationship.


    His eyes flickered with an unfathomable light. He felt that this woman had other ideas towards him. It wasn''t relationship based either, at least, he couldn''t sense an ounce of heartwarming emotion of love. Instead, it was more of a staying close to a cherished object.


    Also, the looks of others seemed to tell a story he didn''t understand.


    Lang Xue stopped herself, realizing from Yan Zaizen''s eyes that he had heavy suspicions. She immediately deduced that this was likely a test. Internally, she was panicking, but outwardly, she looked shocked and revealed warm worry.


    "No one returns from this! Don''t throw your life away!"


    Yan Zaizen expression flickered subtly. This girl is scheming! He had the instinct from the beginning, but now he was certain of it. Her worry may be seen as an emotion you looked at a savior, but this girl was not soft-hearted. She was filled with ambition and intelligence. He did not believe a little bit of strength, good looks, and a single act was enough to establish him in her good books.


    "You can go," he coldly spat. Lang Xue seemed shocked and she seemed to want to say something, but Yan Zaizen''s eyes turned colder. She halted her words as it did. She stayed silent, but she didn''t leave. Instead, her warm worry vanished like it never existed and she had a calm expression.


    "Hmph!" Yan Zaizen snorted at this. It seems she needed him for something and not just a ride home. After all, Heavenly Genesis experts can rip apart space and traverse through it at high speeds. What reason did she need a realmship in her own realm? She was her own realmship!


    "She wants or needs me for something, but she''s unwilling to tell me what. It''s probably dangerous or something I''ll likely refuse¡­" Speculating, Yan Zaizen felt a severe headache. He decided to place this matter in the back of his mind. When he returns, he''ll get more information from her.


    He ignored the crowd''s comments at his idiocy, act of courting death, or sly jokes. To him, this was juvenile and irrelevant.


    Gripping the shaft of the warhammer, he made a wrenching motion. At the moment, his immense strength originating from his fleshly body displayed itself in full. The warhammer was lifted up with ease just on physique power only.


    A golden light erupted and shrouded Yan Zaizen. He could feel the transmitting energy erupt. However, his eyes widened in shock. He seemed to want to say something. In the next second, he vanished before he could.

 Chapter 204 - Sky Shatter

    "ARRRRGGGHHHH!!!" A hellish, heart-wrenching, horrifyingly loud shriek filled with immense pain pierced through the world.


    This world was the inside of a small cubical room. Despite being called ''small'' it was two li in area. It was completely golden, but a dull gold that didn''t blind with its shine. The dull gold radiated light, making it seem as if it was day.


    Within this enclosed box, a figure that was essentially a mesh of blood, jade-like bones, mangled and indistinguishable flesh laid there with its mouth gaped open. The voice after the initial scream was nothing more than a hoarse whimper.


    The legs, arms, neck, and torso of this body were nearly ripped apart. It was as if a small tether of flesh connected all these individual parts that were once a complete whole. The face of this figure had a collapsed in half, no eye, nose, or teeth on the right side of its face. Even half his brain seemed to have been crushed.


    It was as if someone had divided it with a perfect line.


    "Gurgle!" Blood sprayed from its mouth and its body twitched uncontrollably. Its remaining eye contained a trace of amber-gold but it was essentially dull.


    This horrifyingly nightmarish figure was Yan Zaizen!


    "Pina...Pinaka!" He tried to speak but the words were nearly gibberish. His soul felt suppressed by some ancient, profound force that exists and felt like it always will. He couldn''t galvanize any energy - true-essence, vital energy, or soul energy.


    He couldn''t even reach Pinaka. He could feel her presence, but he couldn''t hear her.


    He twitched again. He was in so much pain. It was as if god''s hammer and devil''s blade went to work on his entire body. The damage exceeded any damage he''d ever suffered before. He even wanted to pass out, but whenever he tried, the pain would keep him awake. If anyone was in his position, they would''ve already died.


    "What the hell!" His thoughts were filled with curses. Was the trial for the unnamed warhammer a deathtrap? If so, curse the eighteen generations and another eighteen generations of the person responsible!


    Wait.


    His remaining eye wiggled without stability in its socket. It was barely attached. It spun around like a billiard ball. He took in what he could before he lost connection when it fell out.


    "A golden room...why a room?" He questioned. If someone wanted to kill with certainty, an absolute death zone in the myriad realms would''ve been a better place.


    He calmed down, at least the best he could with his current circumstances.


    Boom!


    A resounding boom echoed. An ancient aura radiated that caused Yan Zaizen to shiver slightly. Unfortunately, he couldn''t see.


    While he was struggling, the Immortal Herculean Physique was already displaying its heaven-defying capabilities. His neck, arms, and legs were reconnecting completely with his torso. His mashed organs were reconstructing with a faint trace of golden light.


    "You." A voice filled with rough and deep tone spoke. "You have survived the trial." The voice finished.


    "What?!" Yan Zaizen was shocked dumb, literally. What trial? This was a sneak attack, you bastard!


    Afterward, the voice and aura dissipated as if it was disappearing. Yan Zaizen felt the need to punch and rob the voice for all its worth. If it had gold teeth, he would take that too! If he had good hair, he''d take that too! Hell, if his vital yang was still there! He''d put it to damn good use!


    The grievance in his heart was earth-shattering.


    It took Yan Zaizen a full hour before his body was restored to full.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    Crack!


    He cracked his neck in frustration, the look in his eyes was a lot less evil now that he had time to think about it. The trial was essentially to have a strong enough physique to survive an unsuspecting attack. Without any energy to use, simply your body alone.


    He felt that he understood why no one survived. If it was based off vital energy or highest cultivation, then it''s unlikely anyone could. After all, only divine beasts take the Bestial Path. The normal bodily path focuses primarily on vital energy enhancement, not physique refinement.


    The Immortal Herculean Method focuses on physique refinement, and he has lifeforce energy that helps. With this, his physical body could easily rival a third-floor Heavenly Genesis expert alone. His vital energy was remarkably weaker, being an entire floor lower.


    If the attack took his vital energy levels as a determining factor, then the blow he sustained was likely a full powered blow from a fourth-floor Heavenly Genesis expert. That''s like Yan Zaizen taking an attack from Yu Shi without his lifeforce energy or vital energy.


    He would actually be in a far worse state.


    No one could survive that standard.


    Heavily sighing in helplessness, he felt wronged yet also understood. After all, it was a red trial, the hardest trial with the highest difficulty in Grand Sirius. Recalling that difficulty translated to risk of dying. Now, it made sense.


    Taking a look around, he saw the unnamed warhammer. It had a silver shaft that was two meters, a large hammer with a curved back, and golden inscriptions. It radiated a faint golden light and looked heavier than a world, mightier than a realm, and more fearsome than death itself.


    Yan Zaizen''s eyes lit up.


    He walked over and grasped the handle. A trace of light surged into his mind. A string of information entered.


    "Transcending Imperial Sky Warhammer of Chi?" Yan Zaizen muttered the name of the warhammer. The moment he heard that name, he shrugged. "Sky Shatter sounds better, less of a mouthful. If the sky represents all things physical, then this represented shattering all skies." After deciding that, Yan Zaizen sifted through the rest of the information.


    This was an armament, but not a normal one. It didn''t have a Spirit Form or True Spirit within. Instead, there were multi-complex formations that seemed like a maze of absolute mind-boggling chaos. It was so complex that he imagined that there were likely a million different formations in the hammer''s head alone.


    He understood that, in olden times, True Spirits or Spirit Forms, weren''t added to weapons. Instead, formations were all that was required. A true weapon that you and you alone use. After the adding of the heaven-defying True Spirit, the ease of usage and creation shifted popularity.


    For example, even Yan Zaizen could use Pinaka with little strain. This meant that all cultivators in a generation could, theoretically, have spirit-rank armaments. It was cheaper and spirit forms have access to laws and can teach the junior generation. They can also evolve, so there was no need to throw away thousands to tens of thousands of years in work for a better, more suitable weapon after your first one can no longer keep up.


    This type of weapon became obsolete.


    Lifting it, Yan Zaizen felt a strange resonance, as if it was meant to be in his hands. "Good hammer!" He remarked.


    "Unfortunately, there''s no conceptual methods with this hammer or arts. It''s just a warhammer." He slightly sighed but comforted himself a little by reminding how good the hammer felt in his hands.


    "Alright...let''s go." He tapped the warhammer on the floor and the box collapsed. This was the method given to him to exit. Only by wielding the warhammer is escape possible. A golden glow covered him and he disappeared.

 Chapter 205 - Lang Xues Fate

    "Damn him." Lang Xue gnashed her teeth. Not only did he ignore her words, he accepted the trial, and coldly told her to leave. Outside of the Sirius Titan Realm, not only was she talented but she was also quite beautiful. Who would ever wish for her to depart so easily?


    She glanced at her chest. This grand chest was both her most alluring and annoying feature to her. It attracted the gazes of many males, igniting their lust and desire, but also it attached too much attention. This was her pride and her burden.


    A lycah male, short and average-looking, dressed in an emerald-green martial arts outfit, sauntered over with a sneer on his face. He had a first-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivation. Behind him was a group of fellow lycahs with similar outfits.


    Lang Xue noticed their approach and glanced at them. On their shirts were a star-shaped lime-green embroidery. Inside this star was a flame that looked vividly real. If one stared at it closely, it was slowly dancing as it flickering in the wind.


    "Oy! I''m shocked to see you here." The short man sneered, his eyes contained deep contempt and disdain. "Seems like you''ve finally decided to no longer pointlessly struggle and accept your place in the world."


    Lang Xue''s eyes turned ice-cold. If looks could kill, this short man would die an unimaginably horrible death. However, the short man''s eyes and the others grew even more disdainful. They were even chuckling.


    Tens of thousands of years ago, Pinaka knew that the Sirius Titan Realm was a seventh-level heavenly-tier force. That was no longer the case. It had grown an entire level, with multiple forces reaching the eighth-level. Therefore, in comparison to the Xiantu Realm, Heavenly Genesis experts were far, far more common.


    The main reason for this could be described in a single word: Legacy.


    A sixth-level force wouldn''t have a legacy. However, a seventh-level force would have conceptual law legacies due to reaching the sovereign level in law comprehension. They could produce Regalias of the Heavens for comprehension support of junior generation and conceptual methods that detailed specific notes, paths to cultivate, and arts.


    With this, the legacy of cultivators was far greater in these realms. This is even more prevalent in eighth-level forces and even more dominantly displayed in ninth-level forces. After all, their legacies were deeper and their experts could lead the junior generations down their pre-traveled path easier.


    Therefore, the number of Heavenly Genesis cultivators in the Sirius Titan Realm was extraordinary! However, in terms of status and power, lower-stages of the Heavenly Genesis realm was essentially the same as Origin Core experts in the Xiantu Realm. While middle-stages were similar to True Essence experts and upper-stages were the heavenly cultivators.


    Of course, this varied. If a heavenly cultivator comprehends a World Law, they would be valued higher. If they succeed in condensing their own Mortal Dao, they would be valued even higher. The respect given is greater and the doors that are open are more numerous.


    Furthermore, an expert with a Mortal Law with a bestowed lower-tier dao could be considered the lowest foundation in the Heavenly Path.


    Lang Xue has this type of foundation. In truth, the majority did.


    Her Mortal Dao was bestowed upon her. It was the Mortal Dao of Diligence. This was a very, very common dao. Essentially, as long as you''re willing to put in the work in anything you do, you can accept it. In truth, ten percent of the Sirius Titan Realm cultivators at the lower-stages have this dao.


    Her concept was the Silver Dusk of the Saber, a concept of the Mortal Law of Saber. It encapsulates oppressive, suppressive, and fierce end of the day.


    A single saber, at dusk, slay all!


    She was the lowest form of the Heavenly Genesis Realm beneath the heavens. Even though she has claimed a seventh-floor Heavenly Genesis expert as her master, this didn''t mean much in the eyes of others. As cultivation continues to progress, there is one rule that never changes.


    World Laws, regardless of what, overwhelms ALL Mortal Laws. The same is true for Imperial Laws towards World Laws.


    The short man spat a wad of spit on the floor, "Yun Xuli." His words caused Lang Xue''s expression to change. "If it wasn''t for Lord Yun Xuli blessings, you think that walking around like this would be possible? Hurry and skedaddle back to his bed." The man laughed, gave one last disdainful look and left.


    When this was said, the others, both male and female alike, sneered. Some felt pity, others felt complex, but the majority looked as if they were enjoying her situation.


    "You bastard! I''ll kill you one day." Lang Xue swore in her heart. However, besides clenching her teeth, she said nothing in response. It was as if she could only take this insult.


    "Oh?" A voice resounded nearby. "I didn''t think you were infamous rather than famous." Yan Zaizen appeared out of nowhere. He sauntered over, his eyes filled with a calm interest. He had finished the trial a while ago, but he was transported quite a distance away. He entered chaotic space and traveled here.


    He also realized that the location he was at likely was located in chaotic space. After all, he was gone for about thirty seconds in real-time despite the hour or so in the trial. This startled him a little, but he found it reasonable in the end. After all, where would you keep an inheritance?


    Lang Xue was shocked that Yan Zaizen appeared. Not to mention, he was wearing a different attire, it was a silver and blue robe and shirt. He looked far more dashing than before. Yan Zaizen''s previous clothes were destroyed so he had no choice but to change. He felt helpless thinking about his previous dark-amber outfit and its value being completely wasted.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "If you were going to trick me, why do so like this?" Lang Xue felt that Yan Zaizen hid, not participating in the trial, just to see if anyone would approach her without him. After that happened, he appeared.


    Yan Zaizen just shrugged. "What do you want from me?" The only reason he came back was to see what she wanted. If he had just left, he would always be curious and it''ll itch at his brain.


    "..." She was silent.


    "Do you want me to be your husband?" He directly asked. He wasn''t sure, but from the conversation, perhaps she wanted to use him as a shield against this Yun Xuli. If so, then the answer given was quite boring.


    "..." She still didn''t respond, her eyes revealing deep hesitation.


    "If you don''t answer, I''m leaving." He sighed, said, and turned around.


    "Wait!" She sent him a soul transmission. The others outside who heard his words were already looking at Yan Zaizen with shook at his question. After a quick estimation of his strength, they coldly smiled and ignored him as if he was a fool for his ignorance.


    "I''ll tell you, but not here."


    In the outer orbit of the Grand Sirius, Yan Zaizen, Tao, and Lang Xue were on the deck of the realmship. Bai Lufeng was cultivating. After his heart demon was dealt with, he''s been heavily focusing on cultivation. Yan Zaizen didn''t feel the need to disrupt him for this. After all, it didn''t matter if he was here or not.


    "I''m a half-breed, a hybrid of the Gigantus Race and the Pale Arctic Wolf. The Gigantus is extraordinary, but the Pale Arctic Wolf is a...the pale arctic wolves are true slaves." Her words contained reluctance and unyielding defiance.


    "True slaves?" Yan Zaizen was shocked. What''s a ''true'' slave?


    Through clenched teeth, "The Pale Arctic Wolf had fought a grand war with the Yun Clan, a Gigantus Race seventh-tier force. They lost. After, their future generations were given an inherited slave seal. They are slaves from birth to the Yun Family. I was born from the Yun Family and from an Pale Arctic Wolf. A disgrace, an existence that shouldn''t exist."


    Yan Zaizen and Tao were silent. Their emotions were complex. To think there was such a thing. Forever enslaving an entire race?!


    Lang Xue''s eyes flashed with profound sadness that seemed to illustrate her struggles. "Because of my unique birth, I was given an exception. I would have my slave seal removed if one of two things happen." When she reached this part, her teeth were clenched to the point it made screeching sounds. Yan Zaizen could''ve sworn he heard her growl like a wolf.


    Tao was a little shocked.


    "...If I reached the Heavenly Genesis Realm equivalent in the bodily path before ten thousand years, if I become Yun Xuli''s personal and private cauldron for one hundred and fifty thousand years, I''ll be given my freedom."


    "..." Yan Zaizen was aghast.


    "..." Tao''s mind went blank.


    Holy¡­


    So she didn''t need Yan Zaizen as her husband. But then...what?


    "What about me? Why do you need me?" Yan Zaizen was genuinely curious.


    "...the second route." Her voice was low, but her eyes blazed with an unfathomable light. "To buy my freedom."


    "..." Tao mind snapped back after hearing this. His eyes flashed with brilliance. He now understood.


    Yan Zaizen did too. He sighed softly. "You were going to deliver me to them for the realmship?" After all, a realmship is something only top-tier forces have. Even fourth-level and fifth-level heavenly forces wouldn''t have one or can afford one.


    It required a cultivator that reached the Domain level in spatial laws. He reached that, but spatial laws were a World Law. An upper-tier World Law! Reaching such a level was profoundly difficult. The myriad realms may be large, and there may be hundreds of thousands of realmships, but if you consider, truly consider the vastness of the myriad realms in comparison, the rarity of it was incredible.


    Yan Zaizen had learned of the exact value of his realmship from the memories of the pirate captain. It was worth about three hundred thousand heavenly drops - market price. This was more than enough for someone to ascend to the fourth-floor, with some to spare to buy formations, talismans, and armaments to match.


    "How much do you need?" Tao asked suddenly, his eyes flashing.


    "Eight hundred thousand...heavenly drops¡­"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Well, good luck with that." Yan Zaizen calmly said, walking towards the helm.

 Chapter 206 - Unexpected Assault

    Yan Zaizen had no desire to give his realmship or give away eight hundred thousand heavenly drops. If it wasn''t for his perceptiveness, wouldn''t he be brought to this Yun Clan and have his realmship taken from him?


    It''s even possible that Lang Xue and crew would take his Meteor Ring by force. She may not know how much he has, because he kept the storage area for people and his personal wealth vastly distanced, but she knew he had a sub-dimensional ethereal ring.


    Who knows what she would''ve done. Who knows if he would''ve survived this.


    Tao, who originally wanted to help her, felt his body turn numb. Eight hundred thousand heavenly drops. He felt it was impossible. After all, he understood a few things about currency worth.


    "Please!" Lang Xue gritted her teeth and begged, "I promise, I''ll pay you back! With this realmship, I would be nearly half done!" She knew it was helpless but she had to try. She understood Yan Zaizen''s prowess exceeded hers, and this is why she wanted to deliver him to the Yun Clan.


    However, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If she could pay off about forty percent of her debt, then she has a chance! But...if not¡­


    Yan Zaizen had saved her before, for reasons she still didn''t know. She felt, from this action, that he was a good person at heart that couldn''t stand slavery. If so, perhaps he would be moved by her plight and help her.


    Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen was not a saint nor did he see any issue with slavery as a whole. After all, he grew up with servants. His parents had them, he had them, Tao lived in a slave society for god sake! Sure, her situation was most definitely horrendous, but her fate is her fate. Why should he bare such an insane loss for nothing in return?


    Even if she offered her body, Yan Zaizen still didn''t think it was worth it.


    What''s his is his.


    "Our road together ends here." Yan Zaizen directly waved for her to leave. He didn''t intend to kick her off as before, mainly because he pitied her. No reason to kick her while she''s down.


    "...Why don''t you just leave?" Tao asked. After all, she was in the Deluge Realm. The distance between the two realms was incredible. If he was in her shoes, he would''ve attempted to escape.


    Lang Xue glanced at Tao, her eyes flashed with a mysterious light. "I can request up to three thousand years of travel time. If I don''t return by then, the slave seal will kill me."


    "...I see." Hearing this, Tao felt helpless. He knew Yan Zaizen had already made his decision, and he wasn''t stupid enough to beg him to give her the realmship. After all, they were planning to journey the myriad realms together, without this ship, wouldn''t they be subjecting themselves to a much, much harder time traveling?


    Yan Zaizen activated the ship''s formation and took control of the helm. He was going to travel to the Elysian Realm.


    Witnessing this, Lang Xue''s gaze turned dim. With a heavy sigh that seemed to contain the world on its shoulder, she moved to leave. Tao only watched in silence.


