More than a year had passed since they last met, and Yue Chan’s primary incarnation had become even more exquisitely beautiful—untouched by worldly dust, with bright eyes and pearly teeth. Draped in flowing white robes, she seemed like a celestial fairy stepping out from an ancient painting.
Unintentionally, a faint yet immense pressure spread from her being. Her spiritual soul force was astonishing, enough to make the ruler of Huai City tremble inwardly.
Shi Hao half-closed his eyes, deliberately not looking, yet his heart was far from calm. Yue Chan’s main body had grown even more powerful, her soul shining with a timeless radiance, exuding an immortal aura.
He had long known that Yue Chan was no ordinary being. At her birth, extraordinary omens had appeared, creating quite a stir in the Upper Realms. Later, however, it seemed as though she had been mysteriously sealed.
Back then, when he had confronted Yue Chan’s secondary body alongside the Demoness, he had already sensed something amiss. Deep within her consciousness, a woman of peerless beauty had been sleeping, emanating an immortal aura.
“If this is the case,” Shi Hao mused in his heart, “then she is beginning to partially break her seal, unleashing her soul force. Her origin must be extraordinary indeed.”
The young master from the Immortal Palace remained unfathomably mysterious, his entire form surrounded by glyphs, making it impossible to see his true face. Nevertheless, his presence commanded immense respect, to the point that none dared to meet his gaze directly.
The two soared through the skies like a pair of perfectly matched immortals.
“That is indeed the fairy from the Heavensward Sect—truly the most beautiful under the heavens, so breathtaking as to seem otherworldly.”
“Only the young master of the Immortal Palace could walk beside such a peerless immortal fairy.”
“A pair of celestial lovers, as though divine beings united in the mortal world.”
…
Their aerial passage stirred awe among disciples from various sects. Expressions ranged from fear and admiration to jealousy—complex and varied.
“They must be here for something great,” Shi Hao murmured. “So many sects have gathered, all drawn by the silver-haired woman. What exactly has happened? If there’s truly a great opportunity arising, I might be inevitably drawn into it sooner or later.”
Meanwhile, within the martial arts training grounds, most were unaware of the changes happening in Huai City. Especially among the youths, whose spiritual senses weren’t yet strong enough to perceive such things, the selection trials continued.
“Watch me!” Zhu Jun, a youth from Zhu Village, stepped forward, inhaled deeply, and with a loud cry, roared as he lifted a massive bronze cauldron weighing ten thousand jin.
“Bravo!” His peers cheered loudly at this feat.
“What of it?” Someone else scoffed, eyes filled with contempt. From a nearby village, a muscular youth stepped forth, grasped the cauldron in one hand, and lifted it with a single motion.
“Such divine strength!” The crowd exclaimed in astonishment. Coming from ordinary tribes, for a teenager to lift a cauldron of ten thousand jin with sheer physical might, without the aid of glyphs, was truly impressive.
Speculations arose that the young man from Mang Village could easily lift cauldrons three times heavier—thirty thousand jin—if he used both hands. It was an astonishing display.
“Excellent,” nodded the ruler of Huai City with a smile, clearly pleased.
“You little spiders are too weak,” the youth from Mang Village laughed, turning to look at those from Zhu Village, his companions bursting into mocking laughter.
“I’ll go!” The strongest youth from Zhu Village stepped forward, roared, and lifted the ancient cauldron just as easily, earning admiration in return.
Shi Hao remained serene. When he was merely seven years old, he had already lifted a stone weighing a hundred thousand jin with one hand. He had surpassed the limits of human strength.
He later discovered that this county trial was merely preliminary—an elimination round designed to weed out enthusiastic but weak youths from various villages.
Those confident in their abilities could bypass this altogether and directly head for the Prefecture City, where the competition could be life-threatening.
Therefore, he chose not to participate. If there truly was a major opportunity and confrontation was inevitable, he would head straight to the Prefecture City.
“Swoosh!”
A massive bolt of lightning tore across the sky, shaking half the heavens. Yet, it was no lightning at all—it was the fist energy of a human!
