Chapter 155: Incomprehensible

“Eastern Snow Hawk? The Mountain Ascent Task?” Sikong Yang, the Demi-God ruler standing at the peak of the world, was momentarily stunned, his thoughts in chaos. It took a full breath for him to gradually calm down.

One couldn’t blame him for losing composure; the news was simply too shocking.

An ordinary Transcendent might not understand what the “Mountain Ascent Task” signified, but as the current overseer of the Chiyun Mountain World, he knew all too well what the “Mountain Ascent” special task represented!

The more he understood, the more he realized how utterly incredible it was for Eastern Snow Hawk to have reached this point.

“He… he completed the Mountain Ascent Task?”

“This… how is that even possible?”

Sikong Yang couldn’t help but send a transmission to inquire. The message had come from the artifact spirit of the spatial divine treasure, Xinhuo Palace, and logically, it shouldn’t be wrong. Yet the news was too momentous—he had to confirm it again.

“Director Sikong Yang, the report is accurate! Candidate Elder Eastern Snow Hawk embarked on the Mountain Ascent Task alone today and has already slain a native Transcendent who mastered the seventh-tier True Intent—’Surging Water Intent!'” the artifact spirit of Xinhuo Palace replied.

“Really?”

“He really completed it?”

Sikong Yang’s expression was strange—hard to believe, excitement, complexity, even a faint bitter smile.

“This Eastern Snow Hawk really slapped me in the face,” Sikong Yang chuckled in disbelief. “He pulled off something like this, but… it’s well-deserved! Well done indeed!”

After all, Eastern Snow Hawk was still part of the Shuiyuan Monastery. Although Sikong Yang had been deeply disappointed before, now that Snow Hawk had forged a path even better than originally planned, it was naturally worth praising.

The Mountain Ascent Task was extremely difficult.

Under normal circumstances, one had to grasp a third-tier True Intent’s Prototype (chū xíng, embryonic form), choose the best weapon, possess rich combat experience, and wield powerful secret techniques—only with thorough preparation could one hope for success.

If one had mastered a second-tier True Intent’s Prototype, victory would generally be much easier.

What about Eastern Snow Hawk?

One must know that his weapon was quite ordinary. His spear was merely of the lower Saint grade. His battle boots and other equipment were nothing special either. The only high-grade protective armor he had was of the top Saint grade, but that was meant for defense and survival—it offered virtually no help in offense. As for combat experience, he could only be considered average, after all, he was still very young with few life-or-death battles.

As for secret techniques? Also mediocre. The Transcendents from the Blood Blade Tavern and Earth Temple used divine-grade secret arts!

Thus, in terms of weapons, experience, and secret techniques, he was far from perfect, yet he still completed the Mountain Ascent Task. That was simply beyond belief! Either the third-tier True Intent Prototype he had comprehended was extremely strange and could counter that native Transcendent, or—Eastern Snow Hawk had grasped a second-tier True Intent Prototype!

“Second-tier True Intent Prototype!” The very thought sent a tremor through Sikong Yang’s heart.

Throughout Xia Clan’s history, the most extraordinary ones had only reached the second-tier True Intent. According to records in the Divine Realm, even that was considered a legendary level of True Intent—extremely terrifying and powerful.

Why were they now focusing so much on Dou Rou? Because Dou Rou’s Mystery (ào miào, profound mystery) of time was of the second-tier True Intent level, yet he was currently only at the second stage of the Myriad Things Realm. His chance of eventually mastering the full second-tier True Intent was less than ten percent!

But Prototype was different.

Once one grasped the Prototype of a True Intent, with just a bit more time, refining it into a complete True Intent was effortless. Eastern Snow Hawk was extremely young. At such a young age, he might need no more than a few decades to elevate his Prototype to a full True Intent!

“I hope it’s a second-tier True Intent Prototype, I really hope it is,” Sikong Yang yearned, his eyes filled with longing and anticipation. “For a moment, I almost ruined him.”

Sikong Yang felt a sense of relief.