    Riiip!


    The spatial void was violently ripped to shreds. A few hundred meters away from them, a slit in space appeared. Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows, glancing at Lang Xue with cold eyes. However, Lang Xue was shocked.


    She truly was!


    Despite her words, she didn''t intend to sell Yan Zaizen out. She had her own pride, after all. Yan Zaizen had saved her life, twice. When she mentioned that she owed him, she wasn''t kidding. Of course, that just meant ensuring his survival. She still intended to send the realmship to the Yun Clan.


    Observing her shocked expression, Yan Zaizen''s brows nearly connected.


    From the spatial void slit, several figures appeared. To be exact, seven men appeared. The one at the lead was a handsome young man with black hair and bright eyes that seemed to contain the sky. He was dressed in a grey outfit with the ''Yun'' character embroidered onto his right chest.


    The character seemed to contain an aura of towering immensity that seemed to cause the space to quiver.


    The young man had an indifferent smile as he exited, his gaze honed onto Yan Zaizen''s body with profoundly unfathomable intent. The others in his group had gazes of varying levels of intrigue and disdain. This caused Yan Zaizen, Tao, and especially Lang Xue to feel even more confused.


    "The token!" Pinaka exclaimed. Yan Zaizen''s eyes flickered, his soul form immediately projecting itself into the Meteor Ring. The ''Xiuhei - Heaven'' token was emitting faint light. It seemed to be heavy, strong, and ancient. Yan Zaizen could sense a trace of spatial energy within, but this energy was far too different from law-based energy.


    It was like a combination of spatial and soul energy. It felt hazy yet alive! Yan Zaizen was shocked. How come he didn''t notice this before?


    Lang Xue saw the young man and her body quivered, "Yun Baili!" Her words were low and deep. He body and soul trembled. Those white eyes that seemed to contain endless snow were currently suffused with intense fear that originated from the depth of her soul. The soul mark within it shook slightly.


    The young man''s gaze shifted to Lang Xue, then to the Realmship, and then back to Yan Zaizen. He only replied with a soft, "Oh." That word alone made it seem as if he had just understood the world''s secrets.


    A middle-aged man behind Yun Baili, with a cultivation base at the third-floor Heavenly Genesis Realm, coldly laughed. "Lang Xue, when I heard you were back, I never believed you would come back with a realmship. You must''ve fooled this idiot, huh?" His words contained deep mockery and disdain.


    Biting her lips, she didn''t respond. She didn''t dare to.


    "No worries. The realmship will be gifted to us along with the token." Another man, this one was younger looking and more feminine, said casually.


    Yan Zaizen''s expression turned frosty, containing dark, hellish killing intent. Those who believe they could take ANYTHING of his must first piss on the ground and look at their reflection through it. Then, consider: Were they worthy?!


    Tao retained his silence. However, his eyes also contained a deep murderous intent.


    "Give us the token." A burly man demanded. He had bronze skin, muscles that seemed even larger and thicker than Yan Zaizen''s, black bushy eyebrows, and a vital aura that seemed, even at rest, as if it could crush planets.


    Yan Zaizen was just about to take a step forward when Lang Xue immediately sent a soul transmission, "Don''t fight them! The leader of that group is Yun Baili, he''s Yun Xuli''s older brother. He may not be as talented as Yun Xuli, but he''s extraordinary!"


    Yan Zaizen halted slightly, giving this young man who had said only a single word since he arrived a look. His heavenly aura was concealed, but Yan Zaizen''s spiritual sense could still sense an estimation. A fourth-level Heavenly Genesis expert. The other experts had varying cultivation bases but he felt they were all at least in the second or third level.


    "Hm?" Yun Baili slightly smiled, looking towards his left. Space rippled slightly at that area and seemed to be chaotic. He raised his hand towards the area and softly clenched. The space around the ripples was immediately surrounded by an awe-inspiring heavenly might that seemed to constrict the world. The spatial ripples fluctuations weakened considerably but still remained.


    Obviously, whoever tried to arrive was impeded by Yun Baili. He raised his other hand, with his index finger and forefinger extended, he pointed towards Yan Zaizen. He didn''t even turn his head.


    "Understood!" The bronze, burly man shouted with vigor. He kicked off empty space, his vital energy towered towards the heavens, and with an open palm, he slapped forward.


    This palm sent out a manifested palm comprised of vital energy that exceeded even the realmship in size. Yan Zaizen was just about to take a step towards the palm, but he was immediately grabbed by Lang Xue. She was trembling, her gaze filled with fear and pleading. She begged, "Run!"


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    Yan Zaizen''s expression turned ugly. He felt incredibly stifled at the moment. This was because Lang Xue had essentially grabbed his arm with her entire body. She was far too close and her full breasts surrounded it without any mercy.


    This type of soft sensation was literally his first. He couldn''t help but gulp unknowingly. Despite the deep panic dominating her expression, Yan Zaizen couldn''t help but think that she truly was a beauty with extraordinary assets. If she was his...


    The palm shot toward the realmship not caring about Yan Zaizen''s virgin emotions. The space trembled by its path, and Tao felt an endless pressure that could turn him to dust at the slightest touch.


    Witnessing this, Yan Zaizen waved his hand as his emotions instantly stabilized. The realmship''s shields were brought to its maximum strength. Tao felt the pressure considerably lessen.


    Boom!


    The collision of palm and shield caused the realmship and space to shudder violently. The bronze man''s eyes narrowed, and he took another step. This time, his palm was a fist. He threw it forward with an indomitable momentum that distorted the surrounding space.


    "Get off me." Yan Zaizen coldly demanded. However, Lang Xue did not move. Instead, she kept begging to flee. He cursed at her hard-headedness. He was just about to throw her off when space ripped viciously at the area Yun Baili was trying to suppress. His seal comprised of heavenly might seemed to be collapsing.


    "Hmph!" He softly snorted, his hand opened and then clenched once more. This time, it was backed by his full heavenly cultivation base. The rippling space once again weakened. The man''s every action seemed casual and smooth, as if nothing could cause him to worry.


    The young, feminine-looking man from earlier saw this and stepped towards the realmship. His body was like water as he soared forth. From his dantian, a blue-colored shrine emerged. The surrounding space radiated a scintillating blue light. A deep-blue dragon of water manifested from his body. It was small, as small as a penny, but as it made its way towards the realmship, it expanded by a million times. Before long, it could rival a small mountain.


    As it shot outwards, a trail of dazzling blue light lingered. From this blue light, water seemed to be produced within outer space. Before long, a river formed behind the dragon.


    Boom! Boom!


    The realmship sustained two attacks. The shields were fracturing, unable to hold against another attack. This may have taken a long time to describe, but it all happened in the time it takes for a mortal to blink.


    "Fine!" Yan Zaizen coldly shouted. He touched the helm, and the realmship rippled with spatial fluctuations. This caused the other men behind Yun Baili to sneer with laughter. In unison, they raised their palms facing the realmship. They clenched in a similar fashion to Yun Baili. The spatial ripples were isolated by a collective heavenly-infused true-essence.


    The realmship was grounded by this unified seal. Yan Zaizen''s expression turned ugly. He didn''t even know Heavenly Genesis cultivators could so easily isolate space with their true-essence. If so, then was space truly an impressive law?!


    However, Yan Zaizen''s thinking was wrong. The same reason he couldn''t use space laws before was applicable to the realmship. It''s the medium and not the profundity of the law. This realmship used essence crystals, not heavenly drops. If it did, how could these early stage Heavenly Genesis experts hope to block it?


    He felt stifled, frustrated, and overall angry. Lang Xue saw this and was about to suggest they leave the realmship and make a run for it. It seems that she just wanted Yan Zaizen to live at this point. However, Yan Zaizen''s eyes flickered with coldness. However, before he could take action, a light emerged from his body.


    PA!


    A near-deafening sound reverberated. Even the men who were using their heavenly might to isolate the ship paused and shivered slightly.


    Pinaka emerged from Yan Zaizen''s soul in her soul form. With her greatest strength, she directly slapped Lang Xue to the point she was sent to the edge of the realmship with a trail of blood spewing from her mouth. Her eyes contained a vicious intent filled with dislike towards Lang Xue.


    As a spirit-rank armament, her actual form could rival an early-stage Heavenly Genesis expert, so her slaps were terrifyingly powerful.


    And she did not hold back.


    Yan Zaizen was shocked but before he could say anything, another round of attacks smashed into the realmship''s barrier. It collapsed like shattered glass. The attackers saw this and immediately launched another round of attacks.


    Yan Zaizen waved his hand, sending both Tao, Lang Xue, and the realmship into the Meteor Ring. He noticed that Lang Xue was bleeding with a deep palm print on her cheek. She was unconscious.


    "Damn¡­" He couldn''t help but shudder at Pinaka''s ruthlessness. However, she had already re-entered his soul. She only left him with, "Don''t get distracted! And don''t fight! Leave first. Figure out the situation later." Pinaka was experienced. She knew that fighting someone with a backing in their own realm would only cause them to bring their daddies and granddaddies if they were losing.


    The best solution was to depart.


    Yan Zaizen nodded. With her words, his mind refocused. His expression turned calm and then viciously tyrannical! As if all in the world must bow before his invincible might!


    Herculean Avatar Art!


    His body transformed, his Mortal Dao erupted, and his vital energy seethed. With a step backwards in retreat, he sent a punch forwards. It collapsed the surrounding space, dissipating the surrounding true-essence for a millisecond. A single millisecond!


    That was enough.


    He timed it perfectly. With that millisecond of time, he vanished using the Infinite Chaotic Immersion Art.


    "What!?" The entirety of the seven, Yun Baili included, had their eyes widen in disbelief as they simultaneously exclaimed. Chaotic space merging was profoundly different than the spatial void shifting. It left no traces, as if it accepted what was originally a part of it.


    Spatial void shifting was creating channels and moving through it. With enough power, all heavenly cultivators could tunnel through it even without a single ounce of understanding towards space.


    Unfortunately, unless you knew about chaotic space beforehand, locked onto the person with an art, comprehended space, or one''s heavenly cultivation reached a high enough level, you would simply lose the person as if they just vanished without a trace.


    By the time they retrieved their disbelieving expressions, Yan Zaizen had already departed far away.


    Yun Baili''s expression was slightly ugly, ruining his handsome face. He loosened his clenched fist. The spatial ripples once suppressed exploded into a wide spatial rift. Three people emerged. They wore cyan outfits with ''Xiuhei'' character embroidered on it. They were two females, both middle-aged, and an elderly man.


    The elderly man was skinny, had ash-grey hair, and slightly wrinkled skin. His eyes had a wiseness to it, but it had barely any vitality. If one looked at his forehead, they would see beads of sweat. The man had a fourth-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivation base, rivaling Yun Baili, but obviously a much weaker aura and presence.


    His eyes were solemn. When he looked towards Yun Baili, his eyes turned deathly grave. Yun Baili didn''t say a single word. He waved his hand, creating a spatial rift, and his men left as quickly as they arrived.


    The old man''s eyes flickered at this, as if he understood something. He withdrew a token, it had ''Xiuhei - Earth'' on it. Earlier, it was resonating with its sister pair, but now it was as silent as night.


    "How come he''s here now? We were supposed to have nine hundred more years. This is troublesome! It ruins all our plans..." The man weakly muttered. He rubbed the token for a few seconds, but seeing nothing happen, he left with the two women.

 Chapter 207 - In Hiding

    In chaotic space, Yan Zaizen and the realmship was shrouded by a silver barrier. Within this barrier, the ripping effect of chaotic space was nullified. At the moment, Yan Zaizen had his brows so furrowed that they were almost vertical.


    ¡°What the hell is this thing?¡± He held the ¡®Xiuhei - Heaven¡¯ token in his hand. He didn¡¯t understand the importance of it, but an extremely powerful cultivator brought a group of heavenly cultivators to obtain it.


    He recalled how it revealed a soul and spatial energy fusion before they arrived. As someone who comprehends spatial and soul laws, he deduced somethings upon recollection. This seems to a remote talisman, when activated, it can be tracked and honed on. It was also possible for the token to formulate a spatial tunnel or at least the initial stages of one. Another side would corroborate to fully establish the tunnel.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but this token isn¡¯t worthless. I don¡¯t know who this Ma Xiuren is, but she nearly got you hurt or worse.¡± Pinaka remarked with faint anger radiating from her tone.


    ¡°...I don¡¯t think that was her intention. I feel it¡¯s more complicated than that.¡± Yan Zaizen calmly responded as the image of the young seven or eight-year-old girl flashed in his mind. At the last time they met, Yan Zaizen only had the strength of a peak-True Essence expert.


    Not to mention, Sirius Titan Realm was too far away from the Xiantu Realm. Without a realmship, who knew how long it would actually take to arrive in the Sirius Titan Realm? After all, Lang Xue, a heavenly expert, used six centuries to arrive in the Deluge Realm.


    ¡°...¡± Pinaka didn¡¯t say anything in response. Yan Zaizen¡¯s instincts were exceptionally powerful. If she were to argue with him on this, it¡¯ll be solely based on her own selfish objective. Therefore, she remained silent.


    Yan Zaizen analyzed the token a few more times, then stored it away in the Meteor Ring. Checking up on Bai Lufeng, Tao, and Lang Xue. He realized that Lang Xue was still unconscious while Tao acted as her guardian while he cultivated. Bai Lufeng was still in his cultivation session, as if all this didn¡¯t happen.


    ¡°This woman had a soul seal embedded in her soul flame, it¡¯s affecting her instincts and beliefs.¡± Pinaka¡¯s words contained some dissatisfaction but also a little pity. This type of soul seal is truly befitting a ¡®true slave¡¯. They would subconsciously believe themselves inferior, have instincts to never defy their masters, and can¡¯t even commit suicide.


    ¡°Can it be undone?¡± Yan Zaizen asked curiously.


    ¡°Yes. If your soul cultivation base reached the Perfect Astral Soul Realm. However, even the weakest could rival a seventh-floor Heavenly Genesis expert.¡±


    ¡°...Unfortunate.¡± Yan Zaizen muttered. Well, he couldn¡¯t help her even if he wanted to. Five hundred thousand heavenly drops were something he could afford, especially after obtaining three more skyships during the sub-realm collapse, but something he was unwilling to.


    Ultimately, Lang Xue wasn¡¯t his friend or lover. That was like a wealthy man who helped give a woman bus fair suddenly decide to give her ten million dollars to set her up for life. He may be able to, but will he?


    ¡°The Elysian Realm is nearly a century of travel away,¡± Yan Zaizen softly commented. After the events in the sub-realm, his desire to talk to his parents had only deepened in intensity. However, when he thought about leaving, it was as if something inaudibly screamed towards him in great warning.


    ¡°God damn instincts¡­¡± He fiercely cursed. He was unable to tell if it was related towards the Elysian Realm or leaving the Sirius Titan Realm. Perhaps it was both? His instincts have been driving him this far, but it was just so unclear. It was similar to when he felt benefit from purchasing Lang Xue or the air of calamity from the Xiantu Emperor.


    ¡°...As a non-entity, your instincts should be far greater than other beings. Your connection with the heavens is the purest and most untainted. You even comprehended a concept of time, so sensing characteristics of the future isn¡¯t impossible,¡± Pinaka responded. She could feel his chaotic emotions through their connection.


    He knew she was telling the truth. After he refined his body with heavenly law liquid, his instincts were getting stronger. Not only could he peer into events, he was capable of guessing Lang Xue¡¯s intent and Xiantu Emperor¡¯s malicious intent. The only issue he had was with Yu Shi. He was excellent at hiding his desires and intent to an absolutely abnormal level. It was his Dao which made sense.


    While in thought, he looked at Tao. He felt strange. Recently, Tao had been changing. He cultivated relentlessly and was progressing quickly. He would also reveal strange emotions when Lang Xue was involved. He had a faint belief that Tao had fallen for Lang Xue, but he also felt that wasn¡¯t the complete case.


    Sending a soul transmission, ¡°Brother Tao, what do you think we should do given the situation?¡± After he fully explained their circumstances, including the token and the possibility they would continue being hunted, he was truly curious what Tao¡¯s answer would be. Regardless of his events, Tao had a greater degree of intelligence than him.


    Tao was silent for a while, thinking deeply on the subject. After a while, ¡°Leaving has its merits, but if they truly desire this odd token, they should already have something set up to prevent us from taking it elsewhere. We should stay here. The Grand Sirius has inheritances for me, you, and Bai Lufeng.¡± He paused briefly, looking at the unconscious Lang Xue, ¡°however, we shouldn¡¯t help her any further. Lang Xue should be dropped off as soon as possible. Then, we can cultivate wholeheartedly without distractions. When we¡¯re satisfied, we could enter the Grand Sirius to seek inheritances.¡±


    ¡°...¡± He marveled at his choice. Tao¡¯s pursuit of strength had risen dramatically, it could be related to his dao¡¯s influence or the events they dealt with since leaving. After all, Lang Xue was a reminder of his weakness, and as someone who almost suffered her fate due to a heavenly oath, it was a constant one at that.


    If you want to live a free life, relying on yourself is the only true course of action.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Yan Zaizen agreed. He left a strand of spiritual sense on Lang Xue¡¯s body and sent her out of chaotic space. When she exited, the spiritual sense nudged her soul to awaken. With this, she¡¯ll be able to decide her own fate for now on.


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    ¡°In chaotic space, time flows inconsistently. With my cultivation into time laws, I can control the time flow here. Two years can amount to two hundred years, at most.¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s Temporal Winds of Eternal Change enabled him to change the rate at which time flows. In chaotic space, this law was increased by a hundred-fold in strength.


    Tao wasn¡¯t shocked. He knew that Yan Zaizen cultivated in this space and its odd environment. Unfortunately, during travel, he never had the time to enter with him. In truth, chaotic space wasn¡¯t that useful. Yan Zaizen was a non-entity, so his understanding into laws was unprecedented.


    However, if one tried to cultivate other heavenly laws in chaotic space, they would find it incomparably difficult with the chaotic time, ever-ripping force, and lack of essence. Furthermore, it only expedites your cultivation in relation to the real world. It doesn¡¯t actually have many uses in the cultivation world as a whole. Combat and usage of your laws, arts, or worldly experiences were the main method to advance in cultivation outside of the Essence Path.


    This was perfectly represented by Ya Qinqan¡¯s success, Lin Feilin¡¯s growth by competing with Ya Qinqan or Sun Huan breakthrough in the restaurant at Sky Night Royal City.


    Yan Zaizen was just an irregularity towards all these disadvantages.


    Tao nodded his head in understanding. With the resources Yan Zaizen obtained from his exploits, perhaps in two hundred years, reaching the peak-Essence Realm was possible. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Path required law comprehension, and he wasn¡¯t close. This was why he and Bai Lufeng needed to obtain some inheritances.


    ¡°Mhm.¡± Yan Zaizen sat on the deck, in the lotus position, with closed eyes. ¡°My True Essence cultivation is far too slow. I think...I should focus on one of the two aspects: Immortal Herculean Method and Bloodline.¡± He softly muttered to himself. He had two bloodlines, mimicry and those swirling black holes.


    He knew that, for those black holes, he could devour and consume any material of a physical, spiritual, or essence nature. That would then be converted to their respective energy sources and added to his body. This energy can be used for refinement of the body, soul, or replenishment of his true-essence. He just didn¡¯t know how far and by how much he could devour or consume.


    He wasn¡¯t too sure what the essence nature meant. He knew it encapsulated heavenly essence, but even if he consumed it, he didn¡¯t feel any direct change. It was as if it went into a bottomless well. He imagined it was because it was too weak.


    As for Mimicry, it was very low-key. It relied heavily on his cultivation base. It seems capable of replicating features near perfectly. It can turn his true-essence into any known attribute or even replicate concepts. However, the greater the mimicry target, the less true-to-source it becomes making it considerably weaker. He tried to mimic the black holes but besides aura and appearance, it could do nothing more.