“Ahh…”
Several cries rang out. Five or six figures were blown apart, their lower halves shattered into pieces. Only their upper bodies fled in terror, their expressions filled with horror—each of them was a Zun warrior, yet they were defeated so decisively.
A man with golden hair strode forth, walking on air, his entire being radiating countless arcs of electricity. He had been the one who struck those Zun warriors down.
“Flash Electron!” someone gasped, recognizing his identity.
It was said that he was born during a violent thunderstorm. The moment he was born, his crown shone brightly, and he was struck by lightning!
Legend had it that the entire sky exploded with thunder and lightning, which all converged upon his crown, absorbed into his skull and crystallized into a glyph etched into his forehead.
A divine miracle!
His family and parents, stunned and awestruck, named him Flash Electron, hinting that he was a child of Heaven itself. Born under thunder and lightning, he was not harmed but rather tempered by it.
Since then, he had been in harmony with lightning itself. A single punch from him could unleash incomparable lightning force. He had never lost a battle.
“Do you dare to scheme against me?” Flash Electron’s golden hair flared like flames, his entire body radiating an infinite golden lightning aura, blinding in its brilliance.
“We did not know it was you, O Divine Prodigy. Please forgive us!” one cried out.
“Boom!”
Flash Electron flicked a finger. A single arc of lightning shot forth, and all of them exploded into clouds of blood and then into ash.
The people of Huai City watched in horror. This man was simply too powerful. Zun warriors were no match for him—of equal cultivation level, yet he killed them as easily as picking fruit.
“Truly worthy of being Flash Electron.” someone muttered.
“I must know,” Flash Electron looked down upon Huai City, scanning the gathered experts from various sects. “Is the rumor true?”
The targeted experts all trembled in fear. Flash Electron, blessed by Heaven, had survived a lightning strike at birth and gained a divine glyph atop his skull. He was one of the top prodigies of this generation!
An elder Zun warrior spoke up, saying, “Rumors claim that the silver-haired woman obtained a great treasure, which is why she is being pursued by the young master of the Immortal Palace.”
“Get to the point!” Flash Electron’s voice darkened.
The elder hurriedly added, “Some say she obtained the ‘Copper Coffin of Three Lives.’ Others claim she uncovered the Throne of the Sovereign. No one knows for certain.”
Others nodded quickly in agreement.
“Zzziiiiing!” Flash Electron vanished, riding lightning itself, leaving behind only a lingering afterimage.
Shi Hao finally understood why the silver-haired woman was being pursued by the Immortal Palace. It seemed she had discovered something incredible. No wonder other top disciples and sects had gathered here.
He didn’t know the true nature of the “Copper Coffin of Three Lives,” but anything described as a divine treasure in the Upper Realms must be formidable. As for the Throne of the Sovereign, he had some knowledge of it, knowing that it had returned to the Upper Realms.
Although the selection trials in Huai City were somewhat lively, due to the unexpected arrival of powerful individuals, the competition seemed pale in comparison.
The ruler of Huai City turned pale, realizing just how small and insignificant he truly was before these experts from the great sects—some of their old retainers were Zun warriors, strong enough to sweep through this entire city.
“Children, it’s time we leave,” said Third Uncle, sensing the unusual atmosphere. As soon as the trials ended, he prepared to depart.
The youths of Zhu Village were disappointed. Their entire group had failed—only the top ten from the county would be selected. Zhu Village had no one among them.
“Haha! You little spiders should just return to your village and hide. Otherwise, you’ll meet real danger!” the youths from Mang Village jeered. One of their own had made it into the top ten, and their taunts were merciless.
On the road back, the dark-shelled snail moved swiftly. But over the hundreds of miles, the journey was somewhat perilous. Radiant lights occasionally flashed in the sky—obviously, experts were locked in fierce battles.
“Zzziiing!”
Far ahead, a brilliant light shimmered. A man sat cross-legged in midair, his whole body enveloped in glowing glyphs, encircled by a blazing sun, appearing both sacred and holy.
