Mo Xian was tall and slender, with silky hair and an oval face adorned with delicate arched brows and large, sparkling eyes. One would never guess she was a woman who could rival the Imperial Clan.
Her beauty was ethereal, almost otherworldly, carrying an air of serenity that seemed untouched by worldly strife.
“How is my younger brother?” Mo Xian asked, stepping forward.
As she moved, wisps of immortal mist swirled around her, lending her an ephemeral grace, as if she were a banished fairy descending from the depths of the misty mountains. Her presence alone calmed the restless hearts of those around her.
Even the creatures from the foreign realm felt their agitation fade, no longer dwelling on their recent crushing defeat. Their gazes fixed on her, captivated by her stunning presence.
“He is well. After learning the truth, he repented,” Shi Hao replied.
Many were left bewildered by their exchange. To them, she was a member of the Imperial Clan—a woman making her first appearance in the world. How could she and Shi Hao seem like old acquaintances?
The colosseum was packed with hundreds of thousands of cultivators, all from prestigious backgrounds—royal clans and powerful families spanning millions of miles around Blackwater City. Yet, few knew Mo Xian’s true identity.
“The so-called truth is only superficial. There are deeper layers yet to be uncovered,” Mo Xian sighed softly, her flawless face like a masterpiece crafted by the heavens.
A gentle breeze stirred her long, silken hair. She lifted a slender arm, tucking a stray lock behind her ear with effortless grace.
Mo Xian was breathtakingly beautiful, yet Shi Hao had never met her before. He recognized her only because he was familiar with her younger brother.
Shi Hao had once subdued a servant named Mo Dao, an event that caused a stir in the Celestial Academy. Mo Dao was a being from the foreign realm, captured by Shi Hao during the Immortal Ancient Battlefield and brought back to the academy.
Mo Dao was resolute and true to his word. After his defeat, he swore loyalty to Shi Hao and followed him faithfully.
A strikingly handsome youth with three immortal auras, Mo Dao was a rare talent—Mo Xian’s younger brother. Their resemblance was unmistakable, which was why Shi Hao recognized her immediately.
Having fought against beings from the foreign realm many times, Shi Hao had long heard of Mo Xian. Many had praised her as a peerless genius, far surpassing even Mo Dao.
When she first revealed her brilliance, the Imperial Clan had selected her, taking her away—an unimaginable honor. The Imperial Clan was notoriously proud; how could they tolerate a human training alongside them?
Yet, Mo Xian had earned that privilege, a testament to her extraordinary talent.
“I worry for my brother. The future will be chaotic beyond anyone’s imagination. In the coming dark times, I don’t know if I’ll ever see him again,” Mo Xian said calmly.
Shi Hao was taken aback by her words.
“Young master of the Imperial Clan, please suppress Shi Hao and uphold the might of our realm!” someone shouted from the distance, unable to contain their excitement.
The Imperial Clan was revered as the strongest race. With four of their members present, surely they could subdue Shi Hao?
After enduring repeated humiliations at Shi Hao’s hands, the crowd was eager for vindication.
A warrior race like theirs had never suffered such disgrace before.
If not for the terrifying nature of the Imperial Clan’s ancestral lands—forbidden to ordinary cultivators—many would have already flocked there to beg for their intervention.
Yet, Mo Xian stepped back, refusing to fight.
“Hmm? Mo Xian, aren’t you going to test him?” asked Wu Kun, a true member of the Imperial Clan standing beside her.
Wu Kun was towering, standing over ten feet tall, his form shrouded in chaotic mist like a dormant beast. His purple hair occasionally escaped the haze, and his muscular frame resembled steel cables coiled beneath his skin.
With every movement, space trembled and distorted under his overwhelming presence.
The spectators gasped. This was the power of the Imperial Clan—merely moving could collapse the void.
“Ah, my apologies. I’ve been practicing a new body technique and haven’t fully mastered controlling its power yet,” Wu Kun explained.
The crowd exchanged glances. The body techniques of the Imperial Clan were legendary, something they could only envy but never resent—the gap was simply too vast.
Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Imperial Clan’s chosen few would likely ascend to immortality, becoming the realm’s ultimate protectors, revered by all.
“My brother once followed Shi Hao on the other side of the Imperial Pass. He suffered no hardship there. I have no wish to fight Shi Hao now, lest my brother face repercussions,” Mo Xian said gently.
Wu Kun nodded, his massive frame swaying like an iron tower. “I, too, must restrain myself. My cultivation is incomplete, and though I yearn for battle, I must wait.”
Two of the four Imperial Clan youths had declined to fight—an unexpected turn.
“If neither of you will act, then I shall. Such a fine whetstone is rare indeed!” declared another, his tone dismissive as he strode forward.
This was Yu Yu, one of the four Imperial Clan members. Though humanoid, he was unmistakably not human.
Excitement surged through the colosseum. Finally, an Imperial Clan member would strike!
“Young master of the Imperial Clan, please crush this wretch!” someone cried out.
“It seems Shi Hao has provoked quite the outrage. Very well, I’ll exchange a hundred moves with him,” Yu Yu said, his voice youthful.
As he stepped forward, chaos rippled around him, as if a sovereign were pushing stars and moons through the heavens. His aura was overwhelming.
“Ha! Yu Yu, don’t be careless. If Shi Hao defeats you and leaves you spitting blood, it’ll be quite the spectacle,” teased Qing Kun, the fourth Imperial Clan youth.
Even He Ziming, who stood among them, smiled faintly—proof that he, too, was worthy of standing beside the Imperial Clan.
“If he makes me bleed, so be it!” Yu Yu retorted.
At first, Shi Hao found him arrogant, calling him a mere whetstone. But his bluntness suggested a straightforward, unruly nature.
Yu Yu was strong enough to speak his mind without pretense.
“If you lose to Shi Hao, your clan’s elders will lose their minds. After nurturing you for so long, a defeat in your debut would be humiliating,” Qing Kun laughed from within his chaotic shroud.
“Save your taunts, Qing Kun. Watch as I suppress him. What’s so special about Shi Hao, this so-called unrivaled genius? My family has a few old servants who once bore similar titles—ancestors of the so-called ancient people from beyond the Imperial Pass. They now serve as slaves in our ancestral lands. And Shi Hao, trained in that decaying world, what threat could he possibly pose?” Yu Yu sneered.
Shi Hao now knew the names of the four Imperial Clan members—Mo Xian, Wu Kun, Yu Yu, and Qing Kun—though Mo Xian was technically an outsider, merely treated as their equal.
His anger flared. Initially, he had thought Yu Yu merely brash, but now his disdain grew.
To insult the ancient ancestors of the Nine Heavens so brazenly—Shi Hao’s gaze turned icy. He knew of the tragic fates of some captured experts from the Immortal Ancient Era.
“Shi Hao, come here. Let’s see if you’re worthy of being my whetstone,” Yu Yu said dismissively.
“I fear your blade is too brittle—it might snap,” Shi Hao shot back.
“Feisty, aren’t you? Come, then. Let’s see if you’re a whetstone or a nail that’ll draw my blood,” Yu Yu challenged.
He struck instantly, tearing through the mist with blinding speed. The air split as thunderous light erupted from his body—not from any technique, but the sheer force of his movement, invoking the laws of the world.
Even peak-level cultivators in the crowd narrowed their eyes.
This was the terror of the Imperial Clan.
Yu Yu’s charge alone, wreathed in natural phenomena, was enough to obliterate most experts!
**Boom!**
Shi Hao met him head-on with a single, devastating punch!
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