    He even tried mimicking heavenly law liquid, but it was only the case in appearance. It couldn¡¯t even gain its aura. Yan Zaizen felt that the reason aura was gained for the black hole was because it was connected to his soul as well.


    ¡°You should focus on your body cultivation first,¡± Pinaka suggested. To her, Yan Zaizen¡¯s bloodline was a mystery that will slowly, very slowly reveal itself. As for the mimicry bloodline, it was far too underwhelming. Barely any bloodlines pertaining to laws are actually focused upon by heavenly cultivators. After all, unlike body or soul, it can¡¯t grow in strength without comprehension into that law. The moment it exceeded the Force level, the bloodline wasn¡¯t worth anything.


    It was only useful as a guide to reach the perfect-Force level.


    ¡°The Celestial Herculean Physique, open the eight celestial gates that defined heavenly restriction on the Mortal Body. I never understood this...people can refine their bodies to incredible, near limitless levels, what restrictions are there?¡± In the myriad realms, vital energy can be enhanced to rival heavenly cultivators. This was a fact.


    Yet, this method wished to break limits that didn¡¯t exist? He truly didn¡¯t understand it. It may sound impressive but it was just as confusing.


    ¡°Incorrect. Vital energy cultivation is the Bodily Path, it focuses on increasing the intensity of the energy in each physical cell. When utilized, it can give one the sense of having a strong physical body. However, that¡¯s energy reliant. The trial you were in restricted that, and so, all failed as a result. The energy of the body may be cultivated to great heights, but the fleshy body can only be cultivated to a certain point under the heavenly laws.¡±


    ¡°For example, the size of the cells, the amount of energy the cells can store, the strength of the vital organs, the abilities of the vital organs, and more. Physical limitations that vital energy can¡¯t support. For example, your soul regalia enhanced brain and senses, lifeforce and soulforce producing heart, and lungs that could breathe in chaotic space or any substance to convert into deathly aura.¡±


    ¡°All of these exceed the standards of your race¡¯s physical capabilities,¡± Pinaka explained. She had been thoroughly studying the Immortal Herculean Method and found that its profoundness was incredible. By all intents and purposes, Yan Zaizen was a Lycah. However, he was also a Herculean. An undefined race with unique characteristics based on specific and near unreplicable circumstances.


    ¡°So, I open the first gate, then what? My regalia enhanced organs increase in ability?¡± He couldn¡¯t help but ask. The Immortal Herculean Method truly was incredibly profound. He still didn¡¯t understand the concept of it.


    ¡°According to the method, yes and more.¡± She answered calmly.


    He pondered slightly on the possibilities if it did. Somehow, he grew incredibly excited. ¡°Alright! Let¡¯s find out.¡± He didn¡¯t know how strong his physique would become after, but he was sure it wouldn¡¯t be anything less than spectacular.


    ¡°Oh! Wait,¡± Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes twinkled and pulled out an object. ¡°I feel I should handle this first.¡±

 Chapter 208 - Earthly Beginning & Heavenly End

    The Sirius Titan Realm had nine moons, each moon was owned by a seventh-tier force or higher and exceeded the Xiantu''s Realm standard planets in size by several times. These moons originally were normal moons. They were unable to sustain standard plantlife thus incapable of containing wildlife.


    This was until the Grand Sirius was changed by The White Sirius Heavenly Monarch. After, the moons were terraformed into having characteristics reminiscent of actual planets. Unfortunately, moons contain dense Yin-attributed essence. This made growth insidiously difficult to maintain. However, the moons were given the designation of the Nine Earthly Moons.


    Despite this, the realm thrived for tens of thousands after the Heavenly Monarch''s death. All of this had to do with the inheritance system of the Grand Sirius. In particular, two trials that the Heavenly Monarch established in his last years.


    The Earthly Beginning and the Heavenly End Trial.


    In the entire realm, only a few forces have sufficient clout to participate in the trial, and it can be done as long as you have two things. Firstly, a ''Heaven'' and ''Earth'' token; secondly, two participants - one male and one female from the younger generation for each trial.


    Unfortunately, there was a further twist.


    It was randomly bestowed to a single individual per Heavenly Commander¡¯s force in the realm.


    This random bestowment was given to the female gender, and then, they must select three other participants. Unfortunately, the others don''t necessarily need the approval of the chosen female. They just needed the token. Although, the token can''t initially be taken by anyone until the female selects. After, as long as you obtained the token, then you''ll be able to participate.


    The trial could be taken at any time, but generally was decided by the force which owns the four tokens. After all, the chance to participate in the trial was of the utmost importance and may not arrive for another ten thousand or so years.


    There were two tokens for each side, one denoting heaven and the other denoting earth. A total of four tokens for each pair. When brought together, the trial shall initiate.


    On one of the Nine Earthly Moon, the Gigantus Moon, a grand immortal palace colored black floated silently in mid-air. In this place, there was a location that housed a vast group of people who belong to a single force.


    This location was filled with cyan-dressed figures, both male and female, both young-looking and old-looking, but standing notably from the rest was a single woman. She was young, about sixteen or seventeen in appearance. She was dressed in a cyan-robe but it had embroideries of flowers such as roses and sunflowers.


    Her phoenix eyes were bright, soft cherry lips, hair as black as night, and her jade-like beauty were beyond perfect. She was like a lotus in full bloom. It entranced and mesmerized all that saw. Her jade slender arms and long legs revealed themselves without a single blemish anywhere to be seen.


    Those bright eyes seemed to contain an unprecedented level of intelligence but also a deep worry. If Yan Zaizen had seen this young, beautiful-beyond-description woman, his heart would tremble.


    Ma Xiuren!


    She was surrounded by members of the ''Xiuhei'' force. Each member present had a heavenly cultivation base and couldn''t be considered nobodies, but in the Xiuhei force, they looked like nothing more than a weak faction. They each had varying emotions but the one emotion that was consistent was anxiety.


    "Miss, this¡­" The old man who had met Yun Baili, Jun Lei, spoke at this moment. The attention of all honed onto his body. One could see that he was hesitating to speak. Ma Xiuren''s eyes moved to his figure, they revealed a deep calmness.


    Gathering his courage, he spoke, "We all agreed that you were to travel to the Asura Phantom Realm and pick someone, we even sealed your cultivation base to prevent any tracking, and yet...the one you choose made his way here." The eyes of the others flashed, they looked at the young woman, their eyes flickering with various lights.


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    "..." Ma Xiuren was silent. In truth, she didn''t expect Yan Zaizen to make it here. He was supposed to stay alive in the Xiantu Realm until summoned. Afterward, he would be rewarded for keeping the token safe. As for the token, it would be removed from his possession.


    Even she felt a headache at this. The very reason she sealed her cultivation base, the reason she sent the token away, and more was now becoming pointless.


    "If the token is here, then the Yun Clan will not stop until they obtain it. We have both ''Earth'' tokens, but the Xiuhei Sovereign has one ''Heaven'' token...if the Yun Clan obtain the second ''Heaven'' token¡­" This thought caused him to shudder.


    An elderly woman standing behind Ma Xiuren stepped up, "We may lose our qualifications to participate in the Heavenly End Trial." Her words left the entire atmosphere stale.


    There were four tokens, two ''Earth'' and two ''Heaven'', and they gave the qualifications to participate in the two special trials. They required a male and female pair for each trial. The ''Xiuhei'' qualifications were given to Ma Xiuren, and thus she had to choose three people within a certain time. Giving one to the Xiuhei Sovereign, one to another Gigantus force, she kept one for herself and gave another to Yan Zaizen.


    She had the ''Earth'' token to participate in the Earthly Beginning Trial. She needed to keep the other ''Heaven'' token for someone special. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen was not that person. He was a guardian, a protector, but now that the token was here, the Yun Clan will definitely want to gain qualifications. Not only them but if news spread, the other forces may as well.


    This left them feeling despondent. After all, they were lucky to be selected, but their small and weak faction within the Xiuhei force didn''t have the qualifications to actually contend with the tokens. This was why they gave two of the tokens to powerful forces - protection. The Yun Clan or any other force wouldn''t dare try to snatch their token.


    Unfortunately, they could only keep one.


    The last token was agreed to be free game. This was why they sent it away, hoping to reclaim it during the opening of the trial, and gaining qualifications to participate in the Heavenly End Trial as well. This scheme could''ve worked. Even to this day, there were countless forces of the gigantus race looking for the token.


    "This person is still in the realm, he''s hiding in chaotic space. The other forces are already trying to figure out a method to enter chaotic space and obtain the token." An elderly woman stated causing the hearts of everyone to drop. The fact they knew this would cause Yan Zaizen to be shocked.


    "If he tries to escape the realm, the Xiuhei Sovereign and other Heavenly Commanders have decided to jointly stop him. However, they won''t take action until he does. It will be up to the younger generation capabilities to obtain the token in this case." She continued, this caused a few to breathe a sigh of relief.


    It seems that Tao''s deduction and Yan Zaizen''s instincts were right.


    "Miss, what shall we do?" Jun Lei asked with a lost tone.


    "..." Ma Xiuren''s gaze flickered. She recalled Yan Zaizen figure and their adventures. Unfortunately, her force was only a fourth-level heavenly-tier force subordinate to the Xiuhei Sovereign. They didn''t have enough strength to contest. The old man, Jun Lei, was their strongest expert.


    She softly shook her head. Everyone''s gaze turned dejected. "The only thing we can do is push up the schedule to prepare for the trial. Ma Xiuren''s cultivation base must be unsealed and we can still achieve good results. If he can keep the token in his possession, perhaps our future can still be salvaged."


    The others nodded their head in agreement. Their gazes turned to Ma Xiuren. She was only three thousand years old, but she was incredibly talented. A heaven-defying genius. She developed her own Middle-tier Mortal Dao, comprehended a World Law, and reached a profound level in her bloodline ability. They were placing all their hopes on her.


    They had to.

 Chapter 209 - Regalia of Mimicry

    In chaotic space, Yan Zaizen was on the deck of the realmship. He inhaled deeply. The surrounding space was siphoned into his lungs like oxygen, and then he exhaled. In this exhale, nothing was released, but chaotic space trembled.


    Yan Zaizen''s blood seethed and roiled within his body like turbulent waves within the chaotic ocean. However, his blood no longer had that crimson red color. Instead, it was pure white. Within this ever-flowing whiteness, there was a cloudiness that seemed to contain everything but also nothing.


    After a while, Yan Zaizen expression turned confused. "According to the records of the Immortal Herculean Method, being in possession of a singular Regalia was the limit. It detailed that conflict between two regalias would cause the cultivator''s demise. Yet¡­" He truly felt that things recorded can''t be trusted.


    His first Regalia infused was a dual, unified concept. His second fused with him somehow, and even he wasn''t sure why or how. Now, the Regalia of Mimicry has essentially been merged into his blood seamlessly and without resistance.


    This caused him to question the method itself.


    "Your bloodline and the Regalia has a deep resonance. It originates from the same source, your ancestor, after all. It''s possible that, with the unique adaptable characteristics of the Imperial Law of Mimicry, there''s no conflict." Pinaka speculated. Her eyes suddenly lit up in thought, "It''s also possible that being an Imperial Law makes it a supreme existence between heavenly laws. No conflict is brought about because it would dominate."


    Yan Zaizen felt that the former was more likely than the latter. After all, when he merged the mimicry regalia into his blood, there were no resistance or reaction from either side. Perhaps the other laws just couldn''t even sense the integration.


    In truth, it had two reasons. Firstly, the aura truly was already within Yan Zaizen''s blood. Secondly, the law of mimicry base form truly seemed to contain all and nothing at all; the other regalia couldn''t make heads or tails of it due to its nature.


    This made it merge with absolute perfection.


    "I wonder...if I can¡­" Yan Zaizen thought for a second. With a thought, he recalled Yun Baili. His aura, body shape, the look in his eyes, and even his domineering posture. His blood seethed and his vital energy silently erupted.


    Boom!


    A mist of white covered his body.


    This mist seemed to contain the constant changes of the world but also the absolute null. With a deep sounding exhale, the mist dispersed.


    Yan Zaizen stood as still as a dead tree. However, he no longer looked like himself. Instead, his existence now looked, felt, and was Yun Baili. His eyes were bright and seemed to contain the sky.


    "This?!" He was shocked that his idea worked. His eyes were brighter than the sun itself at this moment. There was nothing but disbelief and excitement in his gaze.


    He lifted his palm, clenched his hand softly, and sent out white-colored vital energy. This vital energy transformed into an aura of heavenly might. Although this heavenly might didn''t truly have any true powers of the heavens, it was simply too real.


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    "It can mimic heavenly might?!" His eyes widened. Then, he shifted his thoughts. A white mist covered his body and dispersed. A young man with a feminine countenance was birthed into existence.


    "Interesting!" As he spoke, his voice was no longer his. It was the young man who followed Yun Baili! Everything had been mimicked down to the cultivation base aura. His original bloodline couldn''t do this, but the regalia was a construct at the sovereign level!


    It may not be able to replicate heavenly might to its fullest, but everything else can be done.


    "It''s unfortunate that it can''t directly copy objects." He sighed a little helplessly. Imagine the money he could make! However, this still left one with unlimited ideas.


    "Yan Zaizen...can you change back?" Pinaka softly requested. There was something odd about her voice. Yan Zaizen was startled. Despite this, he still returned back to his original state.


    "What is it?" Yan Zaizen asked.


    "...I like this form better." Pinaka didn''t respond for a while, but this made Yan Zaizen even more startled. Then he smiled.


    "Understood. I''ll try not to transform too often." With that, he went into analyzing more about his mimicry blood. He cut himself deeply and revealed that he truly bled white. With this, he didn''t feel like a Lycah any longer.


    He also discovered a peculiar limitation. His vital energy couldn''t modify external objects as easily as himself. Furthermore, he could only mimic external objects if he was in direct contact with them. Maintaining this mimicked state required far too much energy as well. At most, it could last for two seconds. However, self-transformation took little to no energy.


    "Could it be due to my weak vital energy or comprehension into laws?" He assumed but felt that was only half of it. Taking a deeper look, he discovered he could transition his vital energy into any attribute, but infusing concepts into it used up too much energy.


    It''s probably because concepts didn''t have a proper medium. After all, concepts and laws were mostly focused around the Essence and Heavenly Paths. The path of a Herculean already exceeded the standard path. It was truly heaven-defying; it used the heavens as the base to exceed it and succeeded.


    He recalled how soul and spatial energy was intermixed into the token. This made him realize that for this to be accomplished, it''s possible that a Heavenly Commander or Monarch must''ve created that token.


    "Ma Xiuren...what were you doing?" He sighed helplessly. Without talking to her, it would be unlikely that he would find an answer.


    "Alright, let''s move on." He shook his head to remove loose thoughts. The next step was opening the first of the eight celestial gates, the Gate of Sky Opening.


    To do this, he''ll have to die!

 Chapter 210 - Gate of Sky Opening!

    "To die as a mortal beneath Heavenly Law. Then, to ascend as an existence no longer tethered, no longer be subjected, no longer forced to abide by its restrictions. Open the sky, exceed the heavens!" Yan Zaizen recited the profound words written within the Immortal Herculean Method.


    The eight celestial gates denoted two aspects of opening and ascending, the first gate and eighth gate respectively. The other six revolve around the bodily limitations imposed by the heavens.


    When Shin Xuanji cultivated bone and blood laws, he felt they were profound and interconnected with vast similarities beneath the heavens, capable of rivaling World Laws or greater. This was true. Unfortunately, heavenly law restricts it from being so. In truth, all Mortal Laws were restricted. As the laws increase from World to Imperial, the fewer restrictions it has.


    The gates were as follows from first to eighth: Gate of Sky Opening, Gate of Sky Skin, Gate of Sky Flesh, Gate of Sky Yin & Yang, Gate of Sky Bone, Gate of Sky Mind, Gate of Sky Source, and Gate of Celestial Ascension.


    These were the eight celestial gates that opens and removes the limitations that the heavens placed on all physical existences. Each opening has its perils, especially the first and eighth gates. Each went directly against the heavenly laws.


    "The method describes experiencing true death, but is it possible?" Yan Zaizen questioned. Supposedly, one dies and then is reborn. It shouldn''t be much of a struggle, but he suspected that his regalia wouldn''t allow such a thing.


    It''s possible that opening the Gate of Sky Opening would call heavenly retribution to descend. After all, this wasn''t a tribulation but a direct attempt to undermine the heavens. If so, was this why he needed to die?


    "I don''t think you can," Pinaka responded with uncertainty. "However, you''ll have to try."


    Yan Zaizen helplessly sighed. To die and avoid heavenly retribution, but what happens if he was unable to stimulate actual death. This truly felt bothersome. It went directly against the concept of the Unyielding Flame of Life.


    "Fine. However, if Heavenly Retribution descends, I can''t be here." After saying this, he conjured his true-essence to encapsulate the realmship. This should keep it consistently within increased time-flow for a few years at least. He felt horribly drained afterwards, but he still persisted. After some more preparations, he departed to a far-off empty area of chaotic space.


    "Perhaps you shouldn''t be in my soul in case something goes wrong." With a worried tone, Yan Zaizen warned Pinaka. However, Pinaka didn''t respond. She maintained her silence and thus her stance.


    He felt warmth in his heart. During the sub-realm collapse, Pinaka didn''t regret that following him led to her demise. She stayed with him till their presumed end. Since then, their relationship couldn''t be described in the same vein as before. It was far closer than normal and Yan Zaizen completely trusted Pinaka to his very soul.


    "Haaa!" He released a deep breath and steadied his mind completely. To open the first gate, one had to first locate their bodily core restriction. It was an area that kept the body under heavenly limits. Typically, it was situated in a singular location depending on species.


    Herculeans isn''t a term defined by species, even beasts or spirits with physical bodies subjected to heavenly restrictions can cultivate the art. Therefore, the location could change drastically based on species.


    Fortunately, for the species of humans, the restrictions were located in their core connector: the upper spinal cord. This didn¡¯t change based on race and was described in the Immortal Herculean Method.


    Yan Zaizen breathing followed the Immortal Herculean Method, it stimulated a deep and loud thrumming sound from every cell of his body. His cloudy, white blood seethed, sky-blue brain pulsated, bright white heart thumped, and his inky, black lungs expanded and contracted.


    His entire body was being galvanized to its utmost maximum in functionality. If any other herculeans were to perceive Yan Zaizen at this moment, they could die from shock and disbelief.


    Yan Zaizen had somehow refined four regalias into his body in peaceful unification. Even if the creator of the method were to see him, they would tremble in aghast!


    Shortly thereafter Yan Zaizen''s body was slowing down, from the flow of blood, to the pulsing of his brain, to his cells coming to a stop. He could feel his senses dilute and his thought process slowly die. It was hard to conceive a single thought let alone access his memory.


    "Was this...this...all heavenly law?" Despite his state, he felt a profound realization circulate rapidly. The sky emphasized the body, but to think it even incorporated mental thought and physical senses. From the beginning, he knew the brain was interconnected to the soul, but he didn''t see how much till now.


    He couldn''t use his spiritual sense!


    No, to be more accurate, his spiritual sense could be sent outwards but he received distorted imagery and sounds. However, this was temporary. His Aurora Astral Star erupted with iridescent light.


    His senses became clear and no longer restricted to his brain. It was as if his soul became a brain itself that conformed to the heavenly law. While his mind and senses were clear, his thoughts fired out like blazing fireworks, "If the soul is interconnected to the heavens, then what does it mean to reach the divine? Could it mean...another path outside the heavens? Is the Divine Soul Realm similar to True Spirits and Herculeans?!"


    He felt that he touched upon brief enlightenment. However, it was still unclear and heavily doused in a misty fog.


    "Return!" He felt Pinaka''s urgent intent as he was lost in his thoughts. He turned his attention back to his body. It was limp and even the lifeforce was non-existent. His physical body was dead.


