A figure strolled down the main street, ethereal and indistinct, carrying a bronze tower in his hands as he approached the gates of the Martial Prince’s Mansion. “Halt!” someone called out, blocking his path.
With a creak, the vermilion gates swung open, revealing a man with jet-black hair and skin as pale and luminous as jade. His eyes shimmered with hidden brilliance, and his presence was extraordinary. “Step aside,” he commanded, motioning for the mansion’s guards to retreat.
During the battle between the Fifteenth Master and the Rain King, Shi Ziteng had withdrawn to the mansion’s gate tower, waiting. Now, he welcomed this mysterious figure inside. The man appeared to be around forty, his eyes dark—not just deep, but like abysses, swirling with terrifying vortices that seemed capable of devouring souls. His hair was an unusual shade of emerald, and though his frame was slender rather than burly, he exuded an eerie emptiness, as if he could vanish into the void itself when silent.
Shi Ziteng bowed and guided him deeper into the mansion. “Who are you?” someone demanded. The onlookers were wary—Shi Ziteng had just confronted the Great Demonic God and now returned with this unsettling stranger.
The man turned, his black-hole eyes forming two swirling vortices. The questioner let out a scream, collapsing stiffly to the ground as wisps of radiant light escaped from his brow. The others recoiled in horror—just a single glance had nearly torn their souls from their bodies.
“Shi Ziteng, what are you scheming?” an elder shouted from a distance.
“Nothing. Just inviting an elder as a guest,” Shi Ziteng replied calmly, leading the man further inside.
The crowd tensed, especially the Fifteenth Master’s old comrades, who summoned their treasures, ready to block the intruder.
“Stay your hands, elders. I come in peace, to mediate,” Shi Ziteng said.
No one believed him. Given his history with the Great Demonic God, they suspected a hidden agenda—and this newcomer was far too terrifying for this to be a simple visit.
A towering figure descended from the sky—the Great Demonic God had returned. He landed, eyeing the emerald-haired man. “Here for me?” he asked before striding to a grand throne and sitting, ignoring the stranger to focus on Shi Ziteng. “Still unwilling to concede, Ziteng?”
“Fifteenth Uncle, you’re too domineering. I’ve invited an elder to judge this fairly,” Shi Ziteng replied with a faint smile.
“That arrow of yours—was it from the Black Forest? Show it to me,” the emerald-haired man demanded, his eyes deepening into abysses.
“That bronze tower you’re holding looks like one I discarded. Hand it over,” the Fifteenth Master retorted, glancing sidelong at him.
If the Little Rascal had been present, he might have muttered how similar their styles were.
“Confidence is good, but overconfidence leads to ruin,” the emerald-haired man warned.
“Coming to my clan’s mansion to lecture—are you arrogant, or do you truly believe you can dictate fate? Your words suit you better,” the Fifteenth Master replied coldly from his throne.
“You’re impressive. Come with me,” the man said.
“A mere injured spiritual avatar dares to instruct me in my own home? What can you possibly do?” The Great Demonic God straightened, his gaze piercing.
The crowd gasped—this wasn’t a living being, but a spiritual projection!
“True. I encountered an ‘old friend’ on the way and was delayed,” the man admitted.
Suddenly, he raised his palm, revealing eight bones—purple, crystalline white, golden—each radiating mist and auspicious energy. With a flick, he scattered them to seal the entire mansion.
Shi Ziteng bowed and retreated as the man created a luminous path to escort him out, avoiding the impending battle.
“I admire you. Join me, and your potential will soar. As for your severed arm, a touch of divine medicine will restore it effortlessly,” the man offered.
“You’re an eyesore, but you might as well stay,” the Great Demonic God countered.
“Must I act?!” the man’s voice thundered like lightning.
“Try me!” The Great Demonic God rose, ready to strike.
The crowd realized the emerald-haired man likely hailed from the Primordial Divine Mountain—Shi Ziteng’s master’s lineage. The thought sent chills down their spines.
With a hum, the man’s eyes became black vortices, pulling at souls. Many cried out, stumbling back.
The Fifteenth Master stomped, disrupting the void and nullifying the suction.
“Let me see your true power!” The emerald-haired man lunged, slashing with icy force. The throne froze and shattered, but the Fifteenth Master reappeared behind him, summoning a black dragon chain that coiled around the man’s body.
“Order Chains!” the man exclaimed, surprised. But with a burst of eerie flame, he shattered them.
His aura surged, his eyes now hollow gateways to hell. Gray runes wove in the void, opening a spectral portal. Shadowy figures swarmed, dragging the Fifteenth Master toward damnation.
But the Fifteenth Master erupted in black-and-white energy, spiraling into twin dragons that shattered the shadows. He turned, firing an arrow that obliterated the portal.
The emerald-haired man remained calm, lifting his bronze tower. It expanded into a mountainous monolith, pressing down on the mansion.
“Seal!” he commanded.
The tower’s ancient engravings flared with power, pulling the Fifteenth Master toward it.
“Divine artifact!” the Great Demonic God realized grimly.
A brutal clash ensued, shaking the capital. The Fifteenth Master was eventually drawn into the tower—until a black arrow joined the silver one, hammering from within.
With a deafening boom, he burst free, bloodied but unbroken.
“Kill!”
The two clashed in a death duel, each unleashing their full might.
Silently, another figure appeared in the mansion—unnoticed until all trembled under his gaze.
“The Human Emperor!”
The crowd knelt.
“This battle ends now,” the Human Emperor declared, his golden radiance flooding the space like an ocean, his presence that of a true dragon surveying the world.
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