Thankfully, Eastern Snow Hawk had persisted in his own path. Otherwise, even if he eventually mastered the Water and Fire True Intent and became a Demi-God through it, he would have only reached Sikong Yang’s level. For the entire Xia Clan, that would merely have been adding flowers to brocade, because there were already several Demi-Gods at that level.

But if a Demi-God with second-tier True Intent were to arise, that would be different.

Chi Qiu Bai was already considered a Demi-God who might one day challenge for the title of strongest in the world.

But if Eastern Snow Hawk had second-tier True Intent, he would truly dominate an entire era! At his peak, the World of Warcraft (mó shòu, Monster Beast) race, the Demon God Society (Móshén Huì, Demon God Cult), and the native Transcendents would all cower in fear and dare not utter a sound.

“Hmph.” Sikong Yang stood up, then took a step forward and vanished from his study.

…

Not only Sikong Yang, but at the same time, three other Demi-Gods also received the news. They were Chi Qiu Bai and Gong Yu, both serving as instructors in the Chiyun Mountain World, and the Palace Master of Xinhuo Palace, who ruled the entire palace.

Chiyun Mountain World.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

At the foot of the Mountain Ascent, space twisted, and four figures successively appeared.

“You all arrived,” the old man with black hair smiled.

“Master Chen,” Chi Qiu Bai quickly asked, “do you know what kind of True Intent Prototype Snow Hawk has grasped? Is it third-tier or second-tier?”

“Right, Palace Master, what kind of True Intent Prototype is it?” Gong Yu was also excited and expectant.

Even Sikong Yang was looking at the old man with black hair.

“Don’t be in such a hurry,” the old man with black hair chuckled.

Those who could become Palace Master of Xinhuo Palace were always absolutely loyal to the Xia Clan, dedicating their entire lives to it. He knew this news and was equally overjoyed.

“You old fellow, stop beating around the bush and speak up!” Sikong Yang couldn’t help but urge.

“Hahaha, you, Sikong Yang, actually have such a day too! Weren’t you the one who scolded and cursed Eastern Snow Hawk the most?” the old man teased.

“You, old Chen, didn’t you also not oppose me back then?” Sikong Yang glared. “If you know, speak quickly. If not, don’t waste words.”

The old man sighed with a smile: “Alright, I really don’t know! Although the artifact spirit of Xinhuo Palace witnessed the battle, it couldn’t identify it either. Moreover, Eastern Snow Hawk’s move was too mysterious—it couldn’t even properly demonstrate it.”

“Couldn’t identify it?” Chi Qiu Bai, Sikong Yang, and Gong Yu were all somewhat astonished.

How long had the artifact spirit existed? With such vast experience and knowledge, it couldn’t even recognize it?

“The battle went something like this,” the old man said, waving his hand. In the air before them, an image appeared. A black-clothed Eastern Snow Hawk held a spear, while the opposing four-armed elder was overwhelming, his four arms striking down furiously.

Whoosh!

The spear pierced through space, and Eastern Snow Hawk instantly vanished. Then abruptly, he reappeared right before the four-armed elder, the spear’s tip only a foot from the elder’s eyes.

In an instant, the spear pierced through.

Leaving behind a black line-like trail, while the four-armed elder showed no visible wound on his body. Before dying, he said— “To die under such a True Intent Prototype, I have no complaints… Is this a second-tier or even a first-tier True Intent Prototype?”

“That’s how the scene was,” the old man said. “As for the detailed battle’s underlying laws and mysteries, the artifact spirit couldn’t demonstrate them either. Just from the surface-level combat, I can’t identify what kind of True Intent Prototype this was.”

“I can’t figure it out either,” Chi Qiu Bai shook his head. “It seemed like it pierced through space? But why was there no visible wound on the four-armed elder’s body? It doesn’t seem like a Spatial-type True Intent.”

He was very confident in spatial techniques.

“I can’t figure it out either,” Sikong Yang frowned, shaking his head. “If it were a thin blade like a sword, or an attack like a spatial blade, it would be understandable. He clearly pierced through the four-armed elder with a spear. With such a thick spear, how could there not be even a single mark?”

“The four-armed elder who died to this move thought it was a second-tier or even a first-tier True Intent Prototype?” Gong Yu suddenly spoke up.