    "Wait? I astral projected?" He came to a shocking, sudden realization at that moment. "Of course! Astral projection segregates the body and soul, this allows the soul to exist alone. To reach a realm where the soul and body can exist separately. The limits of the heavens! To become divine is to exist beyond these limits. Then¡­"


    However, before he could continue this line of thought, Pinaka''s intent became so urgent that his astral form shivered. He returned to his body post-haste.


    His five senses were now dead. His sixth, seventh, and eight sense was all that existed at the moment, his purest of instincts that was uninhibited, his interpersonal sense, and his heavenly sense. This state of death was absolutely phenomenal!


    Unfortunately, he didn''t have time to indulge in this wondrous sensation. "Find the gate!" His soul shivered and his eighth sense relating to the heavens thoroughly surveyed his spinal cord.


    At the upper part of his spinal cord, between the second and third vertebrae, a small, almost atom-sized, golden light radiated. He felt that, unless his body died, this would''ve been impossible to perceive.


    Wait¡­


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    He searched for his Unyielding Flame of Life in his heart. His existence trembled violently! It was silent. No, to be more exact, it was atomized in a similar fashion to the gate! It had shrunk to the point where it seemed to be sealed.


    The white flame wasn''t the only item that turned this size. The orb of death and soul also shrunk inside his body. There was also a cloudy, white mist that seemed to linger as if it was everything and nothing simultaneously!


    If that was it, he wouldn''t be so incredibly shocked! There was a dark-grey dot in his stomach that seemed to contain the concept of rebirth, soul life, soul death, and an infinite cycle!


    If his thoughts weren''t so restricted, he would''ve realized this was the law of Samsara! To be exact, it was the concept of Source Cycle of Samsara! A combination of all three specific concepts!!


    "The Gate!" His instincts shouted as Pinaka''s intent once again urged. If it wasn''t for her constantly reminding him, Yan Zaizen would''ve failed several times by now. In truth, his mind was far too curious and pure. This made it easy to get lost within the profoundness of the heavens.


    "Open! Shatter the Celestial Gate! Shatter the First Celestial Gate!! The Gate of Opening Sky!!!" He roared with his entire existence as he rumbled toward the atom-sized golden light. He abandoned his soul and existed as only a strand of his three external senses. This state of existence smashed heavily into this light.


    When he did, he submerged into it.


    The world changed before his eyes!


    Before him, a golden world appeared. Underneath this golden world was earths and skies. The earths and skies were planets, suns, moons, outer space, chaotic space, and so, so much more! However, above it, Earths and Skies were king! They had similar traits but seemed far greater in intensity and immensity.


    As he tried to lift his existence to stare at this, he felt a needle-piercing pain. It hurt even greater than the Warhammer Trial! He couldn''t help but look away.


    The area before him was a single gate. It had a rectangular appearance with a long vertical. The double-door reached a height he couldn''t perceive. Its width was narrow, however. It was covered in inscriptions that looked less profound than his Herculean or Sky Shatter''s inscriptions, but they radiated a simplicity that held all!


    "Push! Push forward!!!" Pinaka''s intent kept urging him to continue. It was as if all that Yan Zaizen experienced, she did as well. Quivering, Yan Zaizen''s existence radiated a deep amber-brown. He was no longer without form, but took the shape of his original form, but atop his head was a kingly crown! He dressed in a dark-amber Imperial Robe.


    This wasn''t Yan Zaizen! Not completely. However, he stepped forward with his eyes that were as dazzling as the stars. Towards this gate, his gaze contained deep contempt and disdain. With a cold snort, he lifted up his palm.


    His index finger and thumb connected softly.


    "Limit me? Hmph, even if all ninety-nine of you decided to stand before me, would I flinch or would you tremble with fear?" Yan Zaizen was inwardly shocked into disbelief! He wasn''t saying these words. It was more like these words were the deep intent and belief of his existence! Of his Mortal Dao!


    Also, ninety-nine? Ninety-nine heavens? He was deeply confused, but he didn''t stop.


    He took another step forward¡­


    Snap!


    His fingers snapped. The gate trembled, the earths and skies beneath his feet grew silent and the world above heightened with vibrant activity! It released a shrieking sound that could cause the heavens to collapse.


    Boom!


    The gate exploded. Bits and pieces of its existence turned into dust, but it didn''t stop. Yan Zaizen''s Sovereign form shifted to his original formless one, but at the center of this was a black hole that swirled.


    The bits and pieces of the heavenly gate were drawn into the black hole and vanished. Yan Zaizen felt a gushing aura flare all around him. "Return!" His thoughts and instincts retreated. As he did, he resumed occupancy of his dead body.


    His skin was decaying, his eyes were greyed, and his blood went stale. However, the moment he reconnected with his body, a profound aura seemed to emanate from it. Slowly, the white flame returned, the sky-blue orb resumed its light emissions, and the dark orb continued to spin and siphon all creation!


    "Haaa¡­" his first breath left him feeling refreshed. His dead skin flaked off his body, his eyes resumed their amber-gold color, and his white blood seethed and flowed like a grand river.


    After several hours, he was returned to his original state, but he was fundamentally different than before. Yan Zaizen clenched his fist slightly, without vital energy, chaotic space contorted! His fingers were grasping at nothing and crushing it!


    "My physical body...it has been refined?" He remarked with a little shock. He could feel limits on his lifeforce, soulforce, deathly aura, and white blood removed. However, his vital energy didn''t increase nor did their respective abilities. It was as if vital energy had nothing to do with the Herculean Path.


    "Your soul absorbed something, this energy circulated through your body. What was it?" Pinaka immediately questioned. She had been pushing Yan Zaizen every step, but she truly didn''t see or feel anything besides Yan Zaizen''s faint emotions at the time. Therefore, she didn''t see the Sky Heaven Gate be shattered and absorbed by the black hole or his kingly state.


    However, when the black hole absorbed the heavenly bits, it converted that into energy for the body and only the body. The energy was vast and powerful, the refinement was quick and unbelievable, but the effects were evident.


    "!" Yan Zaizen was a little shocked. He remembered what happened earlier, but his feelings became more complex. He felt another soul bleeding incident when he faced the Sky Heavenly Gate. He turned into a king! No! He turned into a sovereign!!!


    All beneath him turned silent! All before him trembled! And all who watched him cheered in excitement!


    It was shocking to the absolute extreme!


    Then...the black hole manifested and consumed the heavens limits!


    "...Who created me...and...what did he mean by ninety-nine of you?¡± From his knowledge, there were only thirty-three heavens!


    The world just kept becoming more and more mysterious. One day, he''ll find all these answers.


    This, he swore.

 Chapter 211 - Imperial Law of Spacetime!

    ¡°Three years¡­¡± Yan Zaizen felt a sensation of odd bewilderment. When he was opening the gate, it felt like a minute or two, but three whole years had passed. For three years, his body was dead, his soul was inactive, and his three abnormal senses were away.


    It felt surreal.


    ¡°You need to reprioritize your agenda,¡± Pinaka stated softly. After Yan Zaizen ascended to the Gate of Sky Opening, his body was slowly adjusting. Until it properly acclimatized to his new limitations, it¡¯s difficult to shatter the second gate. Therefore, she suggested a rearrangement of cultivation goals.


    ¡°...¡± When he heard Pinaka¡¯s words, a formless pressure enveloped his existence. It reminded him that others may be after him for this token. If that¡¯s the case, every second had to count. Tao and Bai Lufeng were taking similar actions, improving their cultivation bases.


    ¡°Essence Path is too difficult to progress in,¡± his tone was helpless and filled with frustration.


    ¡°But you need to do it. Even if you focus on laws, your cultivation base is too weak to utilize it.¡± Her reminder caused Yan Zaizen¡¯s expression to grow unsightly. He recalled all the times his cultivation base formed a hindrance.


    ¡°What if I cultivated a new law?¡± Yan Zaizen suddenly mentioned, ¡°a fusion of laws!¡± He felt slightly excited at this prospect. In his breakthrough in Grux, he recalled that laws can be fused into a new, greater law.


    ¡°If you can, then do it.¡± Pinaka left him with those words and went silent. It seemed she was awaiting Yan Zaizen¡¯s results. In truth, she wanted to test and see if Yan Zaizen can truly produce a conceptual law fused from two or more World Laws. If possible, it¡¯ll become an Imperial Law!


    If this Imperial Law reached the minor-Manifestation level, then wouldn¡¯t he build an absolutely soul-stirring heavenly altar?! Not to mention, the two World Laws would be far, far stronger when used through this newly developed fusion concept.


    In the myriad realms, the number of people that focus on Imperial Laws was nearly non-existent. Only after they reached their peak bottleneck would they attempt to fuse concepts for a slightly stronger power.


    The main reason for this lack of Imperial Heavenly Genesis cultivators was time. Even World Laws were far too complex to deal with, let alone Imperial Laws, not to mention an Imperial Law fused from two concepts!!


    One could clearly see the difference between the two from Yan Zaizen''s Archery of Pure Destruction and Xiantu Yu¡¯s cultivation deviation incident. Even a Mortal and World law combination were several dozen times harder than just a single World Law.


    ¡°Hmph,¡± he softly snorted. Pinaka¡¯s attitude obviously meant she didn¡¯t have complete faith in his ability. He may be a non-entity, but even he understood the difficulty in this method. At first, he was going to attempt at fusing Life, Death, and Soul. However, he realized that doing so may lead to an even greater level of difficulty. Since this was his true first attempt, he threw the idea away.


    He decided to merge two laws together - the World Law of Space and Time.


    He returned to the ship and sat down in the lotus position. His breathing stabilized in a unique and calming rhythm. The world of chaotic space seemed to reverberate slightly.


    ¡°Chaotic space is a world that stabilizes the myriad realms. It contains the endless stability of space that allowed nothing else and the erratic instability of the flow of time. One law of two opposite concepts. Inversely, the space of the world has weak instability and contains a myriad of all things but consistent time flow.¡± He pondered the unique circumstances of his laws. He understood his direction of fusion. Essentially, he comprehended the two core aspects of chaotic space.


    The other side of this spectrum was the space in the outside world. This world was without life or variation but the other world contained limitless life and countless variation. In both time and space, it was two sides of the same coin.


    He lifted his right palm, a silver spatial form that resembled himself emerged. He lifted his left palm, a dark-grey wind surged chaotically within as if it was eternally changing.


    ¡°Haaa¡­¡± He exhaled softly. The two concepts within his soul trembled. He directly brought them outside his soul. They radiated an initial-Domain level of insight. Slowly, Yan Zaizen directed them to merge with his formulated avatars.


    The concepts in his soul quickly replaced them, their powers growing stronger and stronger with each passing second.


    ¡°Spatial Form of Infinite Stability. Hold all space together, allow nothing else to disturb the foundation!¡± He recited in his heart. The silver figure got into a lotus position and radiated brilliant silver light.


    ¡°Temporal Wind of Eternal Change. Time flows without definition or restriction. Free, true, and proper!¡± The dark-grey wind spiraled into a twister that kept growing larger and smaller, expanding outwards and contracting.


    ¡°Fuse!¡± Carefully, he brought the two concepts together. He understood the dangers of doing this, but this was the method his instincts informed him to do. Creating a new concept would be improper! He needed to fuse or else he would never reach a proper level! This was his instincts, and they were right!


    Mastering the foundational concepts and merging them left for a better foundation for further developments, especially for Imperial Laws formed from two or more World Laws. After all, Imperial Laws were thousands of times more difficult to comprehend.


    The two conceptual laws were slowly brought together. As they did, chaotic space underwent slight changes. The dark-grey winds gathered around Yan Zaizen. The ripping force of chaotic space did so as well, but they lingered in a compressed from just an inch away from his skin.


    The realmship seemed immune to these events. They were purely focused on Yan Zaizen¡¯s body. If that ripping force actually touched Yan Zaizen at this point, even though his body was thoroughly refined, he would still suffer severe injuries.


    ¡°MERGE!¡± With a thunderous shout filled with Imperialistic flavor, Yan Zaizen demanded! The concepts seemed to respond, quivering slightly in both fear and excitement!


    A flash of bright, tyrannical dark-amber light surged outwards from his gaze. His Mortal Dao stabilized his focus and soul. At the moment, he was truly at his peak state mentally!


    The two concepts slowly closed in, a trace of silver and dark-grey essence collided viciously. Despite no true wind existing in chaotic space, Yan Zaizen¡¯s clothes and hair fluttered as if in turbulent wind.


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    They continued to collide like two beams of fierce energy. They seemed reluctant to fuse but they trembled with deep excitement as if nearing what makes them a complete whole!


    As Yan Zaizen continued, he reached a spot just an inch between. However, no matter how much he tried, that last inch seemed impossible. Between the two, grey space was birthed. It contained infinite changes but eternal stability!


    ¡°Come on!¡± He urged with a snarl.


    A soft whisper seemed to touch upon his ears. The chaotic space seemed to be in resonance, its very existence communicating with Yan Zaizen¡¯s eighth sense. Startled, Yan Zaizen felt lost in the heavenly world.


    His eyes turned blank, filled with grey emptiness. It contained endless changes and peak stability.


    Before long, Yan Zaizen found himself in an area. However, this area was vastly different than the normal Heavenly Domain he was familiar with. This domain was vaster and seemed to contain everything beneath the heavens but also contained very little.


    His senses felt a calling from the distance. This distance seemed to be from a similar distance of the Deluge Realm and Sirius Titan Realm. Perhaps even greater! Yet, it seemed to be as short as an inch away.


    ¡°This...what is this?¡± He looked around with his sense. ¡°The Heavenly Domain has a myriad of different laws and concepts, nearly limitless! Yet¡­¡± He felt that this domain contained similar but only a few, very limited set.


    ¡°Imperial Heavenly Domain? The domain above World and Mortal Laws? Wait¡­¡± Yan Zaizen had a crazy thought. What if the Heavenly Domain was divided into three layers? Mortal, World, and Imperial? Was that why classification was so clear? No one debated or argued if something was Mortal, World, or Imperial Law.


    It was as if it was decreed by the heavens themselves!


    This discovery left him with a sensation of excitement. He turned towards the calling whisper. A movement towards it sent him an inestimable distance. Before he could even blink, he was before a specific section of this Imperial Heavenly Domain. It was lifeless, faint ripping force and filled with chaotic time-flow.


    ¡°Law of Spacetime? Realm of Chaotic Space?¡± His mind trembled as he received faint information about this concept! Chaotic space! Realm?!


    This grey space entered his existence. It transformed into a form, a unique form. It was him! However, it was odd!!


    This form had a brain and skin! Yes! A translucent grey skin with a black, endless and empty outline of his brain!!! On his skin was a darker grey and it circulated like wind-like curse marks. It continued to rotate around the form without end, always growing smaller and bigger without consistency.


    His existence shivered as he was sent back to his body. His blank eyes now seemed to contain an endless realm! Anyone who looked at him in the eyes would lose themselves and feel their very existence being ripped apart.


    ¡°Haaa¡­¡± A deep breath later and his mind cleared. He checked his soul form to notice that the dark-grey wind and silver figure no longer existed. Instead, a single translucent grey figure with dark-grey curse marks and black brain resided.


    ¡°You did it¡­¡± Pinaka said, her voice filled with utter disbelief. Fusing a concept was beyond difficult, let alone fusing two World Laws into an Imperial Law!!


    ¡°Non-Entity¡­¡± she softly remarked. Fusing was much more difficult than comprehending alone but left a weak foundation, but Yan Zaizen now had a decent foundation and a mind without taint to perceive the heavens.


    ¡°You¡¯re impressed?¡± Chuckling, he analyzed the form once more. He realized that the concept was at the perfect-Force level. Was this what it meant as having a proper foundation?


    He waved his hand, chaotic space spiraled under his command. The time deceleration and space¡¯s ripping force increased by a hundred-fold.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Yan Zaizen felt shocked by his new-found control of chaotic space, but what really startled him was a sensation of being looked at. His eyes narrowed to slits and radiated tyrannical ferocity. Slowly, he calmed down.


    ¡°There are Heavenly Commanders peering into chaotic space! They¡¯re watching you!¡± Pinaka exclaimed with a tinge of fear. As a Spirit Armament who belonged to someone who interacted with Heavenly Commanders, she was quite familiar with their aura. However, she couldn¡¯t sense it before or even now.


    Only when her owner sensed their gazes did she.


    After Yan Zaizen comprehended chaotic space, he and it was the same. Anyone looking into it or within it would be immediately sensed by him, regardless of their cultivation base.


    ¡°What?¡± Yan Zaizen was truly shocked! Did that mean they saw his cultivation?


    Sensing his worries, Pinaka calmed down and inspected the situation more thoroughly from Yan Zaizen¡¯s new-found chaotic space perception. ¡°They don¡¯t seem like they¡¯re too honed onto your activities. Otherwise, even I would¡¯ve noticed. It¡¯s like they¡¯re just connecting to your aura and general location. It¡¯s probably due to the distorted time-flow of chaotic space that they can¡¯t take it further¡­¡± She analyzed and explained.


    This brought Yan Zaizen some relief. After all, he had far too many secrets on his body. Hell, even his body as a Non-Entity was a secret.


    ¡°It seems Tao was right, if they¡¯re keeping track of us, it¡¯s because of this token. They likely don¡¯t wish for us to leave the realm.¡± He felt that Tao¡¯s intelligence despite his low cultivation was astounding. His first thought was to sit still and cultivate in this space. If it wasn¡¯t for his instincts and Tao¡¯s advice, he would¡¯ve attempted to depart.


    Perhaps these Heavenly Commanders would¡¯ve taken action and captured him as a result. That would¡¯ve been unfavorable. He had little confidence to defeat someone at the seventh-floor or above.


    ¡°For now, let¡¯s continue your cultivation,¡± Pinaka suggested. They couldn¡¯t leave without being targeted or depart from this realm without being stopped. It wouldn¡¯t be hard for Heavenly Commanders to rip open a path into chaotic space. However, they haven¡¯t. They should use all this available time to enhance their strength.


    ¡°Mhm,¡± he agreed. At the moment, they lacked information and advantage of position. The only choice left was to get stronger! Else...they may not be able to determine their life or death in the future.

 Chapter 212 - Paths

    "..." In a room with minimalistic decor, a simple chair and tea table was at the center. In this chair, a woman so beautiful that the world seemed flawed in comparison sipped emerald tea from a jade teacup.


    This woman wore a cyan outfit with sapphire embroidered sunflowers surrounding it. Her milky white legs revealed itself from beneath her elegant dress, her soft, tender arms slowly moved in harmony with the world, and her breathing seemed synced with the pulse of the Earthly Moon.


    An old man appeared into the room from the door like a mortal. He entered but his eyes contained very little vitality as if he was slowly withering away. He seemed exhausted beyond belief but still maintained an appropriate posture of respect in front of this young lady.


    This was Jun Lei!


    The young woman was Ma Xiuren!


    No longer did she have a seventeen-year-old appearance but one that seemed closer to her early twenties. Her beauty matured greatly as she grew with age. If Yan Zaizen saw her today, it would be difficult to notice her with just appearance alone.


    "Miss, your cultivation has been unsealed. Should we make a move?" Jun Lei inquired, his expression was filled with exhaustion.


    "..." Ma Xiuren looked at Jun Lei, her eyes flickering with profound thought.


    "He''s still in chaotic space. It is difficult to enter properly without getting lost or suffering. No one has found a way to do so safely without a Heavenly Commander interfering. After all, the ripping force in chaotic space was insidious and the time-flow is too chaotic. With the agreement devised by the Heavenly Commanders, no one who can reliably take action can." He explained.


    In truth, it wasn''t that simple. Chaotic space was a horrendous environment unsuited for the living. A large reason had to do with the ripping force, irregular time-flow, no sense of direction, and difficulty in traveling. It lacked essence, lacked life, and any rip into it could send you into some distant, unknown area.


    In truth, besides knowing that Yan Zaizen was still in the realm''s chaotic space zone, they actually couldn''t figure out where. His barrier of chaotic space made it incredibly difficult to get any insight into his exact location.