“He’s also come!” Shi Hao recognized him as Teng Yi from the Fire-Metal Clan, a formidable opponent he had once fought. On that occasion, had it not been for Teng Yi’s physical restrictions, the outcome would have been uncertain.
Now, he was locked in combat against a swarm of golden ants. Each ant was as large as a bull, a pure-blooded warrior, and the battle was intense.
These golden ants possessed bodies of unmatched toughness, impervious to even divine weapons. Anyone else meeting just one would likely perish, but Teng Yi fought them all alone.
“Heaven! One man against the entire Golden Ant Clan! Truly terrifying! This is the reason Teng Yi of the Fire-Metal Clan is called invincible!”
From afar, onlookers gasped in awe.
The people from Zhu Village passed by, all visibly frightened. The giant snail quickened its pace, fleeing the scene.
Shi Hao’s eyes glimmered with longing. He longed to challenge someone like this, but for now, he could not reveal himself fully. His laws were still incomplete, and it was unwise to act recklessly.
“Better to seize the opportunity secretly,” Shi Hao muttered, not lingering further as he followed Zhu Village’s group home.
Once back, Shi Hao kept to himself, patiently waiting for his body to fully recover. He would only resume his usual activities once he could freely use his divine techniques.
In the days that followed, the region grew increasingly turbulent. Fierce battles erupted constantly, with warriors from various sects flooding in, as if the entire area were about to be overturned.
Throughout those days, nearby tribes grew anxious and dared not venture into the mountains to hunt—powerful experts roamed the wilds, frequently engaging in clashes.
It was rumored that the silver-haired woman had not escaped but was hiding somewhere within this region. Across thousands of miles, cultivators of might scoured the land searching for her.
“Finally ready!” Five days later, Shi Hao’s body radiated resplendent light. His bones cracked like thunder. No longer needing to restrain himself, his glyphs had been fully restored. Now, he could fully wield his divine techniques.
He felt more powerful than ever before. Every motion resonated with the heavens, his might seemingly capable of shattering stars!
Learning of Zhu Village’s plight, Shi Hao ventured out, hunting back great beasts—Dragon-Tusk Elephants, Twin-Headed Fire Rhinos, Six-Legged Camels. All were colossal creatures.
“Thank you, young friend!” Elder Third expressed his gratitude. Without these beasts, the villagers would have survived only on grains, which would not provide the blood energy needed for the youths undergoing training and cultivation.
“My body has fully recovered—perhaps even stronger than before,” Shi Hao said decisively. “It’s time I ventured out myself and explored the mountains, searching for the legendary great fortune.”
“Strange?!”
The moment he entered the deep mountains, he encountered a tense standoff, with many standing at a distance, watching in silence.
The young master of the Immortal Palace stood tall, holding a Void War Halberd, his long hair flowing, exuding divine might. His entire being shimmered with countless glyphs, like a god king descending to the mortal world, exuding peerless authority.
Beside him stood the fairy Yue Chan, dressed in white robes, standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Together, they faced the two figures ahead.
“Who dares challenge such a pair?” Shi Hao said in astonishment. As he approached, he wore an odd expression. Fate had led him to a familiar enemy.
On the other side of the mountain stood the Demoness, smiling gently, her fair skin radiant, her large eyes lively. Clad in black silk, her beauty was in sharp contrast to Yue Chan’s white robes.
“This… This is actually her true body!” Shi Hao was shocked. This black-clothed woman before him was different from before—her face now combined the beauty of both the Fox Immortal and the Demoness.
“This fellow…” Shi Hao finally realized: what he had previously seen was merely a spiritual form of the Demoness!
Beside the Demoness’s true form sat a youth enveloped in a golden flame. The fire was composed entirely of arcane glyphs, exuding both mystery and sanctity. Within the flame’s glow, he appeared somewhat indistinct, yet his presence was unbearably imposing. Perched upon his shoulder was a divine lamp, exuding an enigmatic power that rippled through the void. That he dared to confront the young master of the Immortal Palace spoke volumes about his terrifying might.
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