Chapter 49: It’s Him

With a roar that pierced the heavens, it resounded throughout the entire residence, but not a single sound escaped beyond its walls. With just this, Xue Ding had already demonstrated an extraordinary skill.

From the back of the residence, a voice as cold and hard as iron spoke, “Come in. No need to shout so loudly; it’s not like you’re dying.”

Overjoyed, Xue Ding dashed through the halls and rooms like a whirlwind, rushing into the back of the residence. It was evident he was very familiar with the place.

Passing through the courtyard, he entered the rear part of the residence, where a sizable training ground greeted his eyes, equipped with all kinds of weapons. In the center stood a man with a bare, dark, muscular torso, wiping a battle axe. His muscles were as solid as iron, each one packed with explosive power.

Xue Ding rushed to the man, standing respectfully before him, and called out, “Big brother!”

The man finally raised his head, glancing at Xue Ding, and said coldly, “You are the foster son of the Wolf King. I cannot bear to be called ‘big brother.’ Just say what you came for. I’m about to start my cultivation.”

“It’s like this. I encountered someone who actually provoked me, so we had a fight. But I wasn’t his match, and I lost one of my men’s legs before escaping.”

The man sneered, “He provoked you? I think you’re just looking for trouble! I’ve warned you many times that the neutral territories are filled with powerful figures. Do you think being the Wolf King’s foster son gives you free rein?”

Xue Ding’s face reddened slightly. “I had no choice. If I hadn’t recognized him as my foster father, the Wolf King might not have spared our family.”

The man’s face darkened, and he said coldly, “Not spared? Even if the Wolf King is powerful, he wouldn’t dare wipe out all the families in the Eastern Sea. If he did, he would be the first to die!”

Xue Ding smiled apologetically, “The Wolf King is a madman. Why fight him? I just wanted to do something for the family. Besides, I’m not much use. Isn’t there you, big brother?”

“Don’t make excuses. If you’ve recognized the Wolf King as your foster father, you’re no longer a Xue.”

“Even if I’m not a Xue, you’re still my big brother!”

The man snorted, his expression softening a bit, and said, “The Wolf King has many sons, grandsons, and even over a dozen foster sons. Those are your brothers. Why don’t you ask them for help?”

Xue Ding forced a smile, “Those people aren’t really my brothers. They’d be happy to see me dead, and I feel the same way. If they knew about this, they’d definitely report it to the Wolf King. He would think I’m incompetent and kick me out. Then all my efforts would be for nothing, right?”

The man placed the battle axe back on the rack and said, “If you lack skill, it’s your own fault. If you can’t win, train harder and come back. Even if you didn’t learn anything useful from the Wolf King, the Xue family has passed down nine secret techniques, and at least three were taught to you. Still can’t win? Is his original force much stronger than yours?”

Xue Ding looked embarrassed and said quietly, “He… only has two original force vortexes.”

“Level eleven? You can’t even beat level eleven?” The man was greatly surprised.

“Well, it seems… yes.”

The man stopped, contemplating, “Interesting. But you want me to fight a level eleven guy?”

Xue Ding quickly explained, “It’s not to fight, but to teach him a lesson! That brat is too arrogant, and I want you to help me take revenge. My man lost a leg to him. If I don’t teach him a lesson, how can I maintain my authority?”

The man pondered for a moment and said, “Alright. I’m somewhat interested in meeting him.”

Xue Ding was elated and said, “Big brother, you’ll definitely catch him with ease!”

A thousand miles away, at the edge of the land, stood an ancient castle. Built on a cliff, facing the endless void, it exuded an indescribable sense of desolation and antiquity.

The castle was constructed entirely of massive stones, with thick walls and narrow, long windows. The exterior was covered in marks of wind and frost.

Although the Eastern Sea was one of the largest pieces of land in the neutral territories, it was far smaller than any of the twenty-seven continents. It wasn’t even as stable as the floating lands, which were protected by steady layers.

Not far from the castle, rolling clouds and lightning could be seen frequently. Sometimes, a bolt of lightning stretching thousands of meters would strike the cliff, sending large chunks of rock into the void.

Perhaps due to constant lightning strikes and fierce winds, the rocks on the cliff had turned deep black, embedded with crystals. These crystals, formed by the erosion of void original force, could fetch astronomical prices outside. However, mining these crystals on the cliff was extremely dangerous, even for warlords or viscounts, who couldn’t withstand a lightning strike.

The castle, built on the cliff, occasionally suffered from lightning and wind, leaving it weather-beaten.