    "It''s possible he gained some spatial Heavenly Commander''s talisman. This is why he''s so difficult to find. His luck is truly outstanding. However, it won''t last for long," Jun Lei added. Many had a similar thought. Not a single person attributed his escape to his own comprehension. Instead, they felt he obtained a realmship and a legacy from a spatial-attributed Heavenly Commander.


    This was definitely the most logical path to believe. After all, even Heavenly Commanders had difficulty locking onto his location. It was unbeknownst to them that Yan Zaizen''s comprehension had already reached the Domain-level.


    "..." Ma Xiuren was silent for a second, then she waved her delicate hands slightly. Jun Lei bowed slightly and directly took his leave. He felt happy and conflicted simultaneously. Ma Xiuren had decided to continue her cultivation until it was no longer possible. This was beneficial to him and her, but Yan Zaizen, this innocent child was drawn into this unwillingly.


    "Haaa...I can only hope for your survival." With that, Jun Lei put Yan Zaizen''s fate into the back of his mind.


    As for Ma Xiuren, her eyes were slightly watery as she stared aimlessly outward. If she could help him, she would. Unfortunately...


    -----


    A handsome, elegant young man dressed in grey walked through the halls of the Yun Clan headquarters located on the Xiuhei Earthly Moon. He had bright eyes that seemed to contain the sky itself.


    Beside this man was a woman, she was a middle-aged beauty and had an aura of an empress. Her chin was held slightly high, her gaze was filled with haughtiness, and her stable and soft steps could capture the world''s attention.


    Yun Baili, the young man, frowned and said, "Mother, I''m certain of my success." Yun Baili''s tone was confident but held immense respect towards this woman.


    "Hmph," Yun Baili''s mother, Yun Mengli, softly snorted. One could tell from her posture that she didn''t have much confidence in this son of hers. "The eight other Earthly Moon forces have already decided on their four candidates. Your brother needs this token."


    For the Earthly Beginning and Heavenly End trials, four tokens were given to a random female on each of the Nine Earthly Moons. They have long since settled on their participants, only the Xiuhei Earthly Moon has yet to decide on their four. The current owners of a token were the Xiuhei Sovereign, Fate Fist Sect - a peak seventh-level force, Ma Xiuren who was selected at random, and Yan Zaizen.


    The first two powers were impossible to obtain the token from and they were protecting Ma Xiuren. This left only one token to fight for.


    "I know, Mother." Yun Baili''s eyes softly shined with light. His younger brother, Yun Xuli, possessed far greater talent than him. Not only did he develop a middle-tier Mortal Dao, but his comprehension into laws were unprecedented in the Yun Clan.


    "It''s good that you do know." Her tone was slightly harsh. Suddenly, she recalled something and further anger flickered into her eyes, "if you didn''t lose the token initially, would your grandfather be pressured to this extent?"


    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.Yun Baili''s failure to grasp the token from Yan Zaizen left a bad taste in all the elders'' mouths. Approval of Yun Baili had slipped considerably since then. Even Yun Xuli may have been affected if his grandfather didn''t take the brunt of fault.


    Their grandfather was a grand elder at the sixth-floor Heavenly Genesis Realm. He had sufficient clout to make decisions and influence his talented descendants'' rise. However, Yun Baili''s failure left a gap of trust, especially after Yan Zaizen hid in the insufferably difficult chaotic space.


    "I will redeem myself, Mother." His tone turned slightly more obedient. He was aware of his fault. Therefore, he had no intention to fail again.


    "As long as you do," she snappily said, "for now, your father has devised a plan. Unfortunately, you''ll be in direct competition with the other forces. Be sure to succeed."


    She stopped her steps, looked deeply into those bright eyes and her tone turned heavier than the world itself, "YOU can NOT fail! Or else, it''s better if you don''t come back." With that, she waved her hand at him and walked away.


    He slightly bowed, remaining silent. After a while, his gaze flickered with an unprecedented level of resolve but also deep rage. He thought, "I won''t fail. However, when the trial starts, I''ll be the one to participate. Not him! When I return, let''s see if you dare have such an attitude towards me!" With a slight tremble, he walked in the opposite direction.


    -----


    "Haaa¡­" Yan Zaizen sighed. On the deck of the realmship, he looked outwards at empty blackness that was chaotic space.


    Three hundred and sixty-three years have passed since their decision to cultivate. During this time, Yan Zaizen, Tao, and Bai Lufeng had diligently cultivated without any care for resource waste or usage. Despite this, a formless pressure enveloped his body.


    In the outside world, three and a half years had passed. While they cultivated, it seems the senses of those Heavenly Commanders had never left his general vicinity. Being under constant watch made him feel nervous.


    Soft steps echoed behind him as Tao arrived. Tao had undergone a complete change. In the span of fifty or sixty years, Tao went from half-step Origin Core Realm to late-Origin Core Realm. During which, Yan Zaizen''s available resources only kept growing in quantity and quality.


    Now, while cultivating for over three hundred years, he has ascended to the mid-True Essence Realm. With Yan Zaizen''s recent breakthrough, they both were at the same level of cultivation once more.


    The reason Tao''s realm didn''t exceed mid-stage was due to his sudden shift in priorities. While cultivating in chaotic space, he gleaned insight into an aspect of spatial laws. He developed a conceptual law!


    Spatial Point of Endless Force!


    It embodied a portion of Yan Zaizen'' Spatial Form of Infinite Stability, but only the ripping force of chaotic space! This delayed his qi cultivation base by quite a bit, but to comprehend and focus on an upper-tier World Law wasn''t an incorrect decision.


    "You sense it too?" Tao remarked, looking in the direction of Yan Zaizen''s gaze.


    "Mhm. They''re setting up a formation to inverse chaotic space with the spatial void, then another to interact with the spatial void and seal it, forcing us out during the transition." Yan Zaizen''s abilities enabled him to sense clearly the happenings of the outside world. During these three years, the gigantus forces were not idle. Instead, they conjured up a way to force Yan Zaizen out from hiding.


    In chaotic space, Yan Zaizen was too difficult to follow or find. It wasn''t safe to send anyone but top spatial cultivators to do so. In that case, they decided to devise a method to force him out instead.


    Tao understood this. He comprehended a concept of chaotic space and felt a deep connection with it over these years. The formation was connecting with it at this very moment. If it activated, they would likely suffer.


    "Running is likely impossible," Tao surmised his assumption. In truth, with Heavenly Commanders on watch, it''s unlikely they could escape. He looked towards Yan Zaizen and added, "should we ditch the token?"


    "The token was given to me by someone. Our fates may have touched briefly, but I''m unwilling to give it to anyone besides her. Even if gods and devils demanded it, I wouldn''t yield." Yan Zaizen calmly stated his intentions with a shake of his head.


    Tao softly nodded. As someone who was bestowed Yan Zaizen''s dao and knew his mantra of ''what''s his is never anyone else''s, nor should they touch it,'' it''s unlikely he would simply fold here.


    "What''s the plan?"


    "This token is designed to connect to another token. I believe that the token belongs to her. It''s probably the people Yun Baili was hindering earlier. Perhaps, we just need to wait by stalling," Yan Zaizen assessed. His gaze towards that spot grew colder and colder.


    Unfortunately, he didn''t know of Ma Xiuren''s weakness. The strongest expert she had was Jun Lei, a half-dead fourth-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator.


    "Fight. If the world refuses to open up a path, you make one yourself." Pinaka tyrannical voice resounded in his soul.


    Yan Zaizen revealed an innocent smile, but his eyes were colder than ice.

 Chapter 213 - Whos First?

    In the outer space of the Sirius Titan Realm, several hundred heavenly cultivators floated silently. They were spread out in groups of fives and tens, but the largest group was about thirty.


    Each group belonged to the gigantus race forces within the Xiuhei Earthly Moon. They had the backing of fifth, sixth or seventh-level forces, but shockingly, each person present were a part of the younger generation.


    In the myriad realms, it was hard to classify younger generation due to the vast lifespans cultivators have, but for heavenly cultivators, there was a universally accepted rule: All those below 33,000 years were in the younger generation.


    They were in their early years of development and one''s potential and talent in the heavenly path can generally be surmised by this.


    Yun Baili stood proudly amongst his group of six men. His eyes seemed to contain profound thoughts and sky-like brightness. The other six men were calmly surrounding him with respectful and calm expressions.


    In a group of eight not too far away, a young woman with auburn hair, willowy physique, and pale skin looked impatient. Her hands were folded across her sizable chest. She seemed to have worry in the depths of her gaze as she looked at other groups. The other men and women in her group also had cautious expressions.


    Finally, the girl spoke, "After forcing him out, how shall we do this?" When those words sounded, everyone''s gaze honed onto her. There were quite a few who seemed relieved that she spoke and some who had mocking expressions. Particularly, Yun Baili''s group was sneering.


    In another group, an elegantly dressed young man with emerald-green eyes stepped forward. He was handsome and radiated a very odd aura. It was as if the world was intense but calm at the same time.


    When he took his step, all those who sneered suddenly had solemn expressions. When the auburn-haired girl saw this, her eyes flickered with admiring emotion. It was borderline infatuation.


    This young man was called Hei Long, a member of the Xiuhei Sovereign''s direct force. Amongst the gigantus race, Hei Long was considered in the top ten in terms of talent and potential. Ma Xiuren and Yun Xuli were within that list as well. However, he was widely considered the top talent! Unfortunately, he was too young.


    In truth, all of those on the list were below ten thousand years in age.


    "I suggest, to avoid further conflict due to competition, we establish a set of rules and methods." When he spoke, everyone listened. There were many sixth-level forces who were hesitant, but unwilling to give up their chance. They feared going into conflict with seventh-level forces.


    "What do you have in mind?" Yun Baili asked. To him, this was only a familiarity. This token was his! Fair or not.


    Hei Long smiled slightly, tracing his eyes on all those who came, "Our Elders say that whoever can obtain the token, it is theirs to do as they wish. This is an agreement even the Heavenly Commanders consented to. Therefore, we shouldn''t fight amongst ourselves and give an opening for others to exploit it while worsening our relations."


    "We can do this fairly. I have two solutions: One, each person takes a step forward to fight for the token. Whoever can claim the token from the previous owner''s hands, it will be theirs. Two, we obtain the token, then ask our seniors to host a fair competition amongst ourselves after joining together." His voice was clear and his intention clearer. The one worthy enough to obtain it is the one who keeps it.


    "..." The crowd was silenced. The sixth-level forces were a little skeptical of this method but also couldn''t really argue against it. After all, the current owner is confirmed to have a second-level Heavenly Genesis equivalent body cultivation. To them, to these talented members of the young generation, they had the confidence in fighting some nobody.


    "How will we make the competition fair?" Yun Baili interjected. There were too many people with different levels of cultivation base and comprehension. There were methods around it, but comprehension and time to cultivate arts can''t be erased.


    "We will make it fair. However, only if its agreed upon." Hei Long slightly smiled. There were ways to even out a competition, for example, don''t measure based on cultivation base but an array or obstacle. The tournament could be a competition of who can get further than the rest.


    It was quite similar to the Slaughter Array or 33 Heavenly Steps in the Xiantu Realm. However, that takes talent into a heavy factor. No one wanted to do this.


    "I say we take a different method. We fight in groups of three. We choose three amongst every group, send them to fight. If unable to obtain victory in a certain time limit, then they lose their qualifications. We reset, another group tries." A rough, deep voice spoke. It was a man garbed in deep-black. He had a hood on that prevented his features from being recognized, but everyone knew who he was.


    When they heard his words, everyone went silent. This was far more beneficial, and many agreed with it. Only those who barely had any chance, to begin with, were disgruntled.


    "I agree." Yun Baili and Hei Long nodded their heads nearly simultaneously. They agreed with this method greatly and since only those who were a part of the younger generation would participate, they were a hundred percent confident in winning.


    "However, there need to be two more rules," the hooded man spoke once more, "if you win, you must defend against the next two groups before being declared the winner. The order of groups is random. This will continue until a group can defend twice."


    "..." With these rules, it took in group strength, strategy, and luck. For the defending group, all they had to do was last a certain time-limit twice. This gave everyone a chance. If they were lucky, they could be first and get two considerably weaker teams. This was something they could willingly accept.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    Yun Baili''s eyes flickered with faint disdain, "How will we dec-" Suddenly, Yun Baili fell silent. His eyes traced towards an area with a hint of mild surprise. His sudden pause caused others to follow his gaze in curiosity. Few were surprised, others were confused, and a few had many had expressions of questioning.


    "This sounds like a fun game, but¡­" A voice resounded that echoed with faint mockery, "you didn''t ask me if I wanted to play." This voice originated from a figure garbed in dark-amber, a head full of black hair, amber-gold eyes that seemed to contain endless vitality, and a physique that was perfection itself.


    With a smile, this figure stood calmly in space a few hundred meters away from the other groups. In his hand, he wielded a warhammer that had beautiful inscriptions and a hammer head with ripples. It faced upwards as if declaring to the world of its superior existence.


    Yan Zaizen had exited out of chaotic space before their formations could force him out. In this way, he took the initiative. He had to.


    "So, according to this game, who''s up first?" A slight shake of his hammer caused space to ripple, the hearts of all the onlookers shook with it. There were very few elites in the Sirius Titan Realm that didn''t recognize that forbidden, red-trial unnamed warhammer! It had never been claimed and even the top elites had fallen to its trial.


    This was even clearer for the gigantus race! After all, they were the only race that knew a little more about its history. In truth, it''s nearly impossible to even wield properly! That''s because the real hammer had the weight of an actual continent.


    Lifting it typically required people to use their true-essence or vital energy. To even swing without it slipping, the feat was nearly impossible without it. However, no matter the strength of one''s vital energy or true-essence, they all failed the trial upon attempt.


    There was a wide-known saying in the Sirius Titan Realm: "The Unnamed Warhammer is only for the suicidal." This was known by all!


    Yet, Yan Zaizen wielded the warhammer without any trace of vital energy or true-essence fluctuation. When the younger generation recognized the warhammer, their eyes that originally held varying emotions synced up to a singular one: shock!


    Yan Zaizen had shattered the limits of the physique when he refined a regalia of the heavens into his body, then a third, then a fourth. When he truly removed the restrictions of his physical body by opening up the first Celestial Gate, absorbing the fragments, and distributing that energy to his physique, the power of his fleshy body was extraordinary.


    At the moment, Yan Zaizen wanted to see the limits of his abilities, and what better way than these foolish kids?


    "Be careful, Brother Zai." Tao''s voice transmitted from the Meteor Ring. He was currently connected to Yan Zaizen''s sensory perception to bear witness to the upcoming battle and developments. If need be, he will advise.


    Pinaka was silent. Yan Zaizen''s new hammer exceeded her, she knew this instinctively. She may be a True Spirit with an armament body that could rival a third-floor Heavenly Genesis expert, but her true powers come out with collaboration, not solo fighting. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen hasn''t constructed an archery-type Heavenly Shrine. Even if his cultivation ascended to the mid-stage of the True Essence Realm, he didn''t have enough power to fully utilize her.


    However, the warhammer was different. Somehow, it fit Yan Zaizen like a glove. It was as if it was made for him. She decided to take a role similar to Tao, to advise and watch.


    Bai Lufeng exited seclusion. Yan Zaizen pulled him out. If he could experience this upcoming battle, it should be vastly beneficial to his cultivation.


    When he did exit, Yan Zaizen was shocked. Bai Lufeng had taken a myriad of resources for the soul, body, and essence cultivation with him, but when he came out, his essence cultivation base only reached the half-step True Essence Realm.


    To anyone, this was extraordinary but not too much with the resources given. The truly shocking fact was Bai Lufeng''s soul cultivation; he reached the Perfect Aurora Soul Realm! His cultivation base seemed close to condensing his own Astral Star!


    Even Tao only reached the Aurora Soul Realm thanks to the Astral Manifestation Pill, but to progress any further required actual enlightenment! Deep enlightenment into the self!


    It seems Bai Lufeng''s tragic event left him comprehending his true self. With Yan Zaizen''s pills, elixirs, and soul crystals, Bai Lufeng made breathtaking strides.


    He felt proud. To him, buying Lang Xue helped not only Bai Lufeng, Tao, and himself but so much more! Because of a faint instinctual feeling back then eluding benefits and Bai Lufeng''s plea, he bought Lang Xue and was pulled into a myriad of events.


    The profits from the Deluge Realm, the unnamed warhammer, and his companions mental states were improving.


    The benefits were inestimable!


    "Be careful, Young Lord Zai," Bai Lufeng warned but his voice was filled with encouragement and excitement. To him, Yan Zaizen was capable of doing anything and achieving everything.


    "No takers?" Yan Zaizen''s smirk was suffused with contempt at this group of younger generations that treated his possessions and likely his life as a joke.


    The burly, bronze man from Yun Baili''s group had his eyes blaze with fighting intent. He stepped forward, not caring about their predefined rules. To him, he wanted that warhammer! He had to take the initiative!


    "Good! Come!" Yan Zaizen laughed with a tyrannical flavor. With a warhammer in hand, amber-gold eyes that seemed to contain life itself, and fighting intent that soared into the skies, he stepped forward.

 Chapter 214 - Bodily Path, Fiendgod!

    The burly, bronze-skinned man was called Yun Jiangang; he belonged to the Yun Clan, but his family was nothing more than a subordinate of the Li family that Yun Baili and Yun Xuli belonged to. Despite this, he was a talent that reached the Bodily Path equivalent to a third-floor Heavenly Genesis Realm before thirty-three thousand years.


    This boundary was called a rank-three Fiendgod. By refining and enhancing the energy stored within the body, they can amplify their bodily prowess. The enhancement to their physique is limited by the Heavenly Laws, but this method enabled a direct bypass.


    In the Bodily Path, cultivators are defined by nine ranks and three stages. The three stages were initial, advanced, and peak. This was determined by the intensity of their vital energy and nothing more. In terms of flexibility in cultivation base, the Bodily Path allowed the least amount of deviation. Therefore, there aren''t many people who can exceed a rank in combat without a Mortal Dao, supreme martial arts, or top-tier armaments.


    When Yun Jiangang stepped forward, his fighting intent and vital energy erupted into a torrential storm. Witnessing this, everyone took a step back. While they were formulating a plan to take action, they didn''t come to any actual agreement. However, when they saw Yan Zaizen wield the warhammer and appear abruptly, a majority of them exhibited caution.


    They would wait and see the fate of Yun Jiangang before deciding their next course of action. Yun Baili also took the same stance. That warhammer caused his heart to tremble and he felt a wisp of lethal danger in his heart.


    "Hmph!" Yan Zaizen coldly snorted. This Yun Jiangang was truly too slow. With a kick of his right leg at empty space, space rippled, and he soared out with ghostly speed. His speed was so fast that Yun Jiangang eyes constricted with shock. Before he could even shift his hand, a fist had already appeared before his chest.


    BOOM!


    Yan Zaizen used his free hand to deliver a ferocious strike. Yu Jiangang''s body didn''t shot backward. Instead, a vast booming shockwave echoed as Yan Zaizen''s clenched fist made contact, and his body craned forwards.


    The sides of Yun Jiangang''s mouth had dripping stomach fluids and his eyes had lost their focus. The torrential vital energy that shrouded his body dissipated like a fire in a gust of frosty air.


    "I...I¡­" Yun Jiangang tried speaking but his entire body, mind included, was discombobulated. It was as of the life was knocked out of him. He directly lost consciousness in that frozen and odd pose.


    "...?" Yan Zaizen''s brows furrowed. He didn''t even punch with his full might or dash with his full speed. This was a probing action to get a gauge of his opponents strength. However...this felt like a mortal met a superhuman.


    This was not a fight.


    In the Deluge Realm, he had a remarkably difficult fight with Yu Shi. Now that he thought about it, Yu Shi had his own dao and formations of the entire realm aiding him. At that time, his strength could exceed a bestowed dao fourth-floor Heavenly cultivator.


    "..." When the other younger generation members, especially the ones with a weaker cultivation base than Yun Jiangang saw this, they were aghast! Even Yun Baili and Hei Long''s pupils shrank and their hearts trembled.


    Talent aside, they couldn''t even react to Yan Zaizen''s movement!


    As Yun Jiangang lost the support of Yan Zaizen''s fist, he floated in outer space like a dead, bent fish. Yan Zaizen clenched his fist and felt something. His gaze traced the unnamed warhammer. Just holding it, the inscriptions lit up faintly. It was nearly imperceptible.


    "It''s enhancing my strength?" Yan Zaizen''s thoughts spiraled. He had never wielded the warhammer in an actual fight, and thus didn''t detect the difference. Now that he could compare himself to a rank-three Fiendgod, he realized its miraculous features.


    "It enhances my physique without my vital energy. How''s that even possible?" He felt bewildered by the logic. After all, armaments were external tools, they didn''t enhance one''s strength directly from its foundations but empowered the energy that flowed through it.


    Pinaka was the excellent example of this. She had her own strength and miraculous features but she combined that with her user, not her user using that for himself.


    "Do you truly have a link to Herculeans?" He couldn''t help but solemnly ponder. The amplification was not minor. In fact, it was impossibly huge. It seems to be resonating with his physique, so it increases the foundation of the user by a set amount. It was like a miraculous, inconceivable law.


    If a weak person wielded it, they would receive the same percentage of enhancement as a strong person. Therefore, the greater the physique, the greater the benefits.


    Yan Zaizen knew this from the information funneled into his mind. It didn''t describe its passive increase but its active features. By channeling vital energy, true-essence, or other types of proper energy into Sky Shatter, it can enhance the user''s body and vital energy by a set amount.


    At first, he thought ''body and energy'' were the same thing, but that evidently wasn''t the case. Sky Shatter was truly heaven-defying!


    "So...is that why I only feel a reduced pressure now?" As he continued wielding Sky Shatter, this grand warhammer, the pressure he felt increasingly weakened. "With this, I wonder what is the upper limits of my strength?" He hefted Sky Shatter on his shoulder, a loud explosion occurred as warhammer met flesh, but Yan Zaizen only stably stood atop space.


    With a devilish smirk filled with unyielding confidence, dark-amber eyes that blazed with infinite vitality, and a sky-shattering momentum, Yan Zaizen turned towards the group of heavenly cultivators. He took a single step forward.


    "!" A vast majority of heavenly cultivators amongst the group flinched, taking a step backwards subconsciously and felt their hearts turn cold. The only ones that took no action were obvious, they were the cream of the crop such as Yun Baili, the auburn-haired girl, Hei Long, and the black-hooded figure. They stood stably. Their eyes radiating various emotions such as pride and battle intent.


    This was notably so for Yun Baili. His bright gaze suffused with a tinge of madness and killing intent.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Yan Zaizen felt some respect for those who didn''t step back at his momentum. Despite this, it didn''t stop him from taunting them further, "Weren''t you deciding how to deal with me? What happened to all that zest and zeal? Or did I make you wet yourselves?" Chuckling in amusement, he took another step forward. However, his words caused the young generation cultivators, who stood at a high-standing amongst juniors, to feel their pride being personally attacked.


    None of them revealed fearful gazes any longer. Their gazes shifted towards anger and killing intent.


    "Haha!" The auburn-haired woman, Bing He, coldly laughed. The mere thought of Yan Zaizen insulting her left a putrid taste in her mouth. Amongst the many people here, she had immense pride in herself and her group. She turned towards Hei Long, "Apologies, I''ll take the first move. Excuse me for my rudeness," with that, she performed a handseal.


    When Yan Zaizen saw this handseal, he felt his soul tremble suddenly. It was an odd sensation, as if it was being assaulted but not. It was very distinct, and the environment hadn''t changed but it was as if what he saw was illusory.


    "Careful! She''s a soul cultivator, you''re under an illusory soul art!" Pinaka voice advised. As she was directly linked to Yan Zaizen''s soul, she could sense irregularities that occur within.


    "Illusory soul art?" Yan Zaizen was startled. He recalled the Asura Phantom Realm. During that time, the moon in that realm held an illusory formation that projected falseness. As a soul cultivator himself, he was interested in how that was done. The unfortunate part left him crestfallen; the Anime Syndicate did not have such profound arts. Even Pinaka didn''t understand conventional soul path illusory arts or methods. If she did, she couldn''t actually use them.


    Before he could respond, he felt space shift suddenly and an unusual surging pressure enveloped his body. The pressure wasn''t overly strong, something he could resist, but it made him feel sluggish and disorientated.


    "Hmph!" Coldly snorting, Yan Zaizen aurora astral star erupted with soul energy. This soul energy, at eruption, shattered some invisible binding that seemed to have latched onto his soul. The surrounding area suddenly shifted in his perception.


    "What?!" Confused, Yan Zaizen found himself surrounded by eight mountain-sized, grey coffins. Each coffin emanated ripples of profound soul energy and vital energy. They were interconnected, establishing a small space with him at the center. He could feel his body and soul under pressure, fortunately, his soul cultivation base and physique was far too strong to be subjected to any disadvantage.


    "This is a formation array!" Pinaka exclaimed. Just as Pinaka was about to go in-depth, the coffins ripples started to surge like oceanic waves, pummeling Yan Zaizen''s body and soul ferociously. His body twitched slightly but nothing else. His soul absorbed all soul energy ripples that touched it, as if it was a never-ending black hole that seemed to wish to consume, devour, and exceed all existence!


    "A fourth-grade heavenly formation?" Yan Zaizen calmly analyzed. Even without Pinaka''s explanation, he could conclude this himself, after all, he did study for thousands of years. Formations, arrays, alchemy, and armament creation, he knew the very basics. These coffins were array flags. They surrounded the target and emitted soul and vital energy to pressure both the soul and body.


    Each array flag was being handled by a heavenly cultivator. He suspected that this formation wasn''t actually a fourth-grade heavenly formation, but just a small part of a much larger formation. Alas, this method would be effective on any fourth-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator and likely weaken fifth-floors, but to Yan Zaizen?


    This was a tickle.


    "ROAR!!" With a thunderous shout, Yan Zaizen stomped his feet causing space itself to tremble. This shocked Yan Zaizen a little. He intended to collapse the surrounding space, disrupting the formation, but space had been stabilized to a much higher degree than normal. It was only a second later that he came to an enlightened realization, the spatial formation they activated must''ve stabilized the spatial void, causing it to be much harder to shift within or collapse.


    "Alright, this is how I like it!" With an amused chuckle, his body erupted with his Mortal Dao. It was as if a sovereign had ascended, releasing tyrannical ferocity unmatched and ice-cold decisiveness that could cause even the most sinister of monsters hearts to turn cold.


    "Let''s see if these coffins are as sturdy as they are big! Haha!" Yan Zaizen liked this, in his thousands of years of cultivation, he rarely could let loose and experience true combat. Seeing the myriad of methods used by experts against him, he was filled with an unmeasurable amount of expectation.


    With a kick-off dash, his body shifted like a shadow. The pressure emanating from the grey coffins couldn''t hinder his movements in a single step. With a raised Sky Shatter, he faced one of the grey-coffins and smashed heavily in a downward arc. The coffin couldn''t withstand a millisecond of force as it shattered like glass. From the hammer head of Sky Shatter, an invisible ripple emerged and engulfed the entirety of the coffin.


    Pieces of its existence erupted outwards from the point of impact, but these pieces didn''t simply fly off, they disintegrated into dust.


    A hellish scream resounded filled with endless pain as a heavenly cultivator, male, and at the second-floor, appeared from behind the coffin in retreat. His heavenly shrine was igniting, his eyes filled with profound heavenly might, but his face wasn''t one filled with decisiveness but one of unimaginable horror.


    As he peddled backward, the ripple that surged from Sky Shatter touched his body. The first to come in contact with it was his fingers. They disintegrated like dust in a calm gust of wind. The young man felt his mind numb at the sight and couldn''t stop screaming. He could feel his physical body shatter from a cellular level, and even though he tried to fight it off with his true-essence, it couldn''t delay the disintegration


    The others watched him with widened gazes, some even stepped back, and a few took a step forward, but nothing more. Initially, they were thinking about stepping in to save this man, forcing him to owe them a favor in the future, but what happened left them all bewildered and lost.


    The ripple was simply too fast and seemed to be honing onto the man''s existence regardless of how much he attempted to maneuver. It started with fingers, then hand, then arm, then torso, then everything. It vanished like dust in the wind.


    Yan Zaizen watched this and felt deeply startled. Sky Shatter was marvelous, this he knew, but was it this marvelous?

 Chapter 215 - Gigantus Corpses!

    ¡°Bing Yun!¡± Bing He cried. Her emotions immediately sunk into an abyss of sorrow, regret, and blistering rage!


    Bing Yun was her younger cousin, and he was only here to operate one of the coffins. With his death, she would have no way to explain this to her aunt and uncle after they return. Her gaze that seemed to spew fire and lava turned towards Yan Zaizen. It contained unfathomable hatred and desire to consume flesh.


    ¡°YOU!¡± She bared her teeth with madness. The others also had rage swell in their eyes and their auras radiating like the fiercest of fires.


    However, Yan Zaizen only chuckled in response. They wanted to trap him, kill him, and take the things he possessed. Was he supposed to not retaliate? What type of mentality did she have? Those who¡¯re willing to kill should be ready and willing to be killed.


    To Yan Zaizen who grew up in the Xiantu Realm, especially in Presba, murderous conflict was common and often between both humans and beasts, but in grand realms such as this, deaths were relatively uncommon amongst top-tier powers. Especially within the realm itself. After all, each power likely was interconnected to an even greater power.


    This left few willing to directly offend their backers, and at most, they would capture and subject them to compensation rather than slaughter. Typically, and this was a more common aspect, the internal conflict would lead to killing than external conflict.


    ¡°UNLEASH THEM!¡± She bellowed, forming a strange handseal once more. However, as the soul energy attempted to affect Yan Zaizen¡¯s senses, his soul energy surged combating its influence immediately.


    ¡°I may be interested in what you all can unleash, but I¡¯m not going to stand here and be a punching bag!¡± His eyes filled with killing intent. Initially, he didn¡¯t wish to directly kill anyone, but now that he had done so, it would be impossible to avoid any consequences. Hefting Sky Shatter, he moved his body in pursuit of Bing He.


    Bing He saw this, her eyes that were filled with madness suffused with a hint of caution and fear suddenly. She was a third-floor Heavenly Genesis cultivator, but she was fearful of Sky Shatter. In the entire Sirius Titan Realm, there wouldn¡¯t be a single person who was ignorant of its legacy. The fact it was being wielded so easily in Yan Zaizen¡¯s hands left her slightly reeling in shock, but also an intense greed welled inside her heart.


    If she could obtain Sky Shatter, with her Gigantus bloodline, she could immediately take a step towards elites!


    She changed her handseal, performing several in succession, and profound soul energy radiated outwards. Yan Zaizen felt a sudden sting in his soul, but it vanished as quickly as it erupted. ¡°A soul attack?¡± Startled, Yan Zaizen understood what happened.


    His unique soul form had been under attack but had immediately devoured the energy that struck it. He could only feel the soul energy he used to dispel the previous illusions had already recovered. ¡°Hahaha!¡± With a mad laugh, he felt enlivened.


    To him, soul attacks were inconsequential!


    Unfortunately, illusions can still affect him.


    Witnessing Yan Zaizen not hindered by a single second from her attack, she started to panic. Retreating, she pulled the mountain-sized, grey coffin towards her side. The other coffins stopped functioning in a formation. However, they didn¡¯t stop displaying odd forms of activity.


    An ominous sound resounded that was like crows dying in a violent storm.


    ¡°What?¡± Turning around, Yan Zaizen felt shocked. The coffins were vibrating intensely, like something within wanted to explode outwards seeking freedom and rebirth. ¡°Could these coffins actually have bodies in them?¡± Questioning, he became more vigilant.


    The other six experts, with madness in their eyes, slammed their palms atop the coffins in unison. Their heavenly might and vital energy surged into the coffins without concern. It was as if they were even dumping their very vitality into the coffins. As someone who cultivated life law, Yan Zaizen could see lifeforce energy being sent into the coffins.


    ¡°This?!¡± He could feel that the six members core lifeforce weaken, but their appearance didn¡¯t change. That being said, they must¡¯ve lost at least ten thousand years of their lives in utilizing this art.


    CREAK!!


    The coffin lids opened like a door to the netherworld. A deathly aura permeated the surroundings. The expressions of all the onlookers turned solemn, and Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows. This deathly aura was something he was completely familiar with.


    ¡°Rebirth Arts?¡± Pinaka¡¯s voice was filled with uncertainty, but she immediately added, ¡°Reanimation Arts!¡±


    Reanimation Arts?


    Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    They were arts that utilized lifeforce energy to temporarily bring back a corpses functionality. Yan Zaizen had refined a corpse into a puppet, but it was fundamentally different. Reanimation arts were a divine-class art because the cost was one¡¯s own lifeforce, not just energy. Not only that, you could restore a corpse to carry some semblance of its abilities and consciousness.


    ¡°Hmph! Idiots!¡± Yan Zaizen saw this and couldn¡¯t help but coldly snort. He ignored Bing He, dashing towards the six gigantic corpses. He could feel their vital energy stored in their bodies erupt with an unprecedented intensity. If he had to estimate, each of these corpses were rank-five Fiendgods!


    As he appraised the corpses, he felt a tinge of danger in his heart. ¡°Does this mean, my instincts suggest a rank-five Fiendgod corpse can pose a threat to me?¡± As he calmly analyzed, his eyes flickered with an inky, black light that seemed to embody death itself.


    Herculean Avatar Art: Death Form!


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s body was etched in profound inscriptions that radiated a deathly aura. He took a breath. The spatial void siphoned into his lungs. The deathly aura strengthened.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t comprehend life and death, this would actually pose a real threat, but now?¡± He approached the first gigantus corpse, it had the size of a mountain - nearly three hundred meters, and it took action. The wielder of this corpse stood atop its head, performing a handseal, it seemed to have established a connection. The cultivator merged into the corpse¡¯s head.


    ¡°Oh?¡± Finding this intriguing, Yan Zaizen could suddenly feel the corpse come to life. With its gigantic hands that could collapse hills, it smashed towards Yan Zaizen with a palm.


    Keeping Sky Shatter, Yan Zaizen extended his arms to intercept the incoming palm. Their palms smashed heavily against each other. A booming sound reverberated in the surrounding space, if normal cultivators beneath the heavenly path were nearby, they would immediately lose their hearing.


    They were left in a deadlock as both were trembling in an attempt to push back the other.


    ¡°That lifeforce you injected into this corpse, I must thank you. It¡¯ll be a delicious meal!¡± With a malicious smile, he breathed in, and then the world seemed to be siphoned as space was drawn to him. However, the lifeforce infused in the corpse seemed to be especially targeted. It was wrenched away like candy from a baby, being pulled out in bright, white wisps and entering Yan Zaizen¡¯s nostrils.


    ¡°NO!¡± A voice resounded from within the gigantus corpse¡¯s skull. The head exploded violently in blood and gore as the cultivator darted out with a panicked rush. The others were shocked. White wisps were being pulled from his body as well, flowing into Yan Zaizen¡¯s nostrils.


    ¡°MORE!¡± Breathing in fiercer than ever before, the deathly aura extended to shroud the cultivator and corpse, and siphoned ruthlessly all that was within its range - especially lifeforce. The cultivator started to visibly age as the shroud enveloped his body.


    ¡°What the!¡± The other witnesses couldn¡¯t help but reel at the sight. They knew death laws could deteriorate lifeforce, deplete vitality, or even terminate life itself, but never had they seen a concept where death absorbed life! When the cultivator finally escaped the deathly shroud, by igniting his heavenly shrine, he seemed to have aged by thirty years.


    To heavenly cultivators, this likely meant he lost fifty to sixty thousand years of life. As for the corpse, its entire existence was being siphoned. Its flesh, bones, stale blood, and remnant soul were being siphoned into Yan Zaizen¡¯s nostrils.


    They watched as, in three seconds, the entirety of this rank-five Fiendgod corpse was absorbed.


    The deathly aura around Yan Zaizen increased in intensity, but the shroud didn¡¯t. Purposefully keeping it restricted, Yan Zaizen could feel the limitations when he battled Yu Shi no longer existed. Before, Yan Zaizen couldn¡¯t utilize the death form as much as he wanted or how he wanted, when it siphoned a certain amount, it would immediately enter life soul form. However, it didn¡¯t do so now.


    His eyes were no longer dark-amber, but inky, black color that seemed to desire the very heavens. He felt immense deathly power swell in his body, but there was no more resistance from the concepts. It was as if it was tamed, or at least, it became obedient.


    ¡°Is this the effect of the Sky Opening Gate?¡± He deeply questioned. In truth, it was. After removing the limitations of the heavens from his body, the regalia were no longer independent concepts but thoroughly merged within him without restriction. Therefore, his forms no longer had limitations or acted without his will.


    He smacked his lips as the inky, black deathly aura surged in his body felt extraordinary. It was as if he was death itself and all those before him must await their judgment in due time.


    His eyes that radiated death turned towards the other corpses with immense desire and greed within.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll have another!¡±

 Chapter 216 - One Punch

    "RUN!" A heavenly cultivator shouted, his cultivation base was erupting to its limits in retreat. The surrounding space trembled and he dashed away without any hesitation. As he looked back, his eyes constricted to a needlepoint in horror.


    This cultivator had originally been in the head of a gigantus corpse. Unfortunately, Yan Zaizen had just breathed in the entirety of this corpse and the lifeforce that stayed within. As he did, his shroud of deathly aura became denser and terrifying. The surrounding space it inhabited was being absorbed to the point it didn''t seem as if it existed in the spatial void or chaotic space. It was as if it was a realm of death.


    Bing He had immense terror in her eyes as she retreated. The original madness and hatred she felt were still prevalent but it was beaten back and overwhelmed thoroughly by fear. The other heavenly cultivators created distance from the battle, leaving Yan Zaizen to enjoy himself thoroughly as the corpses were absorbed.


    At this moment, the whites of his eyes were black, the inscriptions on his body extended and grew, it covered his entire body. As he walked, the aura of death was densely permeating the surroundings. A single look left one stifled and felt as if their existence was being siphoned by it.


    "Third one!" With a satisfied exclamation, Yan Zaizen felt lively despite his deathly aura. Unfortunately, the other corpses were stored away, and they departed by ripping space and leaving without any hesitation. As he had to siphon the corpses, he couldn''t follow them.


    "Tch, greedy people. Can''t share?" He curled his lips in dissatisfaction. Yan Zaizen turned to check the others, but it seemed they had all used his tiny window of absorption to rip open rifts in space and depart, some of them ¡ª the weaker ones ¡ª used spatial talismans to depart. Because of the formations to restrict his escape via space, they were left with no other option.


    It was quite laughable.


    After a vast majority departed, only two groups remained.


    Yun Baili and Hei Long''s.


    Even Bing He left. The only trump card she had was the coffins, but she wasn''t willing to throw away thousands of years of her life to only have it be absorbed by another. Therefore, despite her high pride, she threw it aside and decided to focus on preserving her life.


    Hei Long had three individuals standing behind him. Each individual seemed to be profoundly powerful, having a heavenly cultivation base at the fourth-floor and wore calm expressions. To them, Yan Zaizen was definitely ferocious, but he wasn''t invincible. Not to mention, they had their own methods.


    However, when Yan Zaizen turned his death-filled gaze towards their direction, they felt a tremor that originated from their souls and heavenly shrines. It was as if their conceptual laws were trembling, desiring a retreat from this malevolent existence. Their calm expressions were simultaneously replaced with solemn ones.


    Hei Long, however, had his eyes flash with an emerald-green light.