On the upper floor of the castle, a young man with shoulder-length hair stood by a floor-to-ceiling window, admiring the storm outside. After a while, he sighed contentedly, murmuring, “Only destruction is the end of the world. Such a profound statement!”

He turned, sitting in a chair, and the lightning outside highlighted the contours of his face. He took a sip of wine and said, “What significant events have occurred recently? Tell me!”

Several people, already waiting in the room, stepped forward, reporting major events in the Eastern Sea and the neutral territories. Each person was responsible for a different area.

The young man listened half-heartedly, clearly uninterested, especially in matters outside the Eastern Sea. When it was an old man’s turn, he reported on events concerning the Wolf King.

As the old man spoke, the young man suddenly showed interest, interrupting, “Wait, you mean Xue Ding went out and didn’t return to the Wolf King’s city, but instead went to the Xue family?”

“Yes, he went to find Xue Wu,” the old man replied.

Another person snorted, “Is the Xue family causing trouble again?”

The young man raised a hand to stop him, saying, “It likely has nothing to do with the Xue family. My adopted brother must have been humiliated and wants to seek his brother’s help to regain face.”

“Why doesn’t he come to you? Xue Wu is no match for you.”

The young man smiled wickedly, “That’s not necessarily true. The Xue family’s secret techniques are quite formidable. I might not be able to defeat Xue Wu now. But the human body is a fatal weakness. Give me a few years to fully mature, and Xue Wu? He won’t even be qualified to fight me!”

Someone praised, “The Wolf King’s lineage grows stronger with time. Your growth period is thirty years, a talent that rivals the Wolf King’s.”

The young man waved his hand, “I’ve told you many times, don’t call me Prince. According to the tradition of Qian Ye, even my father can’t be called Prince, let alone me.”

But the others insisted, “Your future achievements will rival the Wolf King’s, and calling you Prince is fitting.”

The young man put his hand to his forehead, sighing, “Fine, do as you please. Sigh!”

After the reports, he stood up, stretching, and said, “I’ve been cooped up for too long. I should go out and move around. Find out where Xue Ding is going, and I’ll follow.”

The old man said, “I’ll arrange for a guard…”

“What guard!” The young man waved impatiently, “In the Eastern Sea, even if there are those I can’t defeat, can’t I run away? Besides, who would dare attack me knowing my identity?”

“But…”

The old man tried to persuade, but the young man cut him off, saying coldly, “I am the son of the Wolf King and have the qualifications for a title in Qian Ye. If I can’t even walk freely in my father’s territory, wouldn’t that shame him? Am I not even as good as my adopted brothers?”

Seeing his anger, the others retreated.

Qian Ye’s life remained simple. After stabilizing his realm, he resumed his cultivation. This time, instead of the shore, he stepped into the Eastern Sea, finding a barely submerged rock to sit on and began cultivating the Great Mystic Soldier Technique.

As soon as he started, Qian Ye felt a significant difference. The formation of the original force vortex attracted a vast amount of void original force, creating a small original force storm around him. The surrounding original force was quickly absorbed, but more surged from the sea, filling the void.

Without much effort, the absorption speed exceeded that on the shore. The original force vortex was still far from the level to crack the void.

Qian Ye was puzzled. The sea was an excellent place for cultivation, and surely someone must have discovered this. Why weren’t more people practicing in the sea?

Unknown to Qian Ye, void original force was extremely violent. Once absorbed, not even the dark races could withstand it. Qian Ye’s body, having undergone a complete transformation by the Golden Blood, had reached the level of a count according to ancient bloodline standards, making the absorption of void original force effortless. A normal bloodline count would have exploded from such a surge of void original force.

Cultivating in the sea made expanding the original force vortex challenging. Pushing the vortex felt like moving the sea itself, requiring immense strength. However, this also gave Qian Ye new insights into controlling domain power.

During his first sea practice, in less than an hour, the void original force filled to the brim. Qian Ye stopped the technique, opening his eyes, and was startled.

Within dozens of meters, the sea had been pushed away, revealing the seabed. Beyond, the sea had gathered, forming a towering wall, slowly rotating around him. As he stopped the technique, the repulsive force vanished, and the wall of water crashed down, submerging him in a roar.

Moments later, drenched, Qian Ye climbed ashore. Caught off guard, he was pulled deep into the sea, eventually using Dong Yue to walk to the shore.

Wiping seawater from his face and removing a starfish, before he could open his eyes, he heard, “It’s him!”