    "A Mortal Dao?" Yan Zaizen was intrigued. This young man seemed to radiate an aura of a true dao, not a bestowed one. These individuals generally are dozens, if not, hundreds of times stronger than their cultivation equivalent counterparts. This man still had a smile on his face, his conceptual laws and soul didn''t quiver a single bit.


    "It doesn''t seem to be a lower-tier one either," Yan Zaizen noted, his eyes growing with interest.


    "Your cultivation is truly incredible, your Fiendgod law is remarkably profound!" Hei Long praised.


    He misunderstood Yan Zaizen''s deathly aura with a vital energy base as a Fiendgod law. This was when Fiendgod Bodily Methods use specific heavenly materials to refine their bodies, typically relating to a specific concept or an overall law. This was why Ma Xiuren went after the heavenly materials in the Asura Phantom Realm rather than the pills, to find heavenly materials to help refine her vital energy.


    This type of Fiendgod law didn''t rely on comprehension but on intensity. The greater the Fiendgod rank, the greater the law''s power. In the Xiantu Realm, Fiendgod Bodily Methods didn''t exist. There wasn''t a single individual who reached the Fiendgod level, only Yan Zaizen did unintentionally after refining his organs, meridians, and acupuncture points with Heavenly Law Liquid.


    Towards the Immortal Herculean Method, it takes the path of a Herculean, not a Fiendgod, therefore it doesn''t focus upon vital energy and only inadvertently developed towards that path. Its primary focus was on the fleshy body itself.


    Yan Zaizen laughed, "Thank you!" He didn''t care if this young man thought wrongly, but a compliment was something he could wholeheartedly accept.


    "Your Dao is fascinating as well, I must say, I feel even my dao is inferior in comparison." Hei Long smilingly said, but Yan Zaizen only jubilantly laughed in response.


    With an inhale, Yan Zaizen''s deathly aura retracted, completely merging into his body and painting his normally healthy skin an inky, black color. "I wonder, what is it you want?" With a wave of his hand, a token appeared, "this?"


    The token appeared ordinary but had ''Xiuhei - Heavenly'' on its two sides. These characters gave one the feeling of an immensity comparable to the heavens.


    Hei Long and Yun Baili''s eyes lit up with a light suffused with intense desire after seeing this token, but they didn''t take action. Patiently, they held their impulses down.


    "How about I offer a trade?" Hei Long proposed.


    "No." Decisively, Yan Zaizen rejected.


    "I see." Eyes flickering with emerald-green light, he tensed his heavenly might and the aura exuding from his body was awe-inspiring.


    "Oh? Spatial laws?" Yan Zaizen could feel space fluctuate oddly for quite a distance. Unfortunately, the heavenly might that permeated the space was only at the two-floor in intensity. To Yan Zaizen, this didn''t offer any threat. The moment it came into contact with his inky, black skin, it was absorbed and caused the aura of death to increase in intensity.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "..." Hei Long saw this and felt helpless internally. He had witnessed Yan Zaizen absorb the spatial void and even chaotic space leaving an absolute void that didn''t affect him. His death law enabled him to convert all sources into itself, that was troublesome. He calculated the possibilities of winning, but when he factored in Sky Shatter, the caution in his eyes increased.


    With a sigh, he gave one last look at the uniquely powerful Yan Zaizen, "You truly possess the qualifications to participate in the trials." With those words, he and his group decisively retreated. After they disappeared, Yan Zaizen felt awkward. He also felt a little dumb.


    "What trial?" Inquiring to no one particular, he looked at the token, "could it be that this token opened a trial? A unique one?" As he wasn''t knowledgeable in the Sirius Titan Realm, he couldn''t help but feel a little lost. Regardless, he didn''t have any intention to participate in a trial with the token unless Ma Xiuren desired it. After all, this was her token, not his. He was only its keeper, using it as a light to find her.


    However, Yun Baili didn''t seem to be like Hei Long, his eyes flashing with ice-cold decisiveness and killing intent. To him, that token represented a better life and future. To him, this was his chance to no longer be within his brother''s shadow and create his own shadow!


    He was nearly 33,000 years old. If he missed this trial, the next one could occur in ten thousand years, but only those below 33,000 years could participate! This was truly his last chance.


    He didn''t speak; instead, his hands motioned as his heavenly might erupted with its full force! He tapped into his bloodline, the gigantus bloodline! As it was galvanized to the maximum with his vital energy, his body grew to the size of a small mountain, reaching nearly two hundred meters in height!


    Gigantus Transformation!


    His physique and vital energy seemed to become far, far more abundant. The true-essence within his body seemed to be able to rival dozens of normal practitioners. With a shout, the other six cultivators followed, with Yun Jiangang absent, they erupted and grew in varying sizes. Some grew to one hundred meters while others grew about one hundred and fifty meters!


    "Oh?" Yan Zaizen was a little shocked. He saw the Gigantus Corpses rivaling small mountains, being able to reach three hundred meters in height, but to see the transformation itself felt surreal. Yun Baili''s small body transformed, expanded in mass and aura, by a hundred times! This was something that directly broadened his horizons.


    "So this is why they call them the Gigantus race!" He marveled at the wondrous characteristics of human races. His eyes didn''t contain a hint of vigilance, instead, there was interest and excitement. "Let''s see how strong I am without Sky Shatter!" One of the main reasons he kept Sky Shatter was that it was overwhelmingly strong, and he couldn''t clearly define his limitations with it.


    This was a perfect opportunity to do so!


    Herculean Avatar Art: Life Soul Form!


    His deathly aura that was concentrated in his body started to ignite in white flames. The flames erupted like a storm as it shrouded Yan Zaizen''s form, continuously burning away all the deathly aura as if it was a diseased rat meeting fire! The deathly aura continued to deteriorate, but as it did, the lifeforce energy that surged from his body erupted with an even greater intensity.


    His body was turned into a white sun of fire!


    Yun Baili didn''t hesitate, he let loose a titanic roar causing space itself to quake violently. Withdrawing a double-sided axe from his heavenly shrine, his aura rose even further. This axe contained deep soulforce and radiated a profound conceptual law that resonated with the axe. It was as if every single movement could cleave apart the world and create it anew!


    "A spirit-rank armament?" Yan Zaizen was shocked. This was the first spirit-rank armament that he had seen besides Pinaka. However, this spirit-rank armament seemed to lack Pinaka''s depth and strength.


    "Tch, it''s only a low-grade spirit armament. Nothing to marvel at," Pinaka''s voice carried disdain. She was a mid-grade spirit armament, an armament that can materialize and was dao-linked to a peak upper-tier Mortal Dao. This spirit armament was connected to a middle-tier Bestowed Dao and didn''t have the ability to materialize its spirit form.


    In comparison to her, the difference didn''t even need to be described in words.


    Yun Baili wasn''t done, the six others formed a unique formation that funneled their vital energy, soul energy, and heavenly true-essence into a single, profound manifestation. Another double-sided axe was created from this formation, remarkably similar to the spirit armament in size and design. Yun Baili gripped the manifested axe and the spirit armament, dual wielding both axes. As he did, his aura skyrocketed to an all-time high.


    "...Using your weaker members to formulate a manifestation to enhance your personal prowess...just like Yu Shi," he commented. This was a fairly common tactic used against stronger enemies or simply around leaders within a group. After all, you didn''t need numbers to defeat a foe; you needed to simply be stronger than your foe.


    The soul energy, vital energy, and heavenly true-essence would amplify his soul defense, his physical prowess, and replenish his true-essence if need be. With this, he could execute abnormally powerful arts without being subjected to true-essence depletion, strike harder than ever before, and ignore soul attacks or illusions of a certain level.


    This was an undeniable advantage!


    "DIE!" Yun Baili rushed towards Yan Zaizen with a momentum that could collapse planets. His eyes were suffused with killing intent that could freeze souls with fear and cause trained warriors to tremble.


    "Hmph!" With a step, Yan Zaizen kicked off empty space, propelling towards Yun Baili like a white sun! A streak of white light was left behind on his trail, and this while trail seemed to contain the essence of life itself. In less than a moment, Yan Zaizen and Yun Baili were in close-combat range.


    Clench!


    With a fist radiating intense lifeforce energy, Yan Zaizen threw a punch forward with indomitable momentum.


    Yun Baili accepted Yan Zaizen''s direct challenge, lifting both of his axes, and cleaving downwards in unison. The space it passed seemed to be birthing illusory forms of life. This was a profound concept with the Mortal Law of Axe minorly fused with World Law of Life! Before this concept, all would be cleaved and life would be birthed! From this life, the wielder could draw in this energy to restore their physical state, but alas!


    Yan Zaizen punch was thrown at an incredible speed, completely exceeding the swinging momentum of the axe, and before it could collide with Yan Zaizen''s body, the lifeforce energy had already suffused into his fist that slammed heavily into Yun Baili''s gigantic torso!


    With a hellish scream, the sound of shattering ribs, dislocation of organs, and obliteration of flesh resounded! Yun Baili was directly sent thousands of li like a mite without strings! The formation manifested by his compatriots were shattered by the concussive force of flesh meeting lifeforce energy infused flesh. The spirit armament had left his hands as the blow struck.


    With bright eyes, Yan Zaizen immediately seized this armament with no hesitation. As Yun Baili flew away, blood surged out of his mouth, ears, eyes, and nose!


    "Only one blow, tch." Yan Zaizen commented as he stood with a dissatisfied expression. Yun Baili was essentially all bark and no bite. He had a middle-tier bestowed dao, a Mortal Law of Axe-based Heavenly Shrine with four floors, and the support of other heavenly cultivators. Even still, he was far, far too slow.


    In the span of that one punch, Yan Zaizen had the capabilities follow up three more times before he was sent away.


    "Guess that settles it; I''m around the peak fifth-floor in terms of strength?" He mused, looking a little satisfied. If he had this strength, how could Yu Shi even think about damaging his soul and body? With a single blow, he could send him on his way. Not to mention, he still had Sky Shatter.


    "Urgh¡­"The heavenly cultivators that supported Yun Baili felt disoriented as they were blown back, their organs dislocated, and their minds were shaken. The moment Yun Baili was struck, he lost consciousness, this left them forced to protect themselves from the aftershock.


    Observing this, Yan Zaizen''s eyes lit up. "I think it''s time for spoils of war, it''s only right!"


    He stepped forward with malicious intentions. But suddenly, directly in front of him, a spatial rift that was three hundred thousand meters in height formed!

 Chapter 217 - Zhou Xiuhei, Xiuhei Sovereign

    With eyes that resembled two white solar suns, Yan Zaizen inspected the rift before him. It was three hundred thousand li in size. This alone caused his heart to tremble, but what really caused him to feel apprehension was the rift itself.


    When it was created, it was seamlessly done. There was no indication or lag between creation on one side and the other. Earlier, Yan Baili had halted the spatial rift of a cultivator with his heavenly might. They ripped a spatial rift from one side, entered the spatial void, tunnels through it, and creates a second rift as their exit point.


    This was the fundamental of how heavenly cultivators travel through the spatial void with simply their heavenly might. Even when he fought Guan Yin, entering her rift, this was the case. There are even cultivators who can hide in the spatial void, observing others closely, and remaining hidden.


    Yu Shi used this method.


    However, this rift was completely and thoroughly sudden. However, no one exited immediately. This meant they were traveling from their creation point.


    "This is a rift created by a Heavenly Commander. Their heavenly might undergoes a qualitative change at the seventh-floor. Be careful." Pinaka warned, her voice was calm but there was a tinge of worry within.


    Initially, Yan Zaize was about to depart into chaotic space, but he felt his instincts whispering slightly. It was very faint, but it eluded to the possibility of benefits. When he recalled Lang Xue, he decided to stay. He understood that his sixth sense, his instinctual sense, was far greater than normal due to his Non-Entity characteristics.


    His senses weren''t tainted by the reincarnation cycle or mortal dust, being as clear as 20/20 vision while others had eyes filled with dust and oil. This attributed to his comprehension into the heavens via his eighth sense. Furthermore, he was curious. However, he wasn''t completely stupid.


    When the sub-realm collapsed, Yan Zaizen had forgotten about the spatial compass. The trans-spatial divine compass could transport someone to anywhere beneath the heavens. Pinaka had once warned him that it could lead to his death, thus he kept it at the back of his mind.


    Only after the event did he recall the compass. With this, even if a Heavenly Commander desired him to stay, they''ll have to return home in defeat. That being said, he still felt unsure about this compass. He got a very, very odd feeling that using this compass will lead him to ninety-nine paths of death and one point of life. If there was any other situation, he would rather not use it.


    From the gigantic spatial rift, a middle-aged man appeared. This man was handsome, having defined features that gave him near perfect masculine features, a well-sculpted physique with sleek and supple muscles, a set of violet eyes that seemed to contain a profound law, and a robe with wide sleeves.


    He had his arms folded behind his back, his expression was calm with a faint smile of warmth on his face. However...there was one feature that could not be overlooked.


    He was nearly three hundred thousand meters tall!


    Besides his height, he had an ordinary bodily proportion. His aura was concealed, but Yan Zaizen could feel his soul, vital energy, and true-essence tremble in his presence.


    In comparison, Yan Zaizen was like an ant to a human, likely even smaller. He floated at his midsection, looking with his eyes of white suns, and readied with a clenched fist. For some odd reason, Yan Zaizen felt his body become excited, as if it had found something important or familiar.


    Whoosh!


    The moving of his violet eyes caused a sound that made Yan Zaizen startled. It was as if a storm of wind formulated and disappeared in an instant. Those warm violet eyes looked down, focusing on Yan Zaizen''s body.


    Then, he smiled.


    "?" With furrowed brows, Yan Zaizen didn''t do anything in response. Instead, he continued appraising this tower of a man. However, he couldn''t gather any other information. "Pinaka?"


    "...this man is a Heavenly Commander and a Royal Fiendgod," Pinaka stated, her voice sounded oddly cowed. She had a greater perceptive ability than Yan Zaizen when it came to analyzing or measuring laws or cultivation bases.


    "Royal Fiendgod?"


    "A Royal Fiendgod is an existence at the bodily path that has reached the seventh-rank or higher. Their vital energy undergoes a qualitative evolution, awakening a unique bloodline belonging solely to them, outside of their race. This bloodline can be passed along to their descendants, until the ninth generation, unless another Royal Fiendgod is born," Pinaka explained thoroughly.


    The reason that bodily bloodlines were so rare had to do with this limitation. For example, Lycahs didn''t have a racial bloodline, and there were quite a lot of humanoid races with the same fate. However, this didn''t mean a Lycah couldn''t be born with a physical bloodline.


    The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    If their ancestor reached the rank-seven Fiendgod, they could develop a unique bloodline dubbed as a "Royal" Bloodline.


    As for heavenly bloodlines, they simply required a manifestation-level conceptual law with a true-essence cultivation base.


    Soul bloodlines were unique developments, typically rare mutations of the soul unconnected to race. However, after being birthed, they can be passed down to descendants, but the chances weren''t certain.


    "I see." Yan Zaizen''s eyes squinted.


    "Greetings, young one." The middle-aged man conversed via soul transmission.


    Yan Zaizen could feel an impressive soul energy fluctuation from this. "Advanced Astral Soul Realm? This guy''s cultivation bases are¡­"


    Seeing Yan Zaizen''s lack of response, the middle-aged giant only smiled a little more, "I am the Xiuhei Sovereign, Lord of Xiuhei Earthly Moon, Zhou Xiuhei."


    "This!" This time, Yan Zaizen truly felt shocked in heart and mind. In accordance with Lang Xue words, the three major forces in the Sirius Titan Realm, one of them was the Xiuhei Earthly Moon. An eighth-level heavenly-tier force!


    He recovered, his mind filled with questions, "My name''s Yan Zaizen. Wanderer." As he didn''t belong to any specific force, he didn''t have any fancy titles or domains, so he was simply a wanderer.


    "Perfect. As you know the token, the one which you defended, it belongs to the Xiuhei force." He stated, but there didn''t seem to be any forcefulness or dominance in his voice.


    "I see." Despite that, even if this man wanted the token, Yan Zaizen wasn''t going to give it up.


    "No worries, the token is officially yours." Throwing a curveball, he didn''t seem to desire the token; instead, he seemed to want something else. "I''ll be direct, young one, I wish to offer you a position as a Guest Elder of the Xiuhei Earthly Moon."


    "What?" Skeptical, Yan Zaizen didn''t immediately answer. He was leaning towards refusing, mostly because he didn''t wish to accept any commitments. After all, his promise with Tao to travel the world was still in effect. Well, considering this, he may as well make some things clear.


    "I still plan to travel the myriad realms."


    "As long as you check in using a transmission relay every ten thousand years, you can travel to anywhere beneath this heaven." Zhou Xiuhei, the Xiuhei Sovereign, answered smoothly.


    "I don''t really like restrictions."


    "As long as you don''t cripple or kill without justifiable reason, you have no other restriction."


    "I''m quite lazy."


    "There''s no mission obligation or requirement to have a personal force. As long as you wish, you can stay independent."


    "...I''m not cheap."


    "The per-millennia stipend for a Guest Elder is one hundred thousand heavenly drops, initiation pay is five hundred thousand heavenly drops."


    "What the-" his first thought was to curse. Wasn''t this too great? Holy shit. "How many Guest Elders do you have?" He couldn''t help but ask. No way this was sustainable if they had several thousand as most sects of a grand size.


    "One, you''ll be our second."


    "...Authority?"


    "You''ll have all authority of a Lower-tier Elder. The ability to use a realmship for appropriate travels, move a portion of forces of the Xiuhei Earthly Moon, and¡­"


    As he continued to detail the benefits, Yan Zaizen was startled. Was this any different than being an Elder? Why the need for the ''guest''?


    Despite this exchange seemingly taking a long time to describe, all of this happened in the time it takes for a breath of time.


    "Haaa...with all that, how could I say no? But I do have a question...why me?" If there was only one other Guest Elder, why did this major power personally arrive to give him an offer to join? Any high-ranking member could do so in his place.


    "Because you and I travel the same path, the Herculean Path." His words flowed with a smoothness that left Yan Zaizen processing it for a bit.


    "WHAT?!"

 Chapter 218 - Outlawed?

    Yan Zaizen thoughts experienced an abrupt derailment. This obstructed period of thought, this state of mind which left one feeling blank, was immediately replaced with astronomical levels of shock and a very deep, almost suspicious, light of excitement. It¡¯s been a very, very long time since he had experienced true elation.


    To him, Zhou Xiuhei¡¯s words didn¡¯t just reveal that he wasn¡¯t alone, but it revealed that there was someone who could answer his questions! There were so many questions he wished to ask that when he went to sent a soul transmission, the word incomprehensible wouldn¡¯t do it justice.


    Witnessing this, the titanic Zhou Xiuhei smiled with a hint of laughter within. Towards this young Herculean, he actually felt quite close and relax, his usual demeanor settling elsewhere as a grandfather-like smile surfaced. This feeling was hard to describe, but it felt like an instinctual connection of race. It wasn¡¯t stupendously close, but it was sufficient enough where Yan Zaizen could be perceived as a true member of a younger generation.


    ¡°You have quite a few questions, young one,¡± Zhou Xiuhei transmitted, ¡°first, let¡¯s move venue before further conversation.¡± With that, he turned his body that was like a small planet and entered the spatial rift. The spatial rift maintained its position, awaiting Yan Zaizen¡¯s entry.


    ¡°...Be careful,¡± Pinaka warned. She understood that Yan Zaizen would enter this rift of unknown location, not because he was overly confident or reckless, but because there was a slight chance at gaining answers to questions. During his life, Yan Zaizen had many teachers, but since he truly stepped into the path of cultivation, the questions of his existence and abilities left him frustrated and relentless in seeking answers.


    ¡°I will.¡± With that, he canceled his Herculean Avatar Art, the lifeforce energy integrating into his physique, refining it and giving it further vibrancy. His vital energy usage had already completely recovered, with his body undergoing another silent refinement of lifeforce energy. Soaring into the rift, he had deep anticipation well into his heart.


    On the other side of the rift, a room that could be the very definition of grand and wealthy was revealed. The room was huge, immensely huge. The height of which was about five li high, the width was twenty li, and the length of which exceeded two hundred li! It was titanic in size and structured, shaped oddly but a rather spacious area.


    The walls, floor tiles, and ceiling were constructed from white jade. Shimmering atop this was a faint gold-color that gave the feeling of the heavens itself. On each tile was a profound formation that seemed to be infinitely complex, each possessing an individual Spirit Form handling the formation itself. This indicated that each tile was a sky-rank armament!


    The walls were adorned by paintings detailing epic stories. The paintings emitting a faint soul fluctuation that seemed to draw in one¡¯s senses to experience the story detailed in the painting. If a mortal were to look at these paintings, they may never be able to extricate themselves.


    There were thirty-three translucent pillars, all of which were completely gold and truly resonated an aura of the heavens! It was as if the heavens itself was miniaturized and placed within each individual pillar. Within these pillars, one could see heavenly law liquid drops floating within. Each pillar had thousands of drops idling floating about. If one looked closely, they could see a drop smaller than the others. This drop was slowly growing in size and aura, reaching completion of a true heavenly law liquid!


    The ceiling had a formation so large and complex that it expanded the entire twenty li. This formation was currently inactive, but simply it being there left one feeling inconsequential before it.


    At the center of this room was a violet throne. The material that constructed it was most definitely a top-grade heavenly material! The aura it emanated left one feeling repressed and inferior.


    The spatial rift appeared before this throne. When he first saw it, his Mortal Dao surged within his body, removing that repressed and inferior feeling it instilled. However, when he felt the remnant effects of the throne, he reeled.


    ¡°A Dao Treasure?!¡± Yan Zaizen was shocked. Pinaka had one said that, as a wielder of a Mortal Dao, a true dao, one could refine a treasure. Typically, this treasure would act as a medium for a formation or as the core of an armament. It had many uses, but those were the two most common ones. Unfortunately, bestowed daos could not produce their own Dao Treasure.


    What¡¯s even more marvelous was the remarkable characteristics of a Dao Treasure. If the wielder of the Dao Perishes, their Dao Treasure can remain. It can be an icon, an immortal and deified symbol, and enable those who¡¯ve been bestowed a dao to maintain it! Furthermore, while the user was alive, the Dao Treasure could bestow others their dao! If they were dead, their dao will perish when their last follower dies - their Dao Treasure dissipating like mortal dust.


    The only issue was the difficulty in actually refining one. According to Pinaka, the greater the Mortal Dao, the longer it takes to refine a Dao Treasure.


    Swish.


    A figure appeared before Yan Zaizen, his figure was dominant and elusive. It left one feeling a strange contradiction that felt wonderful yet frustrating in the heart.


    Zhou Xiuhei was no longer three hundred thousand meters in height. He stood at a two and a half meter height, being taller than Yan Zaizen by a few inches. His violet robe even shrunk as well, but his aura was still concealed. On his handsome, near perfect, masculine face was a soft smile at Yan Zaizen¡¯s child-like amusement. Others may not be able to tell Yan Zaizen¡¯s age due to his vibrant life laws, but how could he not?


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    Not even two thousand years of age, yet possessing this abundant level of accumulation, foundation, and comprehensive combat prowess. It truly left one sighing in awe and praise.


    ¡°This is the Xiuhei Titan Hall, my home.¡± Zhou Xiuhei¡¯s calmly explained with normal speech, his eyes flashing with a hint of an odd emotion that felt out-of-place. Yan Zaizen furrowed his brows, but didn¡¯t ask about it. Instead, he responded, ¡°Thank you to inviting me to your abode, Xiuhei Sovereign.¡±


    Then, ¡°Are you really a herculean?¡± Yan Zaizen wasn¡¯t one to do much in terms of formalities or common speech-patterns. Instead, he was rather unruly and direct.


    ¡°En.¡± Zhou Xiuhei nodded. A trace of vital energy that Yan Zaizen had never one felt before fluctuated within Zhou Xiuhei¡¯s body. Profound inscriptions, violet in color, materialized onto his skin. It covered a majority of his body, but those inscriptions emanated a unique aura that Yan Zaizen could not be any more familiar with!


    ¡°Herculean Avatar Art!¡± This was the single martial art, or to put it bluntly, Fiendgod-based art, described within the Immortal Herculean Method. However, as Yan Zaizen observed the inscriptions more thoroughly, his expression turned odd.


    Witnessing this, Zhou Xiuhei inwardly praised Yan Zaizen for his sharp perception. ¡°I, much like you, have taken the Herculean Path. The path to exceed the heavens, to shatter the skies, but unfortunately, we divert on this path to different roads.¡±


    ¡°Different roads?¡± When those words were said, Yan Zaizen¡¯s eyes brimmed with interest and excitement! To others, they may not understand this, but to him, he felt keenly aware.


    ¡°You cultivate the way of Immortality, but I cultivate the way of Unshatterable. Your focus on existing in perpetuity, creating a body that can revive off a single drop of blood, using only a single trace of physical existence. My art, The Unbreakable Herculean Method, focuses upon reaching a point where even if the heavens shatter, even if the skies collapses, it will not.¡± Zhou Xiuhei had a profound smile with a tinge of leaking pride as he spoke.


    Yan Zaizen¡¯s horizons broaden greatly! Two methods, two absolutely heaven-defying physiques! One that can rebirth as long as a single trace of it exists, the other which can not be destroyed by any means! How profound, how grand, how godly were herculeans?!


    However, this only constituted its absolute peak.


    Despite this, he could imagine that Zhou Xiuhei must have a near impregnable body towards those at his cultivation. After all, with the Herculean Avatar Art, a martial art based around vital energy, the greater the vital energy, the greater the characteristic of the art.


    ¡°Herculeans, what are they?¡± Yan Zaizen once more directly asked a question. He didn¡¯t idle about or linger but went to the point.


    Zhou Xiuhei¡¯s eyes flickered with a nearly imperceptible light. ¡°Herculeans is a Path, much like the Essence, Heavenly, Fiendgod, Infernal Forger, True Spirit, or Bestial Paths. An elusive yet dominant law that constitutes something far grander than the heavens, something that exceeds races and species.¡± When those words were spoken, Yan Zaizen detected something odd in the tone, but it was too fleeting and too indistinguishable that he couldn¡¯t grasp it.


    He felt curious as this subject seems to touch Zhou Xiuhei in ways that weren¡¯t normal. His eyes would flicker and his tone would undergo a subtle shift. Obviously, Yan Zaizen discovered he was establishing a calm front. However, he felt a little warmth. After all, if he was putting on a calm front, then he was also putting on a patient front. With this attitude, he was calmly and patiently willing to answer any questions Yan Zaizen may have.


    ¡°Wait, True Spirit?¡± Suddenly, his thoughts lurched to that single word. It wasn¡¯t just him, but even Pinaka jumped at those words.


    True Spirit Path?!


    ¡°Mhm,¡± nodding, Zhou Xiuhei explained, ¡°the True Spirit, Infernal Forger, and Herculean paths are outlawed by the Rebirth Heaven. If cultivated, the Rebirth Heaven¡¯s will shall enforce and eliminate all those in violation of its rules. That being said, being a wielder of a Mortal Dao, bestowed or true, will enable you to bypass this to some extent. Unfortunately, the Herculean Path is forbidden to even be conceived, dao or not.¡± As he explained, Yan Zaizen felt even more confused. Outlawed by the Rebirth Heaven¡¯s will?


    Aware of Yan Zaizen¡¯s confusion, he continued, ¡°You may have heard, there are thirty-three heavens beneath the Earths and the Skies. Each heaven has a ruler, this ruler is declared as a Heavenly God amongst cultivators. The previous ruler of our heaven, was the Chaos Origin Heavenly God, wielding both creation and destruction, he established an accepting heaven. His regime ended with his death.¡±


    ¡°The Rebirth Era of the 27th Heaven was established from that day forth. The Infernal Forger and Herculean Paths, with a few others, were closed off. For those like myself, cultivating during the Chaos Era, they were unaffected, but to newcomers. They would be sentenced to complete destruction in body and soul by Heavenly Annihilation Light, as decreed by the Extreme Rebirth Heavenly God.¡± With those words said, Zhou Xiuhei gaze towards Yan Zaizen grew noticeably softer.


    In this Era, for the last thirteen thousand years, not a single new herculean had been born. Now, Yan Zaizen stood before him as an Immortal Herculean! What should¡¯ve been impossible was in fact reality!

 Chapter 219 - Ezekiel & The Myriad Paths!

    ¡°27th Heaven? Chaos Era? Rebirth Era? Outlawed by the Extreme Rebirth Heavenly God?!¡± Yan Zaizen muttered and he felt his mind reel from this information. If before his horizons were slightly broadened, now he was truly enlightened. Shockingly, even Pinaka was shocked by this information. However, to her, what was important was that True Spirit was a path, and one that was outlawed by this heaven!


    What did that mean?


    Others may not know, but she clearly knew!


    If the True Spirit Path was included into standard Heavenly Law, integrated into the Heavenly Domain, then she could transition herself into a conventional soul! She could cultivate, she could develop a physical body, and enter the samsara cycle! She could truly and thoroughly exist, not as an artificial existence, but as a heavenly existence!


    If that¡¯s the case, then...Yan Zaizen¡¯s situation makes sense!


    Earlier, her knowledge wasn¡¯t nearly profound to come up with a conclusion regarding Yan Zaizen¡¯s unique circumstance. After all, he was a Spirit Form that became a conventional soul! Spirit Forms were like the Essence Path to the Heavenly Path, a precursor in preparation of. They weren¡¯t subjected by the same limitations, but Spirit Forms could not be modified into true souls, this was a heavenly rule! If a Spirit Form were to gain intelligence, the heavens would descend and eliminate it!


    Fortunately, it wasn¡¯t to the same degree as the Herculean and Infernal Forger Paths. They suffered tribulation, if they succeed, then they can exist without the support of heavenly law. But for those truly outlawed, they were subjected to Heaven Annihilation Light! Before it, none can survive.


    If Yan Zaizen¡¯s creator exceeded heavenly law, then it was entirely possible for him to subject Yan Zaizen¡¯s soul by unique standards. An artificial soul may be artificial, but perhaps, at the very beginning, Yan Zaizen was a conventional soul with an artificial appearance. Thinking to here, she became excited.


    As for Yan Zaizen, his brows were furrowed. His thoughts weren¡¯t focused on his situation, but on a more pressing one. If the Herculean Path was subjected to Heaven Annihilation Light, then...shouldn¡¯t he be dead?


    ¡°Unless¡­¡± His eyes lit up as he recalled the swirling black hole. Could it be...this unfathomable black hole devoured and consumed the punishment? If so! ¡°Hehe.¡± He snickered with a little pride.


    Zhou Xiuhei didn¡¯t understand why Yan Zaizen was snickering so suddenly, but he found it somewhat funny. He too had the question of how Yan Zaizen survived. Fortunately, many of the reasons why Yan Zaizen could¡¯ve survived would¡¯ve meant he wasn¡¯t capable of knowing how or even remembering. Therefore, he didn¡¯t ask or care.


    The present was all that held true value.


    ¡°Continue with your questions,¡± Zhou Xiuhei patiently said.


    Snapping out of his stupor, Yan Zaizen immediately barraged Zhou Xiuhei with many questions, mostly about the origins of Herculeans and deviation in methods.


    The origin of Herculeans actually originated from an existence that reached the Heavenly Ascension Realm, establishing and enforcing his personal law unto all known heavens. In this way, all races with the proper methods could cultivate it according to universal law. This could not be stopped; it could only be impeded or dealt with harshly with punishment.


    The deviation of methods for the first three levels, the Nascent Herculean Physique, Grand Herculean Physique, and Celestial Herculean Physique. After which, the last two levels for him were the Rebirth Herculean Physique and Eternal Immortal Herculean. For Zhou Xiuhei, his last two was the Hardened Sky Herculean Physique and Unbreakable Sky Herculean.


    The naming sense aligned with their roads. However, he discovered an almost ridiculous fact! Zhou Xiuhei, a Royal Fiendgod, a seventh-floor Heavenly Genesis expert dubbed as a Heavenly Commander, and aged in the hundreds of thousands of years in age was only at the third gate of the Celestial Gates - Gate of Sky Flesh!


    Yan Zaizen initial reaction was extremely intense that Zhou Xiuhei didn¡¯t know whether to laugh or cry. Was opening a Celestial Gate, a core restriction among ALL heavenly law that was enforced onto all race and species of creation, so laughably easy?


    However, when he learned that Yan Zaizen had already opened his first gate, Zhou Xiuhei, with his hundreds of thousands of years of experience felt his mind reel in shock. His expression visibly changed by such a notable degree that even a mortal could capture it. After, his expression was solemn.


    The conversation after was filled with Zhou Xiuhei¡¯s expression becoming more and more solemn, disbelief surging into his face, then helplessness, then simply numbness. The conversation proceeded for several hours.


    ¡°I think...that¡¯s it.¡± Yan Zaizen awkwardly rubbed his nose. If there was ever a thing as too many questions, this could be called an example. He had probably asked ten thousand questions, that wasn¡¯t even counting the follow-up ones. However, Zhou Xiuhei didn¡¯t seem impatient maintaining his calm as he answered each as thoroughly and completely as possible. If anything, appreciation would surge into his eyes from time to time in Yan Zaizen¡¯s thorough grasp in asking important and core questions that many would¡¯ve subconsciously avoided.


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    ¡°Now, I have a question, young one.¡± Zhou Xiuhei¡¯s words perked Yan Zaizen¡¯s ears.


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± he had no qualms with Zhou Xiuhei, and even felt a warm inclination towards this middle-aged great grandpa. Whenever Yan Zaizen referred to Zhou Xiuhei in his mind, he would just replace his name with Grandpa Xiu.


    ¡°What is your relation with Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora?¡± A flash of light suffused within his violet pupils, but the intent was malicious, but more so concerned.


    ¡°Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora?¡± Baffled, Yan Zaizen tried to connect the name in his memory. Besides a faint trace of familiarity that seemed both real and unreal at the same time, there was no one he knew by that name. ¡°Who¡¯s that?¡±


    ¡°...¡± Zhou Xiuhei sharp gaze caught all of Yan Zaizen¡¯s reactions, but he couldn¡¯t help but feel skeptical. He looked towards the ethereal sub-dimensional ring on Yan Zaizen¡¯s finger. This ring was something he was wholly familiar with. After all, he and Ezekiel, as well as the other top-tier experts on the realm, held a connection that couldn¡¯t be denied.


    The truth of the matter?


    ¡°Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora. This name, you will most definitely hear of it one day, but it¡¯s also a person I think highly of. I bestowed the Immortal Herculean Method to him.¡± Zhou Xiuhei was calm as he stated.


    ¡°!!!¡± Yan Zaizen nearly exclaimed aloud in shock. Was this the person who was absorbed by the swirling black hole? The owner of the sub-dimensional ethereal ring?! The owner of the Meteor Ring?


    ¡°Who is he?¡± The sheer amount of curiosity caused this question to explode with anticipation. To him, Ezekiel was both his attempted murderer and greatest benefactor. It was due to him, due to their fate, that Yan Zaizen could stably walk his current path.


    ¡°...¡± Zhou Xiuhei softly sighed. Yan Zaizen¡¯s genuine reaction of ignorance then surprise likely meant that something happened to Ezekiel. It¡¯s possible that Ezekiel had bestowed Yan Zaizen his sub-dimensional ethereal ring before death, leaving him his legacy and other materials. It explained why he had the Regalia of life and death in his possession.


    ¡°Ezekiel Zatanna Saintora is¡­¡± a flash of remorseful light flickered in his gaze, ¡°...was the direct descendant of the Chaos Origin Heavenly God. An extraordinary, heaven-defying talent that could¡¯ve rivaled or even exceeded his family¡¯s legacy. After the death of the Chaos Origin Heavenly God, Ezekiel had departed with his entire race, which was outlawed beneath the 27th Heaven of the Rebirth Era as decreed by the Extreme Rebirth Heavenly God.¡±


    ¡°A hundred or so years ago, he suffered an unfortunate, unforeseen incident; his fate unknown. Before then, he had come to steal an object from the Black Sirius Heavenly Commander - Syi, directly stealing from the White Sirius Heavenly God¡¯s Palace, and enraging his entire lineage. This object was an offering from the current Extreme Rebirth Heavenly God, a unique Regalia of Life and Death.¡± His eyes gazed deeply into Yan Zaizen¡¯s as he explained.


    ¡°...¡± He understood. Ezekiel had stolen the Regalia of Life and Death from this realm. As the possessor of a Herculean Physique with both of these laws refined into his body, he must¡¯ve had a direct connection with Ezekiel. After all, Yan Zaizen didn¡¯t have enough strength or backing to obtain a Regalia, let alone one from the current Heavenly God of the 27th Heaven!


    There was also something bothering him if that was the case.


    As if knowing his thoughts, Zhou Xiuhei said coolly, ¡°As a Guest Elder of my Xiuhei Earthly Moon, no one in this realm shall dare touch you without my explicit permission.¡±


    Feeling somewhat comforted by this, he still became lost in his thoughts. A question popped into his head. This question kept itching at his brain. ¡°...How strong was Ezekiel?¡±


    ¡°...Ezekiel was a top-notch talent. The last I saw him, his Heavenly cultivation base reached the sixth-floor. However, if you defined him by just this, you¡¯ll be sorely mistaken. Mastering two World Laws to the Sovereign-level, Creation and Destruction, including the Mortal Law of the Sword. He was also a quad-cultivator, cultivating in Heavenly, Fiendgod, Source Soul, and Origin Path.¡± As he explained, his tone was filled with an inherent tone of respect.


    ¡°Soul Source Path? Origin Path?¡± Yan Zaizen was startled for a second, but he recalled the first. The Soul Source Path must be the conventional soul path that relies on introspection and development of one¡¯s soul. As for the Origin Path, he wasn¡¯t sure.


    ¡°Beneath the myriad heavens, paths are numerous and mysterious. The Origin Path is something even I can¡¯t properly explain, but it dealt with cultivating one¡¯s Origin Source and True Origin. Even to this day, I have yet to touch upon my True Origin. Even my Origin Source was only a tiny trace of it enhanced countless times by my own effort, but as for my complete Origin Source, I have yet to truly grasp it.¡± He deeply sighed, understanding that the Dao had a close connection to one¡¯s origin.


    ¡°This world truly is vast and awe-inspiring,¡± Yan Zaizen marveled.

 Urgent Update: A Shift

    Announcement:


    Three Day Break - Return on August 2nd.


    New Schedule for Next Week and Moving Forward:


    - Next Week: Seven Chapters Regular Weekly. Undefined Bonus Chapters[May or May Not Exceed Previous Weekly Goal].


    - A shift in platform focus. It''s heartbreaking to say and I love RRL(It was my first platform), but I''m a contracted author under Webnovel.com and thus have new obligations. As such, I''ll be shifting my daily updates from RoyalRoadl to Webnovel. This doesn''t mean it''s impossible to update, but the updates will not be as frequent, as by contract, I''ll be unable to post specific chapters on other platforms until a certain date. This means a hugely delayed posting schedule. I much rather you guys not deal with such sporadic schedule, and I''ll focus solely on a single platform.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    I know many of you have misgivings about Webnovel and their practices, I understand fully if you don''t wish to support them. But I would love it if you can continue trekking this journey with me, regardless of where I am.


    - Today will have a four chapter release, followed by a short break, and then we''ll be making the definitive shift. This has been in the works for a month or so and it was only been a matter of time, and I apologize for not giving you all enough time to process this further, but you''ll still have those three days to decide. If you wish to continue following the story, you can find the link here:


    https://www.webnovel.com/book/10490308205045905/Consuming-Earths%2C-Devouring-Skies


    - The four updates for today will be on Webnovel.com, so come in the comments there and raid the shit out of it in hello! Let the RRL